The Public Library in Fiction: George Gissing's Spellbound

Abstract George Gissing's short story Spellbound is a cautionary tale, which relates the increasingly drastic consequences of its 'hero's' intoxication with a public library newspaper and reading room (firmly based on a genuine example in St Martin's Lane, London). This article examines the detail of Gissing's realistic portrayal of the library, noting how a few contemporary public librarians highlighted the olfactory aspects in his description. Gissing's own considerable usage of all manner of libraries and frequent references to them and reading practices in his fiction are discussed, and an interpretation of his attitude towards public libraries and their usage by certain classes of reader offered.