Between 1880 and 1903 George Gissing wrote 23 novels. His early works were naturalistic and later he wrote in a realistic style. Gissing is considered to be a late Victorian author. The year of the jubilee celebrated the 15th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign. For the young adults of London this was a year of experiencing adult society. Later they will face the consequences of this time. The cast of characters includes a cigarette-smoking business woman, an "examination girl," and an ad man.