Vain Fortune

Use the menu on this page to view a complete transcription of Vain Fortune. An ebook is also available in the GMi Shop.

Vain Fortune (1891) is George Moore’s seventh novel. It has two distinct parts: the first set in London describes the struggle of Hubert Price to become a successful playwright; the second is set in Sussex after Hubert’s sudden inheritance of a “fortune” and his new life as a man of property. His friendships with three women (and marriage to one) — Rose Massey, Julia Bentley, and Emily Watson — are emotional counterpoints of his artistic and intellectual ambitions.

Like most of George’s early fiction, Vain Fortune blends autobiographical themes and incidents with imaginative storytelling. After he published the text provided here, he soon rewrote it for an American edition and again for the second English edition.