Crowded Out! and Other Sketches

"Crowded Out! and Other Sketches" by S. Frances Harrison compiles insightful sketches that capture different facets of colonial life, especially through a Canadian lens. The sketches combine real observation with imaginative storytelling to explore individual experiences in society. The collection begins with a powerful sketch about a protagonist in London, who is filled with both yearning and determination. He dwells on his dreams of being an artist while facing the harsh reality of being a nobody in a massive city that doesn't care about him. As he strives for acknowledgment, especially for his opera, he cannot forget a woman named Hortense, who he can't be with. The story showcases the protagonist's desolation, desire, and love for his creative work and for the city, laying the groundwork for the sketches that come next.