readers of early English novels
The rapid growth of novels in the late eighteenth-century was an important communications industry development. A large number of manuscripts of novels were available to printers at low cost. Printing novels was a profit-driven business, as was book-selling and book-lending through commercial circulating libraries. Printers chose novels to print with keen regard for market demand. [...]
Tagged: novels, sex differences
reading at risk, seriously
The U.S. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this fall will release another report lamenting the decline of literary reading. From the late seventeenth century through the early twentieth century, many cultural leaders would have applauded a decline in reading of popular novels. Now, however, such a decline is a cause for grave concern. Fiction [...]
Tagged: novels, sex differences
novel content creation
In the middle of the eighteenth century, a new form of content creation grew rapidly in Britain. The new popular content was long, realistic but fictional narratives of ordinary individuals whose lives nonetheless were put forward as significant for everyone. These works were called “novels.” Novels were YouTube in the eighteenth century. Authors of novels [...]
Tagged: novels, text
watch a film or read a novel?
Irving Wladawsky-Berger observes that watching a film, compared to reading a novel, seems to deliver similar goods at less cost: Given my utter inability to keep up with all the work and general interest material I’d like to read, I find it very satisfying to be able to enjoy a film in a couple of [...]
Tagged: novels