Book
Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America
About the Book
An engaging combination of information and analysis, Davidson’s book on the production and readers of the early novel will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of the novel, of reading, or of American literature. Considering the “codes or rules of fictive discourse” and the circumstances creating and created by “both texts and ways of reading them,” Davidson examines both early novels and perceptions of them as a subversive form. The mechanics of printing and book distribution; attitudes toward books as property; changing literacy patterns of men and, especially, women; and textual analysis figure importantly in this discussion.–Library Journal.
Notes
An engaging combination of information and analysis, Davidson’s book on the production and readers of the early novel will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of the novel, of reading, or of American literature.
Considering the “codes or rules of fictive discourse” and the circumstances creating and created by “both texts and ways of reading them,” Davidson examines both early novels and perceptions of them as a subversive form. The mechanics of printing and book distribution; attitudes toward books as property; changing literacy patterns of men and, especially, women; and textual analysis figure importantly in this discussion.–Library Journal.