The social life of books : reading together in the eighteenth-century home / Abigail Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, Abigail, author.

Series:

Lewis Walpole series in eighteenth-century culture and history.

The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-Century Culture and History

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Families--Books and reading--History--18th century.

Families.

Books and reading--History--18th century.

Books and reading.

Books and reading--Sociological aspects.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (362 pages).

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Connecticut ; London, England : Yale University Press, [2017]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A vivid exploration of the evolution of reading as an essential social and domestic activity during the eighteenth century Two centuries before the advent of radio, television, and motion pictures, books were a cherished form of popular entertainment and an integral component of domestic social life. In this fascinating and vivid history, Abigail Williams explores the ways in which shared reading shaped the lives and literary culture of the time, offering new perspectives on how books have been used by their readers, and the part they have played in middle-class homes and families. Drawing on marginalia, letters and diaries, library catalogues, elocution manuals, subscription lists, and more, Williams offers fresh and fascinating insights into reading, performance, and the history of middle-class home life.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. How to Read

2. Reading and Sociability

3. Using Books

4. Access to Reading

5. Verse at Home

6. Drama and Recital

7. Fictional Worlds

8. Piety and Knowledge

Afterword

Notes

Index

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [279]-340) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780300228106

0300228104

OCLC:

1032363755