A feast that lasts a year or two : writing, reading, and editing serials in the "Quality Monthlies'" / Janina Rojek.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rojek, Janina, author.

Series:

American studies (Munich, Germany) ; Volume 296.

American studies (Munich, Germany) ; Volume 296

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American fiction--19th century--History and criticism.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (284 pages).

Place of Publication:

Heidelberg : Universitätsverlag Winter, [2018]

Summary:

'A Feast That Lasts a Year or Two' analyzes conceptualizations of the magazine serial as a format bound to the demands of the literary market in juxtaposition to the serial as a medium whose allure lies in its long form, slowly unfolding narrative, and recurring characters. This study focuses on the so-called 'quality monthlies' and the distinction mechanisms they employ to set their serial fiction apart from supposedly more formulaic and commercial formats such as the story paper. Drawing on the concepts of seriality studies and criticism of serials in contemporary magazine editorials, it examines the mechanisms and challenges of serial writing and reading, as well as serial modes in the second half of the nineteenth century. Close readings of William Dean Howells's 'Their Wedding Journey, A Modern Instance' and 'The World of Chance' then illustrate the appeals and shortcomings of serial writing and reading strategies.

Contents:

1. Point of departure : situating the magazine serial

2. Approaching seriality : the serial as medium

3. Taking stock : society and the literary marketplace

4. Negotiating seriality's demands

5. Serial strategies at work : three examples from William Dean Howell's serial fiction

6. Approaching closure : the rise of the short story as a media shift

7. Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-284).

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

3-8253-7725-3