Chap-books of the Eighteenth Century : With Facsimiles, Notes, and Introduction

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ashton, John, 1834-1911

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Other Title:

Chap-books of the 18th Century

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Chap-books of the Eighteenth Century" by John Ashton is a historical compilation that explores a variety of inexpensive, popular literature produced during the eighteenth century. Written in the late 19th century, this collection aims to preserve and document the unique cultural artifacts of an era when chap-books were a primary source of reading for the lower classes in England. The work highlights the social significance of these chap-books, which encompass tales of romance, adventure, morality, and even folklore that reflect the interests and values of ordinary people of that time. The opening of this volume sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of the chap-book phenomenon, detailing its origins, production, and the various themes that dominated these publications. It mentions the role of "Chapmen," or itinerant traders, who would bring these stories to rural communities, filling a gap in the literary landscape of the age. Ashton describes how these chap-books served as the main form of entertainment and education for many, especially in an era before widespread access to newspapers and more refined literature. The introduction also notes the efforts to categorize these works, emphasizing their diversity-from religious to romantic tales-while outlining the lost art of storytelling that is encapsulated in these simple yet captivating narratives. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Chris Curnow, Lesley Halamek, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 70.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2015-04-27