Title: Provincial readers in eighteenth-century England /
Authors: Fergus, Jan S., 1943-
Publisher: Oxford University Press,
Year: 2006
Subjects: Books and reading England Midlands History; English fiction Publishing England History
Abstract: The English novel took shape in the 18th century, but no one knows who read novels like 'Humphry Clinker' and 'Clarissa' when they were first published. Drawing on booksellers' archives and parish records, this book shows who in the Midlands actually bought novels, plays, and fiction magazines in the 18th century.