La Nouvelle Heloise Bestselling epistolary novel by Jean-Jacques Rousseau clearly influenced by Samuel Richardson. Published in 1761. Its heroes were Julie and Saint Preux. Reading Aloud . A widespread social practice throughout Europe.
Russian sources are also replete with references to the practice.
Listeners were often heavily female, indicating an uncharted audience. Revue des Deux Mondes Founded in 1829. One of the two journals in which Balzac usually published.