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The social life of books

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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.

Title The social life of books : reading together in the eighteenth-century home / Abigail Williams.
Publisher New Haven, Connecticut
London, England : Yale University Press
Creation Date [2017]
Notes Includes index.
Includes bibliographical references (pages [279]-340) and index.
In English.
Content 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
Series The Lewis Walpole Series in Eighteenth-Century Culture and History
Extent 1 online resource (362 pages).
Language English
Copyright Date ©2017
National Library system number 997010703479305171
MARC RECORDS
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