The Literature Book

146

ALL PARTINGS

FORESHADOW

THE GREAT

FINAL ONE

BLEAK HOUSE (1852–1853), CHARLES DICKENS

R

eaders on both sides of

the Atlantic Ocean could

barely contain themselves

as they awaited the final

installment of Charles Dickens’

serialized The Old Curiosity Shop—

so much so, that when the ship

carrying it finally docked in New

York, in 1841, excited readers

waiting at the port rushed forward

across the wharf, desperate to find

out whether Little Nell, the novel’s

protagonist, had died.

Such enthusiasm showed just

how popular the work of Charles

Dickens had become. But it also

highlighted the popularity of

serialization—a process by which

a novel was published in episodes

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS

Serial fiction

BEFORE

1836–37 Charles Dickens’ The

Pickwick Papers is published

in 20 monthly installments.

It establishes the popularity

and financial viability of

serializing narrative fiction.

1844–45 The Count of

Monte Cristo, a thrilling

adventure of a man’s false

imprisonment and his

subsequent revenge, by

Alexandre Dumas, is

published in installments.

AFTER

1856 Gustave Flaubert’s debut

novel Madame Bovary appears

in serial form in the literary

magazine Revue de Paris.

1868 Wilkie Collins’ The

Moonstone proves so popular

that it is extended from 26 to

32 serialized episodes.

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