Abstract
The intersection of reader behaviour and the evolution of literary works across different media is a critical and evolving field of study. The Victorian period bore witness to the birth of serial publications, with authors like Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins captivating readers through episodic narratives. This significant shift in reading habits challenged the conventional approach to literary consumption, making readers active participants in the unfolding story. Utilising cutting-edge literary analysis, this paper examines how readers of the time engaged with these serials and how it has shaped modern reading behaviour. To construct a comprehensive analysis, this study references seminal works such as Dickens’s “The Pickwick Papers” and Collins’s “The Moonstone,” and engages with contemporary critiques by scholars such as Rosemary Jann, who has delved into Dickens’s readership, and Marshall McLuhan, who offers insights into the evolving role of readers in the digital age. By revisiting these historical reading practices and comparing them to the consumption of modern transmedial series across various media, this research exposes intriguing connections and contrasts. The concept of “reading” has broadened to include viewing screens, and readers have become viewers, actively navigating complex narratives across platforms. By employing a critical and conceptual framework encompassing modernism, postmodernism, and the digital age, this study seeks to deepen our understanding of literature’s multifaceted evolution. Exploring this intersection of literary studies, media, and conceptual frameworks, this inquiry promises to shed new light on changes in reading behaviour and its enduring impact on literature and literary criticism.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Reading habits, Serialised literature, Literary criticism
