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Literary Periodicals: Influencing the growth of the Novel in the course of the 18th Century and Beyond

Periodicals are publications released on a regular basis may include news, feature articles, poems, fictional stories, or other types of writing. Literary journals provided the platform for literary reviews and criticism. This practice influenced the growth of the novel positively in the course of the 18th century and beyond. It created an opportunity for public discussion on the subject matter of the novels which people were reading at a given period. It also aided the popularity of the novels which in turn increased sales and circulation. This is not applicable to only the well-written novels because even the low-rated novels sold too because people wanted to know why it was rated poorly. Literary criticism published in newspapers and literary journals therefore helped to popularize or bring down works and this in turn affected the circulation of such works. Read More Essay

Perhaps the most famous of the essay periodicals of the 18th century were the British publications The Tatler (1709-1711) and The Spectator (1711-1712, 1714), the creations of renowned essayists Sir Richard Steele and Joseph Addison; and The Rambler (1750-1752) and The Idler (1758-1760), founded by writer Samuel Johnson. Journals like The Spectator and The Tattler at the beginning of the 18th century pioneered literary criticism and other literary journals emerged in the middle of the century and by the 1780s, the reception of criticisms by the reading public became a new marketing platform for novels, and authors and publishers recognized it as such.

 On the part of the authors, they became self conscious and wrote to satisfy the target audience while publishers ensured high quality production of the novels. Consequently, literary criticism contributed to improved artistic quality and originality of themes in the novels. Read More Essay Gradually the novel moved from a form of entertainment to text books with its introduction in the curricula of secondary school and universities. This further enhanced the development and rise of the novel. By the end of the 18th century, the public perception of the place of a particular novel was no longer based on the taste of the aristocratic class or what was fashionable to read but by the attention accorded it by literary criticism in the journals and other media.

List of Great Periodicals:
German Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Edifying Monthly Discussions, 1663-1668)
 The French Journal des Sçavans (1665; subsequently titled Journal des Savants)
The English Philosophical Transactions (1665) of the Royal Society of London.
The Tatler (1709-1711)
 The Spectator (1711-1712, 1714)
The Rambler (1750-1752)
 The Idler (1758-1760)
German Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung (General Literary News, 1785-1849)
The Gentleman's Magazine (1731-1907)
American periodicals, General Magazine and Historical Chronicle and American Magazine. Both of these periodicals first appeared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January 1741
The Edinburgh Review (1802-1929)
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (1817-1981)
North American Review (1815-1940; revived in 1964)
French Revue des Deux Mondes (Review of Two Worlds, 1829)
German Literarisches Wochenblatt (Literary Weekly, 1820-1898).
The Mirror (1822-1849)
Cornhill Magazine (1860-1939)
American Revolution (1775-1783)
Godey's Lady's Book (1830-1898)
Youth's Companion (1827-1929)
St. Nicholas (1873-1940)
Graham's Magazine (1826-1858)
The Southern Literary Messenger (1834-1864)
The Dial (1840-1844)
Saturday Evening Post (1821-1969
Illustrated London News (1842)
L'Illustration in France (1843-1944)
 Die Woche (The Week, 1899-1940)
Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (1855-1922)
Harper's Weekly (1857-1916)
Harper's Weekly from 1858 to 1876,
Fortnightly Review (1865-1954; issued monthly after 1866)
 German Simplicissimus (1896-1944; 1956-1967)
 Harper's New Monthly Magazine (1850; later Harper's Magazine)
Scribner's Monthly (begun in 1870), Century (1881-1930)
Scribner's Magazine (1887-1939)
The Atlantic (formerly The Atlantic Monthly, 1857)
The political magazine The Nation (1865)
Cosmopolitan (1886)
McClure's Magazine (1893-1933)
Munsey's Magazine (1889-1929)
Home Companion (1873-1957)
 McCall's Magazine (1876)
 Ladies' Home Journal (1883)
 Good Housekeeping (1885)
 Vogue (1892)
Vanity Fair (1913-1936; revived in 1983)
American Mercury (1924-1951)
Reader's Digest (1922)
Time (1923)
The Kenyon Review (1939-1970, revived in 1979)
Saturday Review of Literature (1924; reorganized 1973-1982 as Saturday Review/World)
 The New Yorker (1925)
 The liberal Catholic Commonweal (1924)
 The Jewish-focused Commentary (1945)
Partisan Review (1934)
The Reporter (1949-1968)
National Review (1955)

Key Arguments:

Literary periodicals significantly influenced the growth of the novel during the 18th century and beyond:
Dissemination of Novels: Periodicals serially published novels, expanding their reach among readers.
Reader Engagement: Serialized novels encouraged reader engagement, fostering anticipation and discussion.
Variety of Content: Periodicals featured essays, reviews, and short stories, diversifying literary consumption.
Cultural Reflection: They mirrored societal changes, influencing novelists to address contemporary issues.

Literary periodicals played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution and popularity of the novel.

 Ardhendu De

Reference: Encatra, Wikipedia

Ardhendu De

Reference:Wikipedia, Encarta

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