Fictive People Antebellum Economic Development and the American Reading Public

This book explodes two notions that are commonplace in cultural histories of the nineteenth century: first, that the spread of literature was a simple force for the democratization of taste, and second, that there was a body of nineteenth century literature that reflected 'a nation of readers'. Zboray shows that the output of the press was so diverse and the public so indiscriminate in what it would read that these conclusions must be reassessed.Zboray, Ronald J. is the author of 'Fictive People Antebellum Economic Development and the American Reading Public' with ISBN 9780195075823 and ISBN 019507582X.