''The History of a Book'' is an 1873 novel by Annie Carey. The novel is an
it-narrative
The novel of circulation, otherwise known as the it-narrative, or object narrative, is a genre of novel common at one time in British literature, and follows the fortunes of an object, for example a coin, that is passed around between different ow ...
following the experiences of a copy of ''
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe''. It was received favorably by the British literary press.
Background and publication
''The History of a Book'' was written by
Annie Carey and published in 1873 by
Cassell, Petter & Galpin in London. Carey was an author of the
it-narrative
The novel of circulation, otherwise known as the it-narrative, or object narrative, is a genre of novel common at one time in British literature, and follows the fortunes of an object, for example a coin, that is passed around between different ow ...
, a genre of
Victorian literature giving the stories of objects; she earlier wrote ''Autobiography of a Lump of Coal; A Grain of Salt; A Drop of Water; A Bit of Old Iron; and A Piece of Old Flint'' (1870).
Carey's novel follows a copy of ''
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'' as it is being made. The New Book is left at an auction house, and the other books fail to respect him; once they learn that the New Book is ''Robinson Crusoe'', they respect him and label him "
Defoe Senior". In Carey's time, ''Robinson Crusoe'' was a mass market book, and her book compares mass literary production to classic literature.
Reception
Writers for the ''
Examiner'' praised the book, saying it was "attractive and instructive" in discussing the physical assembly of books and for its narrative technique. An article in ''
Graphic
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture, ...
'' recommended the novel for readers interested in the history of publishing and praised its historical view of the
printing press "from the rude types of
Gutenberg ... to the
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
or
Marinoni machines". A review in the ''
Sheffield Daily Telegraph
The ''Sheffield Telegraph'' is a weekly newspaper published in Sheffield, England. Founded in 1855 as the ''Sheffield Daily Telegraph'', it became known as the ''Sheffield Telegraph'' in 1938.
History
The ''Sheffield Telegraph'' was founded i ...
'' recommended it for the "intelligent child" because the book satisfies "curiosity about one of the most lasting of pleasures – books".
References
Citations
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:History of a Book, The
1873 novels
Children's novels
English novels
Novels about novels