Critical Commentary on Anthony Trollope’s ‘on English Prose Fiction as a Rational Amusement’ (1870), From Four Lecture, Ed. Morris L Parrish (London: Constable, 1938)

Throughout the Victorian era there was an increased demand for forms of printed matter. The novel developed dramatically during this period and therefore several forms of reading the novel and other printed material developed. The novel was often read in the form of the ‘three – decker’ novel which was expensive to buy and therefore was available on loan through the use of circulating libraries such as Mudies or Boots. This still was rather expensive for the lower classes and the much cheaper option of reading novels came through magazines and serialisations. The cost of these weekly or monthly magazines, such as Dickens’ Household Words, or Pearson’s Weekly and Tit – Bits, were approximately priced at 1d or 2d and they spread the cost of the novel over a long period.

However, there was some concern from conservative commentators over the expansion of the reading public. They felt that these newly literate readers were often reading worthless, mainly cheap fiction and that there was a threat to the intellectual integrity of the country, suggestive of the cultural decay of Britain. Due to this there were many articles published in these weekly and monthly magazines alongside novel serialisations by authors and critics who either advocated or opposed the larger audience and mass readership. The author Anthony Trollope however, in his essay ‘On English Prose Fiction as a Rational Amusement’ (1870) appreciated that novels were read ‘diligently’ and accepted that.

He recognised that ‘Novels are in the hands of us all; from the Prime Minister down to the last – appointed scullery maid. We have them in our library, our drawing – rooms, our bed – rooms, our kitchens, – and in our nurseries.’ Novels were seen as inferior to poetry especially by Palgrave, who wrote in his essay ‘On Readers in 1760 and 1860’ that poetry was much superior and more or less dismissed the novel as a mere form of entertainment and some critics went as far as saying that the novel was a waste of time. However, despite the critics, novel reading became more popular as the years went by. Industrialisation and urbanisation were linked with growing literacy rates and the contribution of cheaper and faster printing all resulted in the need for reading material.

Trollope’s essay seems to be written for a middle class readership but tends to be targeted at those who believe that novel reading is just for mere ‘rational amusement’. He goes on in great lengths to work against objections made against novel reading. His first argument states that some believe ‘Time is devoted to an amusement which should be given to work’. He compares reading to ‘athletic sports’. Within his essay he argues that a person may participate in certain sports too much just as they may read too much but it is the said person’s prerogative to do so. He believes quite strongly that ‘The harder we work the more needful it is that we should at intervals take our minds away from the matters that most engross us and disport ourselves at ease. But the mind will not sleep or be at rest. What the mind requires is change, – not tranquillity.’ He argues that lessons can be learned from novels, for both the young girl and boy learning to become men and women.