Dime novel Summary

Dime Novels A popular form of literary entertainment in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, dime novels were works of sensational fiction published in paper-covered booklets, issued at ... Read more

In the following essay, Harvey recounts the development of the dime novel in America. I Are not more crimes perpetrated these days in the name of the dime novels than Madame Roland ever imagined we... Read more

In the essay below, Erickson argues that the transformation of the distribution and packaging of dime novels—rather than fundamental changes in the content of the stories—led to their de... Read more

In the essay below, Jones explores the development of the outlaw hero in dime novels, arguing that the character emerged from the cultural context of the times. Among the select brotherhood of West... Read more

In the essay below, Pfitzer argues that Twain transformed the formulaic components of dime novels into a masterpiece of literature. In the summer of 1884, Mark Twain was enjoying a rare moment of s... Read more

In the following essay, Denning argues that dime novels constituted the primary reading material of the working class and that the books were specifically created by the middle class for workers. W... Read more