Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Pygmalionesses and the pencil under the petticoat: Richardson, Johnson and Byron; 2. What should girls and women read? 3. The pleasures and perils of reading; 4. Pleasures and perils of reading: some case histories; 5. Where and how should women read? 6. Preparing for equality: class, gender, reading; 7. A dangerous recreation: women and novel reading; Conclusion; Notes; Select Bibliography; Index.

Promotional Information

The first broad overview and detailed analysis of female reading audiences in this period.

Reviews

'… manages to be both scholarly and readable. the breadth of research is impressive, and covers a wide range of women readers, including both the well known and the less familiar … this will be a valuable text for anyone studying any aspect of gender and writing or reading during this important era.' Harriet Devine, Review of English Studies