Women's Reading in Britain, 1750-1835

The growth of female reading audiences from the mid-eighteenth century to the early Victorian era represents both a vital episode in women's history and a highly significant factor in shaping the literary production of the period. This book offers the first broad overview and detailed analysis of this growing readership, its representation in literature, and its influence. Jacqueline Pearson examines both historical women readers, including Laetitia Pilkington, Elizabeth Carter, Frances Burney and Jane Austen, and a wide range of texts in which the figure of the woman reader is important.