Feminist Readings of Victorian Popular Texts

The essays in this collection examine the apparent endorsement and subversion of class and gender norms in Victorian popular fiction, poetry, periodicals and modes of theatrical entertainment. Topics covered include: sensation fiction, ghost stories, working-class women's poetry, women's annuals, girls' magazines, stage melodrama and stage comedy. The contributors consider texts and markets in the context of socially and politically diverse consumer demands, paying particular attention to the cross-class nature of readerships and audiences. A substantial introduction provides a survey of 19th- and 20th-century responses to popular texts and theories of popular culture, and offers guidelines for studying popular writing.