Question 44

When we examine the consumption of fiction in the mid-19th century, we find that for the middle classes, the primary mode of access was not purchase, but borrowing through circulating libraries, most notably Mudie's Select Library. Charles Mudie wielded immense influence over the publishing industry simply because he purchased books in such massive quantities. He could essentially dictate the format to publishers, and his preferred format was the 'three-decker,' or three-volume novel. The rationale was commercially driven: by splitting a single title into three separate physical volumes, the library could circulate parts of the same novel to three different subscribers at once, maximizing the utility of their stock. This economic model had a tangible impact on literary content. Authors were frequently pressured to stretch their narratives or invent superfluous subplots-often called 'padding'-merely to fill the requisite pages. Thus, the sprawling structure of many Victorian novels was often a result of the commercial requirements of the lending library system rather than purely artistic choices.