Caption: The 17th century's closest equivalent to modern day pulp fiction, the "Volksbuch/Volksbücher"(chapbook), was packed with exciting material.
Credit: University of Gothenburg
Usage Restrictions: None
Posted on 06/14/2011 9:35:32 AM PDT by decimon
The 17th century's closest equivalent to modern day pulp fiction, the "Volksbuch/Volksbücher"(chapbook), was packed with exciting material. But they were not read in excited anticipation in order to reach the sensational, but unknown conclusion of the tale. This is the finding of a new thesis in history of literature from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Chapbooks are mostly works of fiction, which gained a relatively high level of popularity in Europe from the 16th century up until the end of the 19th century. They chiefly comprised early medieval or classical originals, such as knightly epics, romance adventures and comedy tales. Chapbooks were published in bound, cheap editions – an early modern form of the paperback. Chapbooks started being translated and published in Sweden at the start of the 17th century. Today they are almost completely forgotten and have gradually become a focus for research.
Rikard Wingård has examined the early Swedish Volksbücher and their readers, who were mostly found in the upper social strata, but also among the lower classes and the poor.
Volksbücher were sparking criticism from the church and polite society as early as the 16th century. Rikard Wingård shows how growing criticism was based on a Christian outlook on life in terms of a literate and historical consciousness, enhancing a linear time apprehension of time, resulting in aestethic preferences of which could not be satisfied by the Volksbücher.
"This approach is called the expansive type of reading and it has come to be the dominant form in the western world since the Renaissance. This type of reading endeavours to achieve a meaningful entirety in the text being read, something that at best is not attained until the end of the story."
In contrast to the expansive type of reading, many of the Volksbücher instead appear to be written to attract a different kind of reader. Meaningfulness is established right at the start of the reading process rather than at the end. This form is named the assimilative type of reading and is based on an existential view that exists in oral and traditional cultures, where time is often perceived as cyclical and repeatable.
Volksbücher contain several different elements that support the goals of the assimilative type of reading and counteract those of the expansive type of reading. For example, the titles of Volksbücher are often extremely long and detailed, outlining the key events in the story. Sometimes there are summaries of the stories before the main text begins.
"The idea of having long titles and summaries that reveal the whole tale in advance seems alien to us, but they must have appealed in some way to the reader of the time," says Rikard Wingård.
Criticism of Volksbücher and their popularity can be explained with reference to these types of reading. The increasingly dominant position of Christianity and literacy in society led to the disappearance of assimilative reading, and consequently Volksbücher as well. This is one of Rikard Wingård's conclusions.
"Viewed from a broader perspective, the thesis opens the door for new approaches to viewing the mentality, reception and reading of the early modern period. It improves our understanding of a forgotten form of literature and encourages us to reflect on the origins of modern reading patterns."
Credit: University of Gothenburg
Usage Restrictions: None
Old chap ping.
I generally read things backwards. Drives my wife crazy. Magazine? I flip from the back every time. Mystery novel? I need to know the outcome before I start on page 1. Non-fiction? I start at the back, jump around a lot, and if it seems worth it, I'll read it from the beginning. By then, it's almost a second reading.
I've at times thought I must be the only person in the world to not want to figure out the end of a book or movie. I guess I just like the story.
FReeper LS wrote The Patriot's Guide to American History. It did not suck.
I also got one of Travis McGee's tomes. It REALLY did not suck.
Spoiler Alert
Spoiler Alert
Well, I guess I won't bother reading that.
Think ethanol mom!! It's an investment.
Corn... you doofus....corn
But old historical documents...yeh!!!
That picture is interesting. The writing is in German but probably not that "hif(s)toria." "Fortunata" and "fortuna" sure don't look German. ;-)
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Well, I’m prob the only person you’ll ever hear of that read Saducismus Triumphatus, written in 1681.
Was not a page turner. However the last chapter is the only one worth reading, entitled “True Account of What Happen’d in the Kingdom of Sweden In the Years 1669, 1670” and here is part of that chapter:
Blockula (Blåkulla in modern Swedish) was a legendary meadow where the Devil held his Earthly court during a witches’ Sabbat. This meadow could only be reached by a magical flight. It was described as “a delicate large Meadow, whereof you can see no end”.
There was said to be a large gate located in the meadow that led to a smaller meadow. In the smaller meadow there stood a house. In an enormous room in this house: “[…] there stood a very long Table, at which the Witches did sit down: And […] hard by this Room was another Chamber, where there were very lovely and delicate Beds.”
The Devil was dressed “in a gray Coat, and red and blue Stockings: He had a red Beard, a high-crown’d Hat, with Linnen of divers Colours, wrapt about it, and long Garters upon his Stockings”. The Devil then “would go with them that he liked best, into a Chamber, where he committed venerous Acts with them: and this indeed all confessed, That he had carnal knowledge of them, and that the Devil had Sons and Daughters by them, which he did Marry together, and they did couple, and brought forth Toads and Serpents.”
Yes, ladies and gents...it’s all true;)
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