Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction
Oxford et al.: Oxford University Press (2007), 127 pp.
Contains illustrations
Series: Very Short Introductions
ISBN 978-0-19-921489-1 (pbk)
"Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction shows that bestseller lists monitor one of the strongest pulses in modern literature and are therefore worthy of serious study. It lifts the lid on the bestseller industry, examines what makes a book into a bestseller, and asks what separates bestsellers from canonical fiction. Exploring the relationship between bestsellers and the fashions, ideologies, and cultural concerns of the day, this Very Short Introduction includes short case-studies and lively summaries of bestsellers through the years, including both classic and contemporary novels, alongside some surprising titles and long-forgotten names." (Publisher description)
1 Definitions, 1
2 The modern scene, 23
3 Fields and lists, 32
4 The American bestseller, 44
5 The British bestseller, 81
6 The future of the bestseller: is there one? 109
2 The modern scene, 23
3 Fields and lists, 32
4 The American bestseller, 44
5 The British bestseller, 81
6 The future of the bestseller: is there one? 109
