Light Reading with a Vengeance.
Keeper of Circulating Library: "I'm very sorry, Miss, the Third Volume happens still to be out; but here is the entire Novel in One Volume!
Young Lady: "Oh, That won't do! How on Earth am I to find my Place in it!"
Punch for 27 January 1877 (page 30) comments on Mudie's and other circulation libraries, which long promoted publishing novels in three volumes, or as so-called triple deckers. [Scanned image (from a volume in the Athenæum Club Library) and text by George P. Landow [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Last modified 3 September 2007