On the Vice of Novel Reading. / Being a brief in appeal, pointing out errors of the lower tribunal.

Name: On the Vice of Novel Reading. / Being a brief in appeal, pointing out errors of the lower tribunal.
Author: Young Ewing Allison

By Young Ewing Allison

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Essays, Letters & Speeches

About This Book

The essay mounts a spirited defense of novel reading against prevailing moral condemnation, arguing that attacks on fiction mirror a broader suspicion of purely intellectual or aesthetic pursuits. The speaker traces common objections—novels seen as enervating or morally dangerous—and ridicules extremes that would brand canonized imaginative works as crimes, while recounting a library anecdote and a notable defender's concession that many readers seek novels for harmless leisure. Ultimately the piece challenges the narrow view that fictional literature is mere amusement, asserting its cultural and imaginative legitimacy and exposing critics' inconsistency and hypocrisy.

About the Author

Young Ewing Allison

Allison Young Ewing was an author known for her critical examination of literature and its societal implications. Her notable works include "On the Vice of Novel Reading," which argues against the perceived moral dangers of novel reading, and "The Delicious Vice," where she explores the complexities of literary indulgence. Ewing's writings reflect a keen interest in the cultural debates surrounding fiction in her time, positioning her as a thoughtful commentator on the role of literature in society.