Anti-Novel Campaign

As we know that since 18th century, novel got wide popularity in England. People of all hues and age groups including men-women or young boys-girls, this new thing called novel was liked by every age group. It was the best mode of entertainment at that time as books became affordable to middle class people and literacy rate increased and many other factors. But with popularity comes the criticism. Novel also faced criticism from some people and they led the "Anti-Novel" campaign. The sudden popularity of this new genre created hysteria among some people.

• Novels have a great impact on the unconscious mind of readers. Readers may imitate wrong and irrational ideas about love, life and other aspects of life. Also it may develop certain stereotypes in the mind of readers.

 • Novel was believed to have its roots in French romance, thus it was incompatible with English ethics. Many novelists including Eliza Haywood, Aphra Behn were attacked as their prose were based on French style.

• It was and still considered as a waste of time. People were spending most of their spare time by reading novel. Also it diverts people from living in reality and encourage them to sail in the imaginary world. It affects the reader physically as the reader sit for hours without any physical activity and which can cause diminished eyesight.

• As the novels were written in simple prose unlike poetry which requires skill and creative illumination, there were a crowd of unskilled writers which inferiorize its status. The content produced by this undesirable crowd was of poor quality and thus created bad reputation of the genre.

• Women were and still perceived as sensitive, weaker and emotional, thus they were more exposed to bad influence and may engage in immoral activities. Also some novel fuelled to this approach as it exhibits young girls searching for love, elopement of these young girl with married man.

The Anti-Novel campaign couldn't stop the rising popularity of the novel, but additionally it creates a curiousity among people about it and broadens its audience base. From 18th century till now, novel readers increased manifold.