THE LONGEST NOVEL

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 155, 28 December 1935, Page 21

THE LONGEST NOVEL

f _ Which is the longest novel ever written m the EngUsh language? In these days the average lengih of a 1 novel is 80,000 words; in pre-war .years it was 120,000; and'in the. days of the three volume novel the, length ranged from 150,000, Jito 2Q0.00Q ' words, says the. Melbourne '^yge.",Most of Dickens's novels,, which were published in monthly parts, exceed 200,0,00 words, arid' "David Copperfleld" ; '-is nearly twice that :lengtH. "Vanity Fair" is iabout 340.000. . The longest novel published' in the English language is "Black Bess,, or the Knight of the Road," which, according to Mr. W. Roberts, who refers to: this ,book in an article contributed to "Chambers's ■ Journal^! £lls 2028; pagesj and runs approximately to 2,452,520 words. This novel was originally published weekVly in penny numbers, and it ran for >V2BO-weeks,-in the years 1863-1868. Rob- ', ejri; Louis Steyeijison in an article contributed to "Scrlbner's Magazine" for j-. ; 'July1;'.1898,' refers to.the delight he experienced as; a boy' on \ finding in a ;•; rbonV jn a deserted castle on the ' Twfeed:haH a dozen penny numbers of "Black* *' Bess, 'or the. Knight of the Road." '«Although this novel is about ■ the same length as Gibbons's "Decline arid Fall of the Roman Empire," which ' filled six bulky 'volumes when first j published, it was followed by a lengthy sequel entitled "Blueskin," which in; / turn was followed by a sequel, "The ' Black Highwayman." The combined

length of these twe sequels is almost equal to that of "Black Bess, or the Knight of the Road.'.' . ■ The author of these three long romances was Edward Viles, whose name appears on only one. other book in the catalogue of the British Museum. This book,' which was published in 1869, is eptitled "The Rogues, and Vagabonds of Shakespeare's Youth," and, according to the, title page, it was written by Viles in collaboration with Dr. E. J. Furnival. Mrt Roberts expresses doubt whether Viles wrote the whole of "Black Bess" and its sequels. ,He thinks that Viles, who was a publisher of "penny dreadfuls" arid magazines of -light literature, wrote the first few chapters of "Black Bess" and employed Fleet Street hacks to write the remainder. "There is plenty of. excitement in each issue of 'Black Bess'," writes Mr. Roberts. "Every prominent figure' in the early eighteenth century flits across these crowded pages, from Royalty down to footpads and other rogues. Bishops and alderman seem to have been the chief object of the author's or authors' scorn, and they come off very badly indeed." Historical accuracy is not allowed to interfere with the narrative, arid the story contains numerous inconsistencies. But the circulation of "Black Bess" was enormous in its day, and it was reprinted several times, and finally with "splendid coloured plates." In its complete form it is now one of the rare I books of the collectors', world.