Five Years’ Serial is Longest Novel Ever Written

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 8, 10 January 1936, Page 12

Five Years’ Serial is Longest Novel Ever Written

BOOKS BECOMING SHORTER Which is the longest novel ever written in tho English language? In these days the average length of a novel is 80,000 words; in the pre-war years it was 120,000; and in tho days of tho threo volume novel tho length ranged from 150,000 to' 200,000 words, says the Melbourne Age. Most of Dickens’ novels, which wet* published in monthly' parts, exceed 200,000 words, and “David Copperfield” is nearly twice that length. VVanity Fair” is about 340,000. Tne 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 m an article contributed to Chambers’ Journal, fills 2028 pages, and runs approximately to 2,452,520 words. This novel was originally published weenty in penny numbers, and it ran for 25i weeks, in tho years 1863-186 S.

Robert Louis Stevenson in an article contributed to Scribner’s Magazine for July, 1898, refers to the delight he experienced as a boy- on finding in a room in a deserted castle on tho Tweed half a dozen penny numbers of “Black Bess, or the Knight of the Road," Although this novel is about tho same length as Gibbons’ “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," which filled six bulky volumes when first published, it was followed by a lengthy sequel entitled “Blucskin,” which in turn was followed by a sequel, "The Black Highwayman,’’ The combined length of theso two 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 catalogue of the British Museum. This book, which was published in 1869, is entitled “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. Mr. Roberts expressed doubt whether Viles wrote tho whole of “Black Bess" and its sequel. He thinks that Viles, who was a publisher of “penny dreadfuls" and 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. Bishop and alderman seem to have been the chief object of the author’s or authors’ scorn, and thoy come off very badly indeed." Historical accuracy' is not allowed to interfere with the narrative, and 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 tho rare books of the collectors’ world.