Appearing on a bestseller list is a transformative event in the life of a book and its author, a fast-track to new audiences and opportunities. But how did bestsellers come to dominate literary culture, and why do they continue to fascinate us? In this course, we'll consider bestsellers both as literary objects and as forces which shape the bookselling and publishing industries. Beginning with the emergence of bestseller lists at the end of the nineteenth century and ending with contemporary blockbusters, we'll read bestselling novels for what they can tell us about the intersections of popular taste and literary form.
5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit · GER: WAY-A-II
Appearing on a bestseller list is a transformative event in the life of a book and its author, a fast-track to new audiences and opportunities. But how did bestsellers come to dominate literary culture, and why do they continue to fascinate us? In this course, we'll consider bestsellers both as literary objects and as forces which shape the bookselling and publishing industries. Beginning with the emergence of bestseller lists at the end of the nineteenth century and ending with contemporary blockbusters, we'll read bestselling novels for what they can tell us about the intersections of popular taste and literary form.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.