Jonathan Rose: Drew professor launches first wholly Web-based student book review journal
A great book, like "Tess of the d'Urbervilles,"can be read on lots of levels, said professor Jonathan Rose, in his book-filled office at Drew University. In the 1920s some women looked down their noses at Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel about a peasant milkmaid.
"But housemaids bought it. They loved it," Rose said. "They saw it as an emancipating book because the heroine was a working class woman. So, what critics count?"
More readers may be turning to the Internet to read articles and columns. But book readership is up, said Rose, co-editor of the yearly journal Book History and founder and faculty adviser to a unique student publication.
"The Reading Light is the first wholly Web-based student book review journal in the solar system," the professor said of the effort, which has drawn four staffers and 12 contributors. "What this proves is that, contrary to stereotype, the kids of the Internet Generation are still reading books and discussing them."
In fact, everybody seems to be reading books. The history of reading has become a field in itself; Rose founded and teaches in Drew's graduate program in book history. Never in history, he said, have so many books been written about the books people should be reading.
After earning his history degree at Princeton University, Rose moved on to the University of Pennsylvania for a master's and doctorate in the same field....
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"But housemaids bought it. They loved it," Rose said. "They saw it as an emancipating book because the heroine was a working class woman. So, what critics count?"
More readers may be turning to the Internet to read articles and columns. But book readership is up, said Rose, co-editor of the yearly journal Book History and founder and faculty adviser to a unique student publication.
"The Reading Light is the first wholly Web-based student book review journal in the solar system," the professor said of the effort, which has drawn four staffers and 12 contributors. "What this proves is that, contrary to stereotype, the kids of the Internet Generation are still reading books and discussing them."
In fact, everybody seems to be reading books. The history of reading has become a field in itself; Rose founded and teaches in Drew's graduate program in book history. Never in history, he said, have so many books been written about the books people should be reading.
After earning his history degree at Princeton University, Rose moved on to the University of Pennsylvania for a master's and doctorate in the same field....