der of the serial novel:

"The small library which issues from the press on the first of every
month is a new and increasing fashion in literature, which carves out
works into slices and serves them up in fresh portions twelve times in the
year. Prose and poetry, original and selected, translations and
republications, of every class and character, are included. The mere
enumeration of titles would require a vast space, and any attempt to
analyze the contents, or to estimate the influence which the class exerts
upon the literary taste of the day would expand into a volume of itself.
As an event of importance must be mentioned the appearance of the first
number of a new story, 'David Copperfield,' by Charles Dickens. His rival
humourist, Mr. Thackeray, has finished one and begun another of his
domestic histories within the twelve-month, his new story, 'Pendennis,'
having journeyed seven-twentieths of the way to completion. Mr. Lever
rides double with 'Roland Cashel' and 'Con Cregan,' making their punctual
appearance upon the appointed days. Of another order is Mr. Jerrold's 'Man
Made of Money.' Incidents are of little consequence to this author, except
by way of pegs to hang reflections and conclusions upon.

"Passing over the long list of magazines and reviews as belonging to
another class of publication, there is a numerous series of reprints, new
editions, etc., issued in monthly parts, and generally in a cheap and
compendious form. Shakespeare and Byron among the poets, Bulwer, Dickens,
and James among the novelists, appear pretty regularly,--the poets being
enriched with notes and illustrations. Other writers and miscellaneous
novels find republication in the 'Parlour Library of Fiction,' with so
rigid an application of economy that for two shillings we may purchase a
guinea and a half's worth of the most popular romances at the original
price of publication. Besides the works of imagination, and above them in
value, stand Knight's series of 'Monthly Volumes,' Murray's 'Home and
Colonial Library,' and the 'Scientific' and 'Literary Libraries' of Mr.
Bohn. The contents of these collections are very diversified; many volumes
are altogether original, and others are new translations of foreign works,
or modernized versions of antiquarian authors. A large mass of the most
valuable works contained in our literature may be found in Mr. Bohn's
'Library.' The class of publications introduced in them all partakes but
little of