[T]he effects of general change [in literature] are most tellingly recorded not in alteration of the best products, but in the transformation of the most ordinary workaday books; for when potboilers adopt the new style, then the revolution is complete.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Literary changes are best seen in ordinary books rather than masterpieces, because when average writers adopt a new style, the shift is complete.
- In plain terms
- New styles spread through everyday books first, not famous ones, showing a revolution is done when potboilers use it.
- What can you take from it?
- Look at popular and ordinary works to detect cultural shifts before they hit masterpieces.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do trends start?
- Does quality matter for cultural shifts?
Another view
Best sellers or masterpieces might reflect change faster in some contexts.
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