How did the print revolution lead to the development of a reading mania in Europe?

How did the print revolution lead to the development of a reading mania in Europe?
Answer:

  • As literacy and schools spread in European countries, there was a virtual reading mania that
  • developed.
  • New forms of popular literature appeared to target new readers.
  • There were ritual calendars along with ballads and folk tales.
  • In England, penny chapbooks were carried by petty pedlars, known as chapmen and sold for a penny, so that even the poor could buy them.
  • In France, these low-priced books were called ‘Biliotheque Blene’, as they were bound in cheap blue covers.
  • There were romances, histories, books of various sizes, serving different purposes and interests.
  • Periodical press developed to combine information on current affairs with entertainment.
  • The ideas of scientists and scholars had now become more accessible to the common people.
  • Scientists like Isaac Newton began to publish their discoveries. Writings of thinkers like
  • Thomas Paire, Voltaire and Rousseau also affected the thinking of the people.
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