From the early 1800s until the 1890s, most full-length new fiction was published in three volumes (often called a "three-decker" or "triple-decker"). The market for the three-volume format was driven in large part by the giant subscription circulating libraries, such as Mudie’s and W.H. Smith’s, which operated much like our video rental stores today.

Novels were expensive to buy, and at 31 shillings and sixpence for three volumes (about 1.60), beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest readers. The circulating libraries favored the three-volume format–and pressured publishers to adhere to it–because the high price of triple-deckers encouraged readers to borrow rather than buy. And if a novel could be split into three volumes, three times as much money could be made renting it out on a per-volume basis.

Victorian Women Writers

These novels written by English women provide insight into several historical and literary fields of inquiry–they allow us to explore genres of popular fiction, such as the "new woman" novel, the "sensation" novel, and the origins of the detective novel; they record the entrance of women into the literary marketplace in unprecedented numbers; and they provide documentary evidence of nineteenth century book design and production.

Though forgotten today, many of these novels were wildly successful in their own time. By preserving them while they still survive, we increase our ability to understand the Victorian period, now and in the future.