Mechanic Accents

"One of the most illuminating, theoretically informed accounts of popular fiction." -Terry Eagleton

A study of American popular fiction and working-class culture, combining Marxist literary theory with American labour history. The text explores what happened when, in the 19th century, working people began to read cheap novels and the "fiction question" became a class question.Mechanic Accents is a widely acclaimed study of American popular fiction and working-class culture. Combining Marxist literary theory with American labor history, Michael Denning explores what happened when, in the nineteenth century, working people began to read cheap novels and the "fiction question" became a class question. In a new afterword, Denning locates his study within the context of current debates on class and cultural studies.