British Children's Literature and Material Culture: Commodities and Consumption 1850–1914.

In "British Children's Literature and Material Culture: Commodities and Consumption 1850–1914," Jane Suzanne Carroll explores the relationship between the golden age of children's literature and British consumer culture. Carroll argues that the rise of consumer culture led to an increase in representations of commercial goods in children's books and the production of custom-made commodities based on popular children's stories. The book examines the historical context of this convergence, tracing the shift from a celebration of material excess to wariness of consumerism by the end of the 19th century. Carroll's work contributes to existing scholarship on children's literature and capitalism, using thing theory to critically analyze the objects depicted in children's books. However, some readers may find that the book could have delved deeper into issues related to empire and exoticized foreign goods. Overall, "British Children's Literature and Material Culture" is a valuable contribution to the fields of children's literature and material culture studies, offering deep archival research and insightful close readings. [Extracted from the article]

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