Narrative

3. Stitched, paper, decorative, coloured: Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe (London: W.S. Fortey, 1830) is only eight pages and similar in appearance to the Ross edition, except for the yellow covers. Coloured covers became more common around 1810 when publishers began to alter the chapbook format, using colour, decorative borders, new woodcuts or even engravings, and a frontispiece, often for abridgements or adaptations of new middle-class novels. Such additions were intended to attract new readers and could justify a higher price in some cases.