July 30: On This Day in 1935 - 1st Paperback Books

July 30, 1935: Paperback books were introduced on this day in 1935. Although books bound in soft covers were first introduced in 1841 in Leipzig, Germany, by Christian Bernhard Tauchnitz, the modern paperback revolution dates to the publication of the first Penguin paperback by Sir Allen Lane in London, England, in 1935.

Lane believed that "good quality contemporary fiction should be made available at an attractive price." He didn't think that books should only be sold at book stores, but should also be available at convenience shops, newsstands and railroad stations.

The first Penguin paperback books were color coded (blue for biographies, green for crime, orange for fiction) and featured works by the authors: Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway, and Andre Maurois. They originally cost the same amount as a package of cigarettes, about sixpence.

Paperback books provided a source of good-quality writing and literature, but at a lesser cost than traditional hard-bound books. This revolutionary idea changed the entire literary world and afforded everyone the opportunity to read great books.

So next time you pick up a paperback, thank Mr. Lane for such an innovative idea.  HAPPY READING!!!

Comments

[Tiger]

I'm a paperback fan myself, I guess the cheaper prices and the fact you don't have to re-adjust the plastic cover every time you turn the page (or even move the book around in your hand just a tiny bit) makes all the difference to me.

Thanks Mr. Lane! and than you Jinxi!

[Shay]

Thanks again Jinxi for helping to further reduce my lack of knowledge! :)
I do wonder just how different my life, and the lives of so many others, would be if were not for the paperback book? I wonder just how much reading would I ever have done if it weren't for cheap, small books that I could carry with me to work, or elsewhere, without worrying about losing or damaging them.