Where have all the readers gone? | csmonitor.com

Where have all the readers gone? | csmonitor.com: Robert Klose ruminates about the decline of reading in America and tells this story: "This reminds me of another anecdote, this time about Charles Dickens, who published his novels in installments in British periodicals. In 'The Old Curiosity Shop,' the main character, a child named Little Nell, becomes deathly ill. American as well as British audiences were captivated by her struggle. The last chapter of the novel contained her fate, and it, like all the other installments, was sent to America by ship. As the vessel approached its mooring in New York, Americans streamed to the waterfront, calling out, 'Did Little Nell live? Did she live?'" A far cry from "Who shot J.R.?"