Popularization Of Popular Literature An Analysis Of Sidney Sheldon's Works

Since the 1950s, tremendous changes have taken place in the mainstream cultural mode. Popular culture, which was in a subordinate position, has started to play a leading role in the whole society's consciousness and thought. Under such circumstances, literature, which accounts for a great part in culture, is also experiencing great changes. This change is deeply influenced by the characteristics of literature, such as consumption and entertainment. Not only the contents, but also the writing process and communication modes, i.e. the author, media professionals, and readers have changed a lot respectively.Taking Sidney Sheldon's works as an example, and adopting a cultural studies method, this paper intends to analyze the elements that lead to the success of him, and in turn that of popular literature from the perspectives of author, mass media as well as readers. It contains 3 chapters.Chapter one gives a brief introduction to the definition of popular literature; its domain and development; the attitudes of literary theorists and critics towards popular culture and popular literature. Then new features of popular literature are given: popularity, bestselling and entertainment, and aiming at these, a Marxist attitude towards popular literature is put forward.Chapter two analyzes the popularization of authors and popular literary works themselves: the shift in the writers' ideas and attitudes influenced by the popular culture background; the formula writing style of Sidney Sheldon to satisfy the needs of the readers and at the same time to make them so attractive and "hard to put down". These include: the realist themes that arouse the curiosity of readers towards the dark side of American upper-class life; the suspense and intricate cliffhanging plotlines; the successful portrayal of the protagonists and the authentic descriptions of sights and places.Chapter three introduces the role that mass media has played in the promotion of popular literature and of his works: the publishers, the booksellers, film and TV adaptation, and the internet, All in all, they together attribute to the prosperity of the good quality of popular works and convey them to more readers. Also, as the determining link in the process of dissemination, readers get the seat they deserve in this study: readers' appreciative taste is more or less the direction in which writers and mass media adjust their performance.Through the above analysis, this paper may at least claim the following conclusions: In the era of popular culture, not only the literary contents, but the relationship between authors, mass media and readers has changed a lot. Therefore, we should not just abandon or depreciate popular literature only because of some negative effects. Modern intellectuals should put more emphasis on how to take advantage of these characteristics to heighten the appreciation level of the public instead of being manipulated by them; and present the best knowledge and ideas of the time to the people.