AustLit

An advertisement for the Prince of Wales Opera House production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Thomas Hailes Lacy's A Silent Woman on 13 March 1868.

An article on the 'hot novels' being written by women authors. The authors of these novels are described as having 'courage enough to defy decency and religious scruples in the same breath'. The writer of the criticism asserts that 'even adult persons may be slightly shocked at finding in a book delirious eroticism side by side with pious associations'.

The writer continues: 'There is not much use in protesting that art suffers by all this, for we are told that the prime object of art is to please, and that hot novels run through editions like wildfire.'

No specific 'hot novel' titles or authors are identified in the criticism.