What Are Famous Examples Of 'Dearest Reader' In Literature?

It is a nice phrase ‘dearest reader’ and one that is used in lots of classic novels. I think of the Brontës first and how, in ‘Jane Eyre’, Jane addresses the reader in her direct acknowledgements of her thoughts and feelings. It is a gentle gesture which gives more insight to the reader into the harsher aspects of the novel and makes clear her successes.

But then there’s Ian McEwan’s Atonement. McEwan employs the most complex form of direct address in the novel and thereby constantly forces the reader to become aware of the fictional nature of a story and of the emotional effects it has on him. It’s wonderful.

And it makes me ponder how such phrases are able to form a personal connection with the reader and at the same time draw attention to the art of writing the novel. The deliberate style of the phrase ‘dearest reader’ is amazing.

This manner of addressing the reader is a very special one and is often employed by famous authors in their works of literature. One of the most famous authors that uses ‘dearest reader’ is the beloved Charlotte Brontë, author of Jane Eyre. Brontë in many places of the novel addresses the reader in very intimate moments of the novel and then continues to describe what is going on in the story and share her thoughts and feelings about everything that is going on. It is almost as though she is taking the reader by the hand and pulling them into her world to share her confidences with them. Reading Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books and I have read it many times, but every time I read it I still feel as though I am right there with the main character, Jane, and I feel as though Brontë is speaking directly to me and pulling me into the story. Her unique way of addressing the reader is very special and it is as though she is having a conversation with the reader as though they were old friends.

Secondly, the very end of chapter 13 in 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens is an example of 'my dear reader' being used. In this novel, Charles Dickens often refers to 'my dear reader' in order to create friendship with the reader and introduce them to the life of David Copperfield. Again, I can see how the author uses this technique of addressing the reader in order to engage the audience and draw them into the story. He also uses this method in order to comment on the actions of the main characters and to introduce irony and humor into the novel. This technique is also successful in creating a bond with the reader and drawing them into the world of the novel.

This dearest reader formula also is much used by Jasper Fforde in his charming The Eyre Affair. On the surface, his communication with the reader is of a familiar sort – but, as in other instances of his ingenious and imaginative use of a wide variety of literary devices to expound upon the fundamental structure of a story, he cleverly includes the reader within his painted façade and thus creates a wonderful and offbeat world that I, for one, can hardly get enough of. His novel is thus not only another entertaining story – it’s also so much more than this. His use of this mode of communication brings us within the boundaries of the fictional universe that he has created and makes us active players within said space.

The images evoked by a term such as ‘dearest reader’ are fascinating, and while Emily Brontë does not use such direct address as often as some other authors, there are a few points in Wuthering Heights where the reader is made to feel particularly intimate with the action. These moments of especially personal connection with the characters such as Catherine and Heathcliff conjure up images of sharing wild winds of the Yorkshire moors, with greater high stake for the emotions of the characters.

In Henry James’s ‘The Turn of the Screw’ the narrative often returns to a more intimate style that is eerie and haunts the reader long after the book has been closed. His use of direct address is subtle and often raises more questions than it answers. Here the author acknowledges the reader and draws them into a suspenseful secret. The reader is unable to escape from the tension that he creates and in many ways is drawn into the narrative to become complicit in the gothic scenes that unfold before them.

I can see how this connects to reading as well and how we are locked into these characters and worlds of long ago. There’s something very special about this connection with writers and their work and I feel very lucky to have been able to explore this with you.