Why Young Girls Shouldn’t Read Novels

I blogged about a 1909 copy of the French journal Bonnes Lectures on my living in France blog the other day. In this same issue was a short article about why young girls should never, but NEVER, read novels.

Here’s what it says:

Novels

It’s a shame that people read these so often these days. Those that do read them should remember that novels do nobody any good at all and they are above all dangerous for young girls. False ideas, irresponsible attitude, impossible ideals, a loss of innocence – this is what you find in novels.

Even Jean-Jacques Rousseau, famed for his profanity, has said: No chaste young girl ever read a novel.

Bear this in mind!

I think times have changed, thank goodness!