Charles Dickens' novels were originally published serially, that is, in installments or parts over time. He published his serial fiction as part of weekly or monthly magazines, which might contain material by other authors as well, or in stand-alone monthly installments.
He not only published serially but wrote serially too.
The publication of fiction in parts grew dramatically in the 1830s, as a direct result of the wild success of The Pickwick Papers. Serial publication had several advantages. For the reader, it substantially reduced the cash outlay required to pay for fiction: for a novel in monthly installments , one had to pay only one shilling a month, instead of a guinea (21 shillings) or more for an entire novel. For the publisher, it expanded the market for fiction, as more people could afford to buy on the installment plan; it also allowed the opportunity to advertise, as ads could easily be incorporated into the little booklets in which a typical Dickens novel was issued. And for the author, it created a greater intimacy with the audience, something Dickens always relished.
Most of Dickens' novels were serialized in 20 monthly installments, or numbers. They were usually bound in green paper, and always (apart from the first installment of Pickwick) included precisely 32 pages of text, two engraved illustrations, and, usually, 16 pages of advertisements. The final installment of a novel was double size, including more text, four illustrations (generally a frontispiece and engraved title page), and front matter, such as a preface, table of contents, and list of illustrations; the final double installment cost not one but two shillings. Each month, the purchaser could buy the current installment from his bookseller, and wealthy patrons, after buying the last installment, could take the monthly numbers to the bookbinder, discard the covers and advertisements, and have them bound into an attractive book for their shelves.
Dickens' last novel The mystery of Edwin Drood, was to be completed in 12, rather than 20, monthly installments. Unfortunately, that plan was interrupted by the author's death; Dickens suffered a massive stroke and died the next day, June 9, 1870, at the age of 58. Because Dickens not only published but also composed serially, his death left his readers in real suspense: only six of the projected parts were released, and though many have guessed at the solution to the mystery, no one will ever know for certain who killed young Edwin Drood, or even if Edwin is really dead.
