By Dallas Carey
Ever picked up an old book and thought, “Wow, this is tiny!”? It’s like reading the world’s smallest novel—perfect for a dollhouse library! But why were books so small back in the day? Let’s dive into the history of book sizes and see what’s changed.
Back when books were hand-copied treasures, they were often more expensive than a fancy dinner. With limited space in homes—think tiny rooms stuffed with all sorts of stuff—smaller books were just easier to manage. Imagine trying to fit all of James Patterson’s books in a one-room cabin! (If you know you know).
Then the printing press arrived in the 15th century, shaking things up. But even after that, books stayed small because printers had to work with whatever paper they could get. Fun fact: the first printed book, the Gutenberg Bible, took three years to complete! We grumble if we have to wait more than 6 months for the next book in the series, can you imagine waiting 3 years? I’d forget the storyline.
As printing technology improved, larger formats started appearing. Finally, we could fit more stories on a single page—like all those twisty plots we love! By the 19th century, the introduction of steam-powered printing presses made producing larger books faster and cheaper.
Now, let’s talk costs. Smaller books were cheaper to make, using less paper and ink. But as publishing grew, bigger books became the trend. Publishers realized they could charge more for those hefty volumes, leading to the saying, “The bigger the book, the better the read!”
And readers? We’ve always been a quirky bunch. The rise of the novel in the 19th century meant larger formats were in demand. After all, who doesn’t want to get lost in a big adventure?
Here’s another fun tidbit: the first mass-market paperback was published in 1935, paving the way for affordable reading and a whole new audience. Before that, books were mostly a luxury!
So, what’s the deal? The size of books has changed thanks to history, technology, and our love for stories. While those tiny books had their charm, my eyes are glad we’ve moved on to bigger ones.
But I did spot a couple of super tiny books at the library recently, so if you want to feel like you’re back in the days of horse-drawn carriages and one-room cabins, go ahead and check them out. Just don’t come running to me when your vision becomes blurry and eyes are burning!