In the 19th century, most of Charles Dickens' famous novels, including 'Oliver Twist' and 'Great Expectations,' were not published as complete books initially. Instead, they were released in monthly or weekly installments in literary magazines. This format, known as serialization, made literature affordable for the working class. To keep readers coming back, Dickens perfected the 'cliffhanger'—ending an installment at a moment of high tension. The public obsession was so intense that when 'The Old Curiosity Shop' was reaching its finale, American fans reportedly crowded the docks in New York, shouting to the incoming ships from England, 'Is Little Nell dead?' This commercial pressure influenced Dickens' writing style, leading to complex subplots and a large cast of recurring characters that could sustain a year-long narrative.