Conduct books are a genre of books that attempt to educate the reader on social norms. As a genre, they began in the mid-to-late Middle Ages, although antecedents such as The Maxims of Ptahhotep (ca. 2350 BC) are among the earliest surviving works. Conduct books remained popular through the 18th century, although they gradually declined with the advent of the novel.
Famous quotes containing the words conduct and/or book:
“Vulgarity is simply the conduct of other people.”
—Oscar Wilde (18541900)
“The two great things yet to be discovered are theseThe Art of rejuvenating old age in men, & oldageifying youth in books.Who in the name of the trunk-makers would think of reading Old Burton were his book published for the first to day.”
—Herman Melville (18191891)
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