second person narration

I was reading Jane Austin Northanger Abbey 1817. She talks to the reader.

I read P. G. Wodehouse 1923. He talks to the reader.

I am reading A Dumas 1844. He talks to the reader.

It seems to me that it was a common way to engage with the audience back in the early days. I have read many old books that use the technique and I think I like it.



e.g. Now dear reader if I were to describe the fellow on the bus in such glowing terms that you might think him the salt of the earth, then you would be wrong.



In Literary Licence, my recently published books I give three words to the reader.

But the question is: Is it acceptable in today's modern world. Can we as readers be engaged by the author or do we just have to be entertained.

Plenty of movies have asides where the actor will give a look or a wink to the camera/audience. Why not in a book. After all, if you are writing it, who better to tell the reader about the character, place, time, emotion.

A writing question? The E book

When is a book published?
In the rareified atmosphere of publishing a book is only deemed to be "published" when it can be held in your hand.
But what of E books. They are becoming popular. They are cheap. So are they published in the real world, even if they are self published.
I think anything that is out there in the public arena can be considered published, even without the backing of a 'house'.

A writing question?

This is a new segment where I will posing a writing question. If you have an answer let me know.
Do you need to go to a location to write about it? Of course I don't mean Mars or the bottom of the ocean, but what about Paris or Scotland or Israel.

I am writing an thriller set in Paris. I have been there but do not know the place intimately. Is it necessary? I can see the streets via Google Maps etc.
A well known author, Robert Ludlum takes photos, visits, lives, walks etc to get authenticity. In this day and age of the world wide web we can be anywhere we want, talk to anyone who will listen and travel in the comfort of our own home.
I think a good writer can convey a place without taking out a mortgage. What do you think?