Yesterday the New York Public Library launched a brilliant new way to enjoy classic literature. Insta Novels brings short stories, novellas, and even novels to readers in a new digital format. All readers need to do is follow @nypl on Instagram to access beloved literary works with all new illustrations and animation. The project’s first offering is a new edition for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which will be followed shortly by Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper.
Each literary work for Insta Novels has been chosen for its visual nature. But ultimately the NYPL hopes to encourage digital readers to seek out other works from the library’s vast collection of traditional format books and e-books.
Readers who eschew Instagram can still follow Insta Novels on the library’s “Highlights” webpage where all of the works will be posted.