Novels became a source of entertainment. Picture books, magazines, translations from other languages, stories in newspapers and magazines, popular songs composed on recent events —all offered new forms of entertainment. Detective and mystery novels kept Tamil readers enthralled. The novel also spread silent reading. Novels could be read in silence alone, in the privacy of one’s own room, in public while travelling and even in a crowd. Silent reading was not at all common before the novels became popular. Most of the reading was done aloud, with people listening. One could only daydream in silence.