Hi Francis –
JP2, bless his lil cotton socks, tried to bring it back from the brink, and inserted illuminations, meditative contemplations based on the major stories of the bible, alongside the usual prayers and rosary recitation, as prior to that it was generally considered to be a peasant's prayer, rather than something fitting for theologians to reflect upon, unless u were french/spanish or Irish...
Are we talking the Rosary here, or novenas in general?
Re Novenas:
A nine days' private or public devotion toward a desired grace. Although the practice is permitted and even recommended by ecclesiastical authority, it has no proper place in the liturgy of the Church – and as one cannot twist God's arm, as it were, and graces are gifts, technically novenas should not work.
Nevertheless, the practice has and continues to be prized and utilized by the faithful.
One cannot say whether prayer works or not, it's a mystery and a matter of faith, so the same extends to novenas ... although one must now include and allow for the psychodynamic effect that owes nothing in that sense to God or Divine intervention ... I'm sure sales professionals fully endorse the effectiveness even of a non-religiously orientated practice.
The Rosary
The idea of repetition, and the constant repetition of prayer, exists as a spiritual discipline across all traditions, even non-theist traditions. Again, the psychodynamic aspect of repetition comes into play...
The Rosary was 'introduced' by St Dominic in the 12th century, as a means for the laity to engage in a constant prayer-practice. The practice actually stretches back a lot further. The constant round of devotion that informs the monastic life was inaccessible to the laity, but Dominic saw no reason that they might be excluded from the practice of prayer.
In monasteries, for example, there is the recitation of the canon of psalms, and pocket psalters were a constant bestseller until a few generations ago, but the Rosary provides an easy, simple, and yet profoundly reflective prayer practice (you only need know three prayers, not the whole body of psalms).
The recitation of the Mysteries between each decade means that the prayerful is constantly recollecting the main events of the life of Christ, so is a condensed form of the Gospels.
I would only argue that some mystics, and some serious heavyweight theologians, were ardent practitioners of the Rosary, so it should not be written 'down' as a poor man's prayer ... quite the reverse, I would say.
Thomas