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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 11488


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Waugh (the Review-man) sent me a book the other day, with a wish and an assurance that I "would write a very elegant and spirited critique on it" - which I am not so certain of as the magistrate pretends to be, but shall attempt notwithstanding. It is poetry, by Joanna Baillie, about Wallace and Columbus and patient Griseld, and so forth. I am to begin forthwith; should have begun indeed already, but Schiller and others stand in the way.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 14 Mar 1821 and 3 Apr 1821

Country:

Scotland

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Edinburgh

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Thomas Carlyle

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

4 Dec 1795

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer / Academic

Religion:

Lapsed Calvinist

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

Scotland

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Joanna Baillie

Title:

Metrical Legends of Exalted Characters

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

First published 1821

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

11488

Source:

Print

Author:

Thomas Carlyle

Editor:

C R Sanders

Title:

The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle

Place of Publication:

Durham, North Carolina

Date of Publication:

1970

Vol:

1

Page:

342

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Thomas Carlyle, C R Sanders (ed.), The Collected Letters of Thomas and Jane Welsh Carlyle, (Durham, North Carolina, 1970), 1, p. 342, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=11488, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Taken from letter from Carlyle to Alexander Carlyle, dated 14th March 1821, written at Edinburgh. Pages 341 - 343 in this edition. Estimated date range based on a reference Carlyle makes in a subsequent letter to Alexander Carlyle dated 11th April, in which he refers to 'The Review I finished eight days ago' (p. 352) which may refer to this work - it appears to be the only review he was working on at this time. His review appeared in the New Edinburgh Review, I (Oct. 1821), p. 393 - 414

   
   
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