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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 17976


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Piano again disentangled; and some hope, not for it only, but for the tale. I have read it to my mother, who thought it was the only one of mine she had ever heard, that promised any possible success: I have read some of it also to Baxter who was pleased and counselled me to go on with it. I suppose with these two opinions I should feel strengthened.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Until: 6 Nov 1874

Country:

Scotland

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Edinburgh.
specific address: [17 Heriot Row].

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

13 Nov 1850

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Aspiring writer and intermittent law student

Religion:

Church of Scotland (wavering)

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

Scotland

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

RLS's mother, Margaret Isabella Stevenson; on another occasion, Charles Baxter.


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Title:

unknown "Tale"

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown, Seems to refer to one of a set of stories that RLS had at various stages of planning and completion, see Letter 329.

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

17976

Source:

Print

Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Editor:

Bradford A. Booth

Title:

The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879

Place of Publication:

New Haven and London

Date of Publication:

1994

Vol:

2

Page:

78

Additional Comments:

From section headed Friday [6 November 1874] in Letter 331, To Frances Sitwell, Wednesday [4 November 1874]. Co-editor Ernest Mehew. The dates in square brackets have been added by the editors.

Citation:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Bradford A. Booth (ed.), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879, (New Haven and London, 1994), 2, p. 78, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=17976, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

RLS was hoping to be able to afford to provide Frances Sitwell with a piano. RLS had a set of stories at various stages of planning and completion, see Letter 329.

   
   
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