Record Number: 18160

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Then again, I have nice books to read. The new French poets. Prudhomme is adorable − I shall have a lot of Sully Prudhomme to read when I come to you. Soulary better perhaps − better certainly, [italics]comme forme[end italics], but so unsympathetic when compared to Prudhomme in character and thought. Prudhomme is a [italics]good[end italics] man. Fancy! And a modern French poet! Wonders after that will never cease.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Until: 13 Jan 1875

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 in company 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:

Uncommitted.

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:

Rene-Francois-Armand Sully-Prudhomme

Title:

unknown poetry

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

See below under Additional Comments.

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

18160

Source:

Print

Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Editor:

n/a

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:

104

Additional Comments:

From section headed Wednesday [13 January] in Letter 350, To Frances Sitwell, Monday [11 January 1875] [17 Heriot Row]. Co-editor Ernest Mehew. The dates in square brackets have been added by the editors.

Citation:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Bradford A. (ed.), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879, (New Haven and London, 1994), 2, p. 104, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=18160, accessed: 26 April 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Rene-Francois-Armand Sully-Prudhomme (1839-1907) was one of the leading Parnassien poets. By 1875 his published works included the collections Stances et poemes, Les Epreuves and Les Solitudes. Josephine Soulary (1815-91) wrote often in sonnet form. His works available in 1875 include A travers champs (1837); Les Cinq cordes du luth (1838); Les Ephemeres (two series, 1846 and 1857); Sonnets humoristiques (1862). Josephine Soulary's work is also mentioned.