Record Number: 19455

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett, letter postmarked 30 April 1845: 'You ask me questions, "if I like novels," [...] There is a story of D'Israeli's, an old one, with an episode of strange interest, or so I found it years ago, -- well, you go breathlessly on with the people of it, page after page, till at last the end [italics]must[end italics] come, you feel -- and the tangled threads draw to one, and an out-of-door feast in the woods helps you .. that is, helps them, the people, wonderfully on and lo, dinner is done, and Vivian Grey is here, and Violet Fane there [...] At this moment, Mr Somebody, a good man [...] "in answer from a question from Violet, drew from his pocket a small, neatly written manuscript, and, seating himself on an inverted wine-cooler, proceeded to read the following brief remarks upon the characteristics of the Maeso-gothic literature" -- This ends the page, -- which you don't turn at once! But when you [italics]do[end italics], in bitterness of soul, turn it, you read -- "On consideration, I" (Ben, himself) "shall keep them for Mr Colburn's 'New Magazine" -- and deeply you draw thankful breath!'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

unknown

Country:

unknown

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Robert Browning

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1812

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

unknown

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Benjamin Disraeli

Title:

Vivian Grey

Genre:

Fiction, Politics

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

First published 1826

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

19455

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Philip Kelley and Scott Lewis

Title:

The Brownings' Correspondence

Place of Publication:

Winfield

Date of Publication:

1992

Vol:

10

Page:

183-184

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Philip Kelley and Scott Lewis (ed.), The Brownings' Correspondence, (Winfield, 1992), 10, p. 183-184, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=19455, accessed: 24 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

Browning alludes to passage in Book V, chapter 15 in text.