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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 27956


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'The town soon went wild about the story [Evelina] [...] Mrs. Thrale read it, and liked it better than Madame Riccoboni's Tales [...] she lent it to Dr. Johnson. He was very unwilling to read it -- but once he was persuaded to begin the story, he was delighted with it. "Why, madam, what a charming book you lent me," he said to Mrs. Thrale, on finishing the first volume, and he anxiously asked to know whom Evelina married. He protested, too, that there were passages in it that would do honour to Richardson, and that Henry Fielding never drew such a character as Mr. Smith.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1778 and 31 Dec 1778

Country:

n/a

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


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Frances Burney

Title:

Evelina, or a Young Lady's Entrance into the World

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

January 1778

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

27956

Source:

Print

Author:

Julia Kavanagh

Editor:

n/a

Title:

English Women of Letters: Biographical Sketches

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1863

Vol:

1

Page:

88

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Julia Kavanagh, English Women of Letters: Biographical Sketches, (London, 1863), 1, p. 88, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=27956, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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