Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 28754


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Charlotte Bronte to George Smith, early November 1852:

'The third volume [of Thackeray's History of Henry Esmond] seemed to me to possess the most sparkle, impetus, and interest. Of the first and second my judgement was that parts of them were admirable; but there was the fault of containing too much History — too little Story. I hold that a work of fiction ought to be a work of creation: that the real should be sparingly introduced in pages dedicated to the ideal.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 3 Nov 1852 and 30 Nov 1852

Country:

England

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:

Charlotte Brontë

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

21 Apr 1816

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

William Makepeace Thackeray

Title:

The History of Henry Esmond

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

28754

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington

Title:

The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships and Correspondence

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

2:4

Page:

17

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington (ed.), The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships and Correspondence, (Oxford, 1980), 2:4, p. 17, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=28754, accessed: 24 April 2024


Additional Comments:

See p.16 in source for letter of 3 November 1852 in which Bronte tells Smith of arrival of her copy of Henry Esmond, inscribed by the author.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design