Record Number: 29753

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Meeting held at 70, Northcourt Avenue 30. X. 34.
    Charles E. Stansfield in the Chair.
1. Minutes of last read and approved.

2. There followed a fairly general escape of steam over the question of sending on books. Despite the fact that every book carries on its brown paper cover the date on which each member of the Club is in turn entitled to receive it [...], there had been once again considerable confusion.

[...]

To the satisfaction of all it was then resolved that if only the Secretary would write out twelve nice little lists of all the books in the order of their rotation and paste them on the backs of the brown paper covers all would in future go well. [...]

Amid the general enthusiasm for secretarial efficiency, one member came near to being immortalized in these minutes by suggesting that it would be found helpful if the Secretary would type and distribute reviews of books advertised in the Autumn lists of the various publishing firms. This suggestion, though intended doubtless as a touching tribute to an obscure official, was negatived by the intervention of a former Secretary.

The present holder of the office was then left alone, & allowed to go home and read and reflect upon La Fontaine’s fable — “Les animaux malades de la peste”'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

30 Oct 1934

Country:

England

Time

evening: Read after the end of a meeting of the XII Book Club

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire

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:

Victor Alexander

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1887

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

Quaker or associated with the Friends

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

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

Members of the XII Book Club

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Jean de La Fontaine

Title:

Les Animaux malades de la peste

Genre:

Fiction, Folklore

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

29753

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Victor Alexander

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 3 (1931-1938)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

113–117

Additional Information:

Victor Alexander was secretary to the XII Book Club from 1931 to 1940. It is inferred from this that he was the author of this set of minutes.

Citation:

Victor Alexander, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 3 (1931-1938), private collection, 113–117, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29753, accessed: 04 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

Material by kind permission of the XII Book Club. For further information and permission to quote this source, contact the Reading Experience Database (http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/contacts.php).