Record Number: 29780

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

’A lot of shelling in the morning: seemed to be around at the Rly Station. I have suddenly gone mad over “The Pit” by Frank Norris.’

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

11 Jul 1917

Country:

Belgium

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Poperinge, near Ypres
county: West Flanders
specific address: V Camp,

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:

Edmund Blunden

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1 Nov 1896

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Army Officer and Poet

Religion:

Christian (Anglican)

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Belgium

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Frank Norris

Title:

The Pit

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

first published 1903 Doubleday, Page & Co. New York

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

29780

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

Digitised pocket diary from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit); © [The Harry Ransom Center/The Edmund Blunden Literary Estate http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/document/9417/9313

Additional Information:

This pocket diary belonging to Edmund Blunden relates the experiences of the northern section of the battle of Passchendaele, near the Yser Canal. The attack began on 31 July 1917, and this diary, while incomplete, has sections describing the period between 8 July and 5 August 1917.

Citation:

Digitised pocket diary from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit); © [The Harry Ransom Center/The Edmund Blunden Literary Estate http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/document/9417/9313 , http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29780, accessed: 05 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

See also RED entry ID 29771 in which Blunden describes reading this book the previous year, while at the Somme.