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: 31883


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at School House, 19·XII·39.
    R. D. L. Moore in the Chair.
1. Minutes of last read and approved.

[...]

3. F. E. Pollard then nobly undertook the thankless task of auctioning last year’s books [i.e. 1939 books]. That very few of the books fetched more than the guaranteed price was no fault of the auctioneer to whom we were grateful. The following were the results:
“Power” – R.H.R    4/-
“Thrice a Stranger”    M.S.S.    5/3.
“Guns or Butter”     F.E.P.    5/3.
“Joyful Delaneys” – R.W.    4/6.
Jonah & the Voice – M. Stevens    4/9.
The Rains Came – R.W.    4/6.
Ladies of Alderley    E.C.S.    7/6.
Unforgotten Years    R.D.L.M.    5/-
Diary of My Times    E.B.S.    5/3.
Chateaubriand.    A.B.D.    6/3.
Solitude.    R.D.L.M.    3/3.
Malice Towards Some    E.T.A.    3/9.
British Agriculture.    H.R.S.    7/6
Perri    M.S.S.    2/6.

4. Passing on to the question of the books for 1940, Charles E. Stansfield revealed that inspite of all our good resolutions only four members had sent in lists of suggestions amounting to 43 books in all. The Committee had selected 18 of these and so we proceeded by vote to select 13 from this list – namely: Book Guarantor Price
Country relics.    F.E.R.    15/-
Rich Man Poor Man.    J.R.    4/6.
Life of Mr. Justice Swift.    M.S.W.P.    12/6.
How Green was my Valley.    M.S.S.     8/6.
Corduroy etc.    H.R.S.    8/6.
After Many a Summer.    R.H.R.    7/6.
General Cargo.    S.A.R.    6/-.
Pages from the Past.    C.E.S.    10/-.
Ghosts of London.    R.W.    6/-.
Too Late Now.    A.B.D.    12/6.
The Old Century    H.R.S.    8/6.
Caroline of England.    H.M.W    12/6.
Mrs. Minniver    M. Dilks    7/6.

[...]

5. Members adopted the suggestion that in September a meeting might be devoted to talks on some of these books by those who had enjoyed them. Judging from the voting earlier in the evening on the numbers who had read each of the 1939 books it should be a lively meeting; since, apart from “Mr. Murray and the Boococks” which won universal favour (as a matter of fact it was not a Book Club purchase) the worst & spiciest books were most popular.
[...]


[signed] R. H. Robson
24. 1. 1940.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

19 Dec 1939

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: School House, Leighton Park School

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

[Unidentified acting secretary to the XII Book Club]

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

n/a

Date of Birth:

n/a

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



Text Being Read:

Author:

Victor Alexander

Title:

Minutes of the meeting of the XII Book Club held 24 November 1939

Genre:

Minutes

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Notebook

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

reading group


Source Information:

Record ID:

31883

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

n/a

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

52–5

Additional Information:

Although Victor Alexander was secretary of the club at this time, it appaers from the handwriting that he was not the author of these minutes.

Citation:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 52–5, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31883, accessed: 28 March 2024


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).

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design