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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 32324


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'By this time you will probably have finished reading "Villette". What do you think of the ending? I can just hear you saying "Cracked — absolutely!" It certainly is most unsatisfactory, but yet a touch of genius. I fancy it is the only novel in existence that leaves you in a like uncertainty....They (the Bronte sisters' novels) should be sipped with luxurious slowness in the winter evening.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1914 and 25 Jan 1915

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

Great Bookham
Surrey
'Gastons'

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:

Clive Staples Lewis

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

n/a

Date of Birth:

29 Nov 1898

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Student

Religion:

Church of England

Country of Origin:

Northern Ireland

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Charlotte Brontė

Title:

Villette

Genre:

Other religious, Fiction, Education, Gothic, ghostly apparitions, loneliness

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

32324

Source:

Print

Author:

C. S. Lewis

Editor:

Walter Hooper

Title:

C. S. Lewis Collected Letters

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

2000

Vol:

1

Page:

102

Additional Comments:

From a letter to Arthur Greeves, 26 January 1915

Citation:

C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 102, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32324, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Lewis is commenting on his friend's reading experience by referring to his own; I am assuming it took place while he was staying with the Kirkpatricks at Gastons.

   
   
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