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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 32332


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I essayed a new author the other day whom we have often heard praised and of whom I hoped great things — Landor: but the book I got, a series of imaginary letters called "Pericles and Aspasia" proved rather disappointing. Indeed I am afraid my appreciation of English prose is very limited, and I certainly cannot fatten on mere prose when the matter is not interesting.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Mar 1915 and 3 Mar 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:

Male

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:

Walter Savage Landor

Title:

Pericles and Aspasia

Genre:

Classics, Fiction, History, Poetry, Politics, Epistolary Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

first published 1836

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

32332

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:

110-11

Additional Comments:

From a letter to his father, postmark 3 March 1915

Citation:

C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 110-11, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32332, accessed: 25 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Lewis refers to 'mere prose', but 'Pericles and Aspasia' contains numerous poems.

   
   
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