Record Number: 32434

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

(1) 'I am reading such a splendid book in German, by a man called Chamisso "Peter Schlemihl's Wundersame Geschichte" (The Amazing Adventures of Peter Schlemihl). It is about a man (modern) who sells his shadow to a wizard: his subsequent adventures are treated chiefly in the absurd "Alice" style but there is a sort of core of horror lurking in it all the time, that is to me very attractive.' (2) 'Good night old fool: have finished P. Schlemihl.' (3) '"Peter Schlemihl" is the name of that German "admirable" book about the man who sold his shadow. I am very pleased to have read it.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 8 Feb 1917 and 28 Feb 1917

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

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Clive Staples Lewis

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

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

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Adelbert von Chamisso

Title:

Peter Schlemihls Wundersame Geschichte

Genre:

Fiction, Children's Lit, Autobiog / Diary, Astrology / alchemy / occult, Supernatural novella, Marchen elements mixed with intellectual autobiography

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

In the original German

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

32434

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:

276, 286, 289

Additional Comments:

(1) From a letter to Arthur Greeves, 15 February 1917 (2) From a letter to the same, 28 February 1917 (3) From a letter to the same, 6 March 1917

Citation:

C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 276, 286, 289, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32434, accessed: 18 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

None