Record Number: 33903

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'During my sojourn on the Rio Negro letters and papers reached me only at rare intervals. On one occasion I passed nearly two months without seeing a newspaper. I remember, when at the end of that time one was put before me, I snatched it up eagerly, and began hastily scanning the columns, or column-headings rather, in search of startling items from abroad, and that after a couple of minutes I laid it down again to listen to someone talking in the room and that eventually I left the room without reading the paper at all [...]. I was conscious on quitting the room, where I had cast aside the unread newspaper, that the old interest in the affairs of the world at large had in a great measure forsaken me[...]'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1871 and 1872

Country:

Argentina

Time

daytime

Place:

city: Rio Negro area
county: Patagonia

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:

William Henry Hudson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

4 Aug 1841

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Field naturalist, author

Religion:

Protestant (Anglican) in childhood only

Country of Origin:

Argentina

Country of Experience:

Argentina

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[n/a] [n/a]

Title:

[newspaper]

Genre:

Ephemera, Reference / General works

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

1871-72

Provenance

read in situ

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Source Information:

Record ID:

33903

Source:

Print

Author:

William Henry Hudson

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Idle Days in Patagonia

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1923

Vol:

n/a

Page:

73

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

William Henry Hudson, Idle Days in Patagonia, (London, 1923), p. 73, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33903, accessed: 26 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

When Hudson in letters or memoirs states that he had 'not read' a text he almost invariably means (and this is usually, as it is here, apparent from the context) that he had nevertheless skimmed it or read it superficially; this is still engagement with the text even if not the detailed content. This record of interrupted reading is also included because because of the evidence about the circulation and consumption of newspapers in remote areas.