Record Number: 3674

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Letter H 32 - 11/1/1857 - "Here is a little bit of criticism at last by way of example on your beginning of the Butterfly. "I am going to tell you." This is familiar - as if to a child. But half way down page, you becomes thee - with inverted heroic phrase "Despise not" as if it were some very grand person whom you were talking to; this is a dramatic flaw. ?Loveliest creatures that draw food? ? Why not ?feed?. Weak, because too long. If you mean to limit the phrase to proboscidian feeding ? your compliment to the butterflies is weak ? For it is not much to be fairer than Gnats & midges and such like ? who literally draw food. ?Heart of fairest cloud? is pretty. ?Through many of the daylight hours? ? Very long ? but I see it won?t contract.? ?Is it you have sent? ? ?Who have?, I think ? is necessary. I don?t see anything else to snap at for a long way. The fable is very pretty ? if only you will make your caterpillar dramatically correct - & not so much like one of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton?s best heroes. ?Make him full of caterpillar faults ? like a poor mortal ? cold blooded ? also ? as he is - & without a heart... The essence of a good fable is that every beast should have his own proper nature.?

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Aug 1856 and 11 Jan 1857

Country:

Probably Britain, but the reader did travel to Europe on extended tours

Time

n/a

Place:

other location: England

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:

John Ruskin

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

8 Feb 1819

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer and art critic

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Probably Britain, but the reader did travel to Europe on extended tours

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Ellen Heaton

Title:

Tales

Genre:

Fiction, Fables

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unpublished short tales

Publication Details

Unpublished, sent to reader probably to ask for his opinion

Provenance

borrowed (other)

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Source Information:

Record ID:

3674

Source:

Print

Author:

John Ruskin

Editor:

Virginia Surtees

Title:

Sublime and Instructive. Letters from John Ruskin to Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, Anna Blunden and Ellen Heaton

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1972

Vol:

n/a

Page:

196-7

Additional Comments:

Letter from John Ruskin to Ellen Heaton (11/1/1857).

Citation:

John Ruskin, Virginia Surtees (ed.), Sublime and Instructive. Letters from John Ruskin to Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, Anna Blunden and Ellen Heaton, (London, 1972), p. 196-7, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=3674, accessed: 03 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

None