Record Number: 4053

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

?Boswell showed his genius in setting forth Johnson?s weaknesses as well as his strength. But if Boswell had been Johnson?s brother? I cannot be simply eulogistic if the portrait is to be lifelike; but I find it very hard to speak of defects without either concealing my opinion that they were defects. Or on the other hand, taking a tone of superiority & condescension.?

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

unknown

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

Leslie Stephen

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

28 Nov 1832

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Literary critic, historian, journalist, biographer

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

James Boswell

Title:

The Life of Samuel Johnson

Genre:

Biography

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

1791

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

4053

Source:

Print

Author:

Leslie Stephen

Editor:

John Bicknell

Title:

The Selected Letters of Leslie Stephen Vol 2 1882-1904

Place of Publication:

Ohio State University Press

Date of Publication:

1996

Vol:

2

Page:

434

Additional Comments:

Letter from Leslie Stephen to Charles Eliot Norton (23/9/1894). Stephen was discussing the problems of writing the life of one's brother.

Citation:

Leslie Stephen, John Bicknell (ed.), The Selected Letters of Leslie Stephen Vol 2 1882-1904 , (Ohio State University Press, 1996), 2, p. 434, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=4053, accessed: 06 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

None