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

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Francois Rene de Chateaubriand : Moïse

'I always thought Chateaubriand had a great deal of the mountebank in him. I bought the play [which she also watched] so you will see it. In his preface he talks of Racine's sacred dramas, but, after all, the histories of Esther and Athalie, though in the Bible, are [italics] mere history [end italics; this is significant because LS is objecting to Chateaubriand representing Moses on stage - implicitly a different thing from what Racine did - this is elaborated on] When I got the book I could scarcely follow the actors, who ate half their words and bellowed the other half.'

Century: 1800-1849     Reader/Listener/Group: Louisa, Lady Stuart      Print: Book

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