Record Number: 13082

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I have just read Miss Martineau's "Sick Room". I cannot understand it. It is so sublime, and mystical that I frequently cannot guess at her meaning; all that I can find out is that in long chronical illnesses, a patient finds sources of amusement that do not at first occurr, but which have a tendency to engage the mind, and alleviate pain; all this however I could have conjectured without the assistance of an Octavo book'.

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 9 Mar 1844

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London
specific address: 56 Green St, Grosvenor Square

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

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Sydney Smith

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

3 Jun 1771

Socio-Economic Group:

Clergy (includes all denominations)

Occupation:

Clergyman and writer

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Harriet Martineau

Title:

Life in the Sick Room

Genre:

Autobiog / Diary

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

13082

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Nowell C. Smith

Title:

The Letters of Sydney Smith

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1953

Vol:

II

Page:

826

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Nowell C. Smith (ed.), The Letters of Sydney Smith, (Oxford, 1953), II, p. 826, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=13082, accessed: 20 January 2025

---

Additional Comments:

Letter to Lady Grey