Record Number: 13975

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I am anxious for the day when your English will be good enough for you to enjoy Meredith, Hardy, Locke and other great authors. The works of Meredith and Hardy are quite on another plane to what you have read so far. I shall never forget my first Meredith. It was "Richard Feverel". It was quite a revelation to me as to what a book might be. Every other Meredith I have supremely enjoyed. As far as I can remember I have read "Evan Harrington", "Vittoria", "Rhoda Fleming", "Harry Richmans","The Egoist", "Diana of the Crossways". I do not know which I like the best, I found every one absolutely finer that any other books. His style is exceedingly difficult, in fact it is bad because it is obscure, but do not doubt his greatness. He is great, very great, in spite of his style. He is not a novelist for the general public. You have to be a man of letters, even although only in embryo, to enjoy him. I think I have nearly all his works but I must some day get his biography of Professor Seccombe. I like Seccombe's style so much. you will meet articles of his in the "Bookman."'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 16 Dec 1884 and 10 Dec 1917

Country:

France

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Paris

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:

Arthur Vanson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

16 Dec 1884

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

lawyer

Religion:

Church of England

Country of Origin:

Born in Paris, British national

Country of Experience:

France

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

George Meredith

Title:

Diana of the Crossways

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

13975

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Arthur Vanson

Title:

MS Diary 1917

Location:

private collection

Call No:

MS Diary 1917

Page/Folio:

n/a

Additional Information:

Letter dated 10 December 1917

Citation:

Arthur Vanson, MS Diary 1917, private collection, MS Diary 1917, n/a, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=13975, accessed: 09 May 2025

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Additional Comments:

This material Copyright Andrew Neill Vanson Moore, and Shirley Frances Gould-Smith.