Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 18163


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'It seems to me the loveliest, wisest, richest book that I have ever read, - excelling even your own Lighthouse.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 9 Oct 1928 and 11 Oct 1928

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Weald, Sevenoaks
county: Kent
specific address: Long Barn

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:

Vita Sackville-West

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

9 Mar 1892

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

Novelist

Religion:

Unknown

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:

Virginia Woolf

Title:

Orlando

Genre:

Fiction, Biography

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Codex

Publication Details

Published by the Hogarth Press 11 October 1928

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

18163

Source:

Print

Author:

Vita Sackville-West

Editor:

Louise DeSalvo

Title:

The Letters of Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf

Place of Publication:

Great Britain

Date of Publication:

1984

Vol:

n/a

Page:

304

Additional Comments:

Quotation taken from a letter dated 11 October 1928 written by Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf. The word 'richest' is printed in italics. The book referred to is 'Orlando'. 'Lighthouse' refers to Virginia Woolf's novel 'To the Lighthouse'. Additional editor Mitchell A. Leaska.

Citation:

Vita Sackville-West, Louise DeSalvo (ed.), The Letters of Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf, (Great Britain, 1984), p. 304, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=18163, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

In Vita's previous letter to Virginia, dated Tuesday 9 October 1928, she asks Virginia to send 'Orlando' before 4 o'clock. The publication date, 11 October, (the date of Vita's letter), is added by the editors in a footnote to this earlier letter. This establishes the date range of the reading experience and suggests that Vita read it in manuscript form. In a footnote to the letter of 11 October the editors add that Virginia sent Vita a specially bound copy of 'Orlando' on its publication day ie 11 October. I have used Vita's and Virginia's description of 'Orlando' as biography. It is based on Vita's life but it covers a wide time span and its subject is a man.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design