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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 20480


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Your observation on the Waverley novels is perfectly just; instead of misleading one concerning the true history, or giving one a distaste for it, they make one relish it the better. Whereas Mrs Radcliffe's, for example, always abound with the most disgusting species of anachronism, the polished manners and sentimental cant of modern times put in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The enlightened philosophy likewise! young ladies arguing with their maids against their belief in ghosts and witches, when a judge durst not have expressed his doubts of either upon the bench. This [italics] palavering [end italics] style has crept into history through Miss Aitken, the language of whose memoirs of Elizabeth is so suited to modern notions that Mrs Scott has said it reminded her of Puddingfield's newspaper in the Anti-Jacobin German play. "Magna Charta was signed on Friday three weeks, and their Majesties, after partaking of a cold collation, returned to Windsor".'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 11 Feb 1820

Country:

England

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


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Louisa, Lady Stuart

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

12 Aug 1757

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

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:

Walter Scott

Title:

[Waverley Novels]

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

20480

Source:

Print

Author:

Louisa Stuart

Editor:

R. Brimley Johnson

Title:

Letters of Lady Louisa Stuart, The

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1926

Vol:

n/a

Page:

175

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Louisa Stuart, R. Brimley Johnson (ed.), Letters of Lady Louisa Stuart, The, (London, 1926), p. 175, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20480, accessed: 08 December 2024


Additional Comments:

Letter to Louisa Clinton.

   
   
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