Record Number: 2205

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

When we were at the Grammar School, the English master's daughter, who was in the same class as Sheila, told us that her father had read 'The Blue Lagoon' and thought it very beautiful. We were greatly impressed. It seemed the height of sophistication to get beyond the excitement of reading a description of sexual intercourse -this we knew was the point of the ban, though Betty Martin informed us that it only said 'locked in each other's arms' -and to be able to use the calm Olympian word 'beautiful'.

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

unknown

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

Exmouth

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:

Betty Martin

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

1919

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

daughter of English master at grammar school

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

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Henry De Vere Stacpoole

Title:

The Blue Lagoon

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

2205

Source:

Print

Author:

Patricia Beer

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Mrs Beer's House

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1968

Vol:

n/a

Page:

96

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Patricia Beer, Mrs Beer's House, (London, 1968), p. 96, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=2205, accessed: 22 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

Unsure if Betty Martin did read the book, but seems likely when she knew quotes from the book