Record Number: 25549

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I am extremely gratified by the arrival of your book of Supermen. [...] your pages can give nothing but pleasure to a man who loves "la littérature critique" (not literary criticism). According to my habit when a fascinating book comes in my way (a sort of angel's visit) I've read it at once, wilfully and of malice prepense, neglecting my daily task to entertain the rare visitor.' Hence follow eight lines of praise.

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 14 Apr 1909 and 16 Apr 1909

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Aldington, Nr Hythe
county: Kent
specific address: Forehead

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:

Joseph Conrad

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

3 Dec 1857

Socio-Economic Group:

Gentry
'Szlachta', or Polish landed gentry/nobility

Occupation:

Master mariner and author

Religion:

Roman Catholic

Country of Origin:

Poland

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:

J. (James) G. (Gibbons) Huneker

Title:

Egoists: A Book of Supermen

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

New York: Scribner's, 1909

Provenance

owned
sent by author

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Source Information:

Record ID:

25549

Source:

Print

Author:

Joseph Conrad

Editor:

Karl Frederick R. and Laurence Davies

Title:

The Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad Volume 4 1908-1911

Place of Publication:

Cambridge

Date of Publication:

1990

Vol:

4

Page:

217

Additional Comments:

Letter from Joseph Conrad to J.G.Huneker dated 16 April 1909, Aldington.

Citation:

Joseph Conrad, Karl Frederick R. and Laurence Davies (ed.), The Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad Volume 4 1908-1911, (Cambridge, 1990), 4, p. 217, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=25549, accessed: 18 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

J.G.Huneker (1857-1921) was an American fiction writer and art, literary and music critic. He ranked Conrad with among others, Flaubert. See fns 1,2, p. 217 of source text.