Record Number: 28754
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
Charlotte Bronte to George Smith, early November 1852:
'The third volume [of Thackeray's History of Henry Esmond] seemed to me to possess the
most sparkle, impetus, and interest. Of the first and second my judgement was that parts of
them were admirable; but there was the fault of containing too much History — too little
Story. I hold that a work of fiction ought to be a work of creation: that the real should be sparingly introduced in pages dedicated to the ideal.'
1850-1899
Date:Between 3 Nov 1852 and 30 Nov 1852
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:21 Apr 1816
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Writer
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: Title:The History of Henry Esmond
Genre:Fiction
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceowned
Source Information:
Record ID:28754
Source:n/a
Editor:Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington
Title:The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships and Correspondence
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:2:4
Page:17
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington (ed.), The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships and Correspondence, (Oxford, 1980), 2:4, p. 17, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=28754, accessed: 26 April 2025
Additional Comments:
See p.16 in source for letter of 3 November 1852 in which Bronte tells Smith of arrival of her copy of Henry Esmond, inscribed by the author.
