Record Number: 29813

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I [...] reflected that at battalion headquarters the charms of our library — O. Henry, the “Field Service Pocket Book” and “Spoon River” — were now rather withered.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between Sep 1916 and Oct 1916

Country:

France

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Auchonvillers
county: Somme
specific address: 11th Royal Sussex Regiment Battalion HQ

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:

Edmund Blunden

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1 Nov 1896

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Army Officer and Poet

Religion:

Christian (Anglican)

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

France

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Edgar Lee Masters

Title:

Spoon River Anthology

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

Presumed to be 1915 UK edition (London: T. Werner Laurie)

Provenance

borrowed (other)

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Source Information:

Record ID:

29813

Source:

Print

Author:

Edmund Blunden

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Undertones of War

Place of Publication:

Harmondsworth (Penguin Modern Classics edn.)

Date of Publication:

1982 (1928, 1937)

Vol:

n/a

Page:

110

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Edmund Blunden, Undertones of War, (Harmondsworth (Penguin Modern Classics edn.), 1982 (1928, 1937)), p. 110, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29813, accessed: 26 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

While the evidence as presented does not constitute a specific reading expereince it is reasonable to assume, given the limited availability of books at the front, that Blunden would have read this work.