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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 29921


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'For my own War reading I found, as the popularity of "The Times Broadsheets" proved, that the essential was, remoteness from actuality. Henry James, by his sublime irrelevance to the general agony, provided escape, civilisation — almost intelligence. [Entry continues as diary or letter extract inserted into text]. My greatest acquisition is some realisation of his extraordinary greatness. Since Desdemona dropped her handkerchief, no one has managed to extract such thrills out of the apparently unimportant. My other refuge is William Blake — the first or the second childhood (it doesn't matter which) of William Shakespeare.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between May 1916 and Jul 1916

Country:

Egypt

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Ramleh near Alexandria
specific address: Villa Zervudaki

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:

Ronald Storrs

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

19 Nov 1881

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

diplomat (colonial civil servant) and army officer

Religion:

Christian (Anglican)

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Egypt

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Henry James

Title:

unknown

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

unknown

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

29921

Source:

Print

Author:

Ronald Storrs

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Orientations

Place of Publication:

London (Readers Union Edn.)

Date of Publication:

1939 (1937)

Vol:

n/a

Page:

210

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Ronald Storrs, Orientations, (London (Readers Union Edn.), 1939 (1937)), p. 210, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29921, accessed: 08 October 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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