Record Number: 30824

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I had a good lunch at Calais — how I love the lunch at Calais don't you! — and am now extremely comfy in a sleeping compartment all to myself. The train is not even full. I am enjoying myself madly and am looking forward to a very early breakfast with honey at Basel and a lovely day over the St Gotthard. [...] I am posting Mr Legge's novel to Redcar. Elsa [Gertrude Bell's half-sister] may like to look at it for friendship's sake — though if she were a true friend she wd refuse for it's singularly feeble. It's a pity his writings are not up to his looks!'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

24 Mar 1899

Country:

France or in Channel

Time

morning
daytime

Place:

other location: on cross channel ferry or train in Northern France

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:

Gertrude Bell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

16 Jul 1868

Socio-Economic Group:

Gentry

Occupation:

Oxford graduate, language student, yet to take up formal occupation as archaeologist and political advisor

Religion:

originally Christian (Anglican) by now declared atheist

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

France or in Channel

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Arthur Edward J. Legge

Title:

Either Mutineers OR Both Great and Small

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

either 1898 or 1899

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

30824

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk

Additional Information:

Letter from Gertrude Bell to Florence Bell 24 March 1899 written in train between Calais and Laon, France http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/letter_details.php?letter_id=1040

Citation:

Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=30824, accessed: 09 October 2024

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Additional Comments:

A. E. J. Legge who had already published two volumes of poetry, produced two novels during this period, "Mutineers" (1898) and "Both Great and Small" (1899).