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Record Number: 32322

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'...your criticism of the"Well". I quite see your point, and, of course, agree that the interests of the tale reach their climax in the great scene at the World's End: my reply is that the interest of the journey home is of quite a different nature. it is pleasant to pick up all the familiar places....The Battle-piece at the end is very fine....The only part that I found really tedious was Roger's historical survey of the Burg & the Scaur. In fact, Roger was only a lay-figure brought in to conduct the Ladye's machinations with Ralph, and why he was not allowed to drop into oblivion when they were over, I cannot imagine.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

unknown

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

Great Bookham
Surrey
'Gastons'

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:

Clive Staples Lewis

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

29 Nov 1898

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Student

Religion:

Church of England

Country of Origin:

Northern Ireland

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:

William Morris

Title:

The Well at the World's End

Genre:

Fiction, Astrology / alchemy / occult, forerunner of the fantasy novel

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

32322

Source:

Print

Author:

C. S. Lewis

Editor:

Walter Hooper

Title:

C. S. Lewis Collected Letters

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

2000

Vol:

1

Page:

94-5

Additional Comments:

From a letter to Arthur Greeves, 17 November 1914

Citation:

C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 94-5, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32322, accessed: 03 March 2026

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Additional Comments:

I have marked the date range 'unknown' because Lewis is replying to Greeves's comments on his own reading experience. Lewis does not say when he read the book himself.