Record Number: 32371

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

(1) 'Never, never get a book bound. You will gather from this that "Tristan" has arrived and is a complete and absolute failure.... True, it is some consolation to find the book itself good beyond what I had expected: it gets the romantic note (which the French don't usually understand) very well indeed. One or two little descriptions are full of atmosphere. In particular, what could be better for Lyonesse — glorious name — than this simple sentence: "Climbing to the top of the cliff he saw a land full of vallies [sic] where forest stretched itself without end." I don't know whether you will agree with me, but that gives me a perfect impression of loneliness and mystery. Besides its other good points, it is very, very simple French, so that if you think of starting to read that language this would make a very good beginning.' (2) 'I have now finished my "Tristan", which is really delightful: it is the saddest story on earth I think, don't you?'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 15 Jun 1916 and 4 Jul 1916

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:

Adult (18-100+)

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:

Joseph Bedier

Title:

Le Roman de Tristan et Iseut, renouvele par Joseph Bedier, preface de Gaston Paris

Genre:

Fiction, Prose romance based on Celtic sources of the Tristan legend

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

Paris: H. Piazza et Cie, 1900

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

32371

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:

195, 207

Additional Comments:

(1) From a letter to Arthur Greeves, 20 June 1916 (2) From a letter to the same, 4 July 1916

Citation:

C. S. Lewis, Walter Hooper (ed.), C. S. Lewis Collected Letters, (London, 2000), 1, p. 195, 207, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=32371, accessed: 19 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

Lewis liked his books to be in pleasing editions. Since 'all French books are far poorer than ours' (Letter to Greeves, 30 May 1916, v.1, p.186), he sent this one to be bound, and was bitterly disappointed with the result. I have failed to find a way of producing accented characters: they are required for the 'Text being Read' field.