Record Number: 32371
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
Timen/a
Place:Great Bookham
Surrey
'Gastons'
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: 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
Text Being Read:
Author: 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 DetailsParis: H. Piazza et Cie, 1900
Provenanceowned
Source Information:
Record ID:32371
Source: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: 09 October 2024
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.