Record Number: 3660

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Letter H53, January 1857 "But I think if you read Anderson carefully, you will feel how pointed, neat and concise he is in comparison. How unexpected also are most of his turns. The conceit of the different personages is nearly all that is amusing here" (referring to one of Miss Heaton's tales)"and you will find Anderson has worked that point thoroughly in the 'darning needle' and the hen and the can in the ugly duck &c."

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1852 and Jan 1857

Country:

Britain and extended tours in mainland Europe

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

John Ruskin

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

8 Feb 1819

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer and Art critic

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Britain and extended tours in mainland Europe

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Hans Christian Andersen

Title:

Fairy legends and Tales

Genre:

Fiction, Children's Lit

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

3660

Source:

Print

Author:

John Ruskin

Editor:

Virginia Surtees

Title:

Sublime and InstructiveLetters from John Ruskin to Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, Anna Blunden and Ellen Heaton

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1972

Vol:

n/a

Page:

197-8

Additional Comments:

From a letter written in January 1857 to Ellen Heaton From Editor's footnote: "The Darning Needle; The Ugly Duckling; from Hans Andersen's Danish Fairy Legends and Tales (1852)"

Citation:

John Ruskin, Virginia Surtees (ed.), Sublime and InstructiveLetters from John Ruskin to Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford, Anna Blunden and Ellen Heaton, (London, 1972), p. 197-8, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=3660, accessed: 25 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

None