Record Number: 3980

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

" When I reached home, tired out with enthusiasm and exercise, I must needs, so soon as I had eaten, search out my stepmother that she might be a partner in my joys. It is remarkable to me now, and a disconcerting proof of my still almost infantile innocence, that, having induced her to settle to her knitting, I began, without hesitation, to read Marlowe's voluptuous poem aloud to that blameless Christian gentlewoman. We got on very well in the opening, but at the episode of Cupid's pining, my stepmother's needles began nervously to clash, and when we launched on the description of Leander's person, she interruptedme by saying, rather sharply, 'give me that book, please, I should like to read the rest to myself.' I resigned the reading in amazement, and was stupefied to see her take the volume, shut it with a snap and hide it under her needlework. Nor could I extract from her another word on the subject." [Gosse goes on to tell how his Father told him off, and burned the book]

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1865 and 31 Dec 1865

Country:

England

Time

evening: Saturday evening

Place:

county: Devon
location in dwelling: family home

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Edmund Gosse

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1849

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

son of zoological writer

Religion:

Plymouth Brethren

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

Gosse's stepmother

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Christopher Marlowe

Title:

Hero and Leander

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

3980

Source:

Print

Author:

Edmund Gosse

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Father and Son : a study of two temperments

Place of Publication:

Keele

Date of Publication:

1994

Vol:

n/a

Page:

191-192

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Edmund Gosse, Father and Son : a study of two temperments, (Keele, 1994), p. 191-192, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=3980, accessed: 16 March 2025

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Additional Comments:

None