Record Number: 4390

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Elizabeth Gaskell, "Life of Charlotte Bronte" (1857): '[Charlotte Bronte's] hosts [in London] took pleasure in showing her the sights of London. On one of the days which had been set apart for some of these pleasant excursions, a severe review of "Shirley" was published in the "Times." She ... guessed that there was some particular reason for the care with which her hosts mislaid it on that particular morning ... Mrs Smith at once admitted that her conjecture was right, and said that they had wished her to go to the day's engagement before reading it. But she quietly persisted in her request to be allowed to have the paper. Mrs Smith ... tried not to observe the countenance, which the other tried to hide behind the large sheets; but she could not help becoming aware of tears stealing down the face and dropping on the lap. The first remark Miss Bronte made was to express her fear lest so severe a notice should check the sale of the book, and injurously affect her publishers.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

7 Dec 1849

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London
specific address: Westbourne Place, Bishop's Road

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:

Charlotte Bronte

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

21 Apr 1816

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

Church of England

Country of Origin:

England

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:

Title:

The Times

Genre:

Essays / Criticism, Reference / General works

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

borrowed (other)

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Source Information:

Record ID:

4390

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Juliet Barker

Title:

The Brontes: A Life in Letters

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1997

Vol:

n/a

Page:

253-54

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Juliet Barker (ed.), The Brontes: A Life in Letters, (London, 1997), p. 253-54, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=4390, accessed: 25 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

None