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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
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Record Number: 20499


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I have been reading such lots of law, and it seems to take away the power of writing from me. From morning to night, so often as I have a spare moment, I am in the embraces of a law book: barren embraces.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Until: 29 Jun 1875

Country:

Scotland

Time

morning
afternoon
evening
night

Place:

city: Edinburgh
county: Lothian
specific address: [Swanston Cottage, Lothianburn]

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


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

13 Nov 1850

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Aspiring writer and intermittent law student

Religion:

Uncommitted.

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

Scotland

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

unknown

Title:

[law books]

Genre:

Law

Form of Text:

Print: Book, Law books in the plural.

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

20499

Source:

Print

Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Editor:

Bradford A. Booth

Title:

The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879

Place of Publication:

New Haven and London

Date of Publication:

1994

Vol:

2

Page:

145

Additional Comments:

Letter 398, To Frances Sitwell, Tuesday [29 June 1875], [Swanston]. Co-editor Ernest Mehew, The material in square brackets has been added by the editors

Citation:

Robert Louis Stevenson, Bradford A. Booth (ed.), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879 (New Haven and London, 1994), 2, p. 145, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=20499, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

See also p. 139, Letter 392. RLS is still reading law textbooks in preparation for the imminent Edinburgh University Final Examination at which he will qualify as Advocate and consequently be called to the Scottish Bar, though he will not practise.

   
   
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