Evidence: | 'Finished Miss Austen's "Emma", which amused me very much, impressing me with a high opinion of her powers of drawing and sustaining character, though not satisfying me always with the end and aim of her labours. She is successful in painting the ridiculous to the life, and while she makes demands on our patience for the almost intolerable absurdities and tediousness of her well-meaning gossips, she does not recompense us for what we suffer from her conceited and arrogant nuisances by making their vices their punishments. We are not much better, but perhaps a little more prudent for her writing. She does not probe the vices, but lays bare the weaknesses of character; the blemish on the skin, and not the corruption at the heart, is what she examines. Mrs. Brunton's books have a far higher aim; they try to make us better, and it is an addition to previous faults if they do not. The necessity, the comfort, and the elevating influence of piety is continually inculcated throughout her works - which never appear in Miss Austen's.' |
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Century: | 1800-1849 | ||||||||||
Date: | 15 Feb 1834 | ||||||||||
Country: | England | ||||||||||
Time: | n/a | ||||||||||
Place: | n/a | ||||||||||
Type of Experience (Reader): |
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Type of Experience (Listener): |
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Reader: | William Charles Macready |
Age | Adult (18-100+) |
Gender | Male |
Date of Birth | 3 Mar 1793 |
Socio-economic group: | Professional / academic / merchant / farmer |
Occupation: | Actor and Stage Manager |
Religion: | Christian |
Country of origin: | England |
Country of experience: | England |
Listeners present if any: (e.g. family, servants,
friends, workmates) |
n/a |
Additional comments: | n/a |
Author: | Jane Austen |
Title: | Emma |
Genre: | Fiction |
Form of Text: | Print: Book |
Publication details: | n/a |
Provenance: | unknown |
Record ID: | 8022 | |
Source - | ||
Author: | William Charles Macready | |
Editor: | Frederick Pollock | |
Title: | Macready's Reminiscences, and selections from his diaries and letters | |
Place of Publication: | n.p. | |
Date of Publication: | n.d. | |
Vol: | 1 | |
Page: | 412 | |
Additional comments: | Journal entry, 15 Feb 1834 |
Citation: | William Charles Macready, Frederick Pollock (ed.), Macready's Reminiscences, and selections from his diaries and letters (n.p., n.d.), 1, p. 412, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=8022, accessed: 28 March 2024 |
Reading Experience Database version 2.0. Page updated: 27th Apr 2016 3:15pm (GMT)