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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: 19146


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Here is the beautiful Commonplace book awaiting me on my return home! And I give it a great welcome you may be sure; and turn it over, & peep in, and read a sentence and shut it up to think over it's graceful suggestive wisdom in something of the 'gourmet' spirit of a child with an eatable dainty; which child, if it have the proper artistic sensuality of childhood, first looks it's cake over to appreciate the full promise of it's appearance, - next, snuffs up it's fragrance, - and gets to a fair & complete mouth-watering before it plunges into the first [italics] bite [end italics]. I do like your book. I liked it before, - I like it better now - it is like looking into deep clear water, - down below at every instant of prolonged gaze, one sees some fresh beauty or treasure of clear white pebble, or little shady nooks for fish to lurk in, or delicate water weds. Thank you for it. I do value it'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 27 Oct 1854 and 15 Nov 1854

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Manchester
specific address: 84 Plymouth Grove

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:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

29 Sep 1810

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer and clergyman's wife

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Anna Jameson

Title:

Commonplace Book of Thoughts, A

Genre:

Miscellany / Anthology

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned
gift from Anna Jameson


Source Information:

Record ID:

19146

Source:

Print

Author:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Editor:

J.A.V. Chapple

Title:

Letters of Mrs Gaskell, The

Place of Publication:

Manchester

Date of Publication:

1997

Vol:

n/a

Page:

322-3

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, J.A.V. Chapple (ed.), Letters of Mrs Gaskell, The (Manchester, 1997), p. 322-3, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=19146, accessed: 26 April 2024


Additional Comments:

Additional editor Arthur Pollard. Letter from Elizabeth Gaskell to Anna Jameson; she had just returned from the home of Florence Nightingale.

   
   
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