Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 19292


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Referring to the reporting of the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902): 'I can't say I shared in the hysterical transports of some public organs for the simple reason that I expected to see displayed all the valour, perseverance, devotion which in fact have been displayed. Confound these papers. From the tone of some of them one would have thought they expected the artillery to clear out at a gallop across hills and ravines[...]. Those infernal scribblers are rank outsiders .'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 10 Oct 1899 and 26 Oct 1899

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Stanford near Hythe
county: Kent
specific address: Pent Farm

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:

Joseph Conrad

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

3 Dec 1857

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Master mariner and author

Religion:

originally Polish Catholic, by now agnostic/atheist

Country of Origin:

Poland

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

newspapers

Genre:

Ephemera

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

October 1899

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

19292

Source:

Print

Author:

Joseph Conrad

Editor:

Frederick R. Karl (and Laurence Davies)

Title:

The Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad Volume 2, 1898-1902

Place of Publication:

Cambridge

Date of Publication:

1986

Vol:

2

Page:

211

Additional Comments:

Letter from Joseph Conrad to E.L.(Ted) Sanderson, 26th October 1899, Pent farm.

Citation:

Joseph Conrad, Frederick R. Karl (and Laurence Davies) (ed.), The Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad Volume 2, 1898-1902 (Cambridge, 1986), 2, p. 211, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=19292, accessed: 24 April 2024


Additional Comments:

The same letter contains earlier a reference to Conrad reading Paul Krugers' 'proclamation' presumably his ultimatum to the British government,which when it expired in October 1899 led to the declaration of war.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design