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

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Record Number: 21714


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'He [Johnson] was much diverted with an article which I shewed him in the "Critical Review" of this year, giving an account of a curious publication, entitled, "A Spiritual Diary and Soliloquies", by John Rutty, M.D. Dr. Rutty was one of the people called Quakers, a physician of some eminence in Dublin, and authour of several works. This Diary, which was kept from 1753 to 1775, the year in which he died, and was now published in two volumes octavo, exhibited, in the simplicity of his heart, a minute and honest register of the state of his mind; which, though frequently laughable enough, was not more so than the history of many men would be, if recorded with equal fairness.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

19 Sep 1777

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Ashbourne
county: Derbyshire

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:

James Boswell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

29 Oct 1740

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer and lawyer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

Critical Review

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

21714

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

852

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 852, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=21714, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791. Not certain if either Johnson or Boswell read the book being reviewed. Extracts of the review are reproduced.

   
   
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