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

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Record Number: 22740


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'It was on the 18: day of July 1773 that we were sitting in the blue Room at Streatham and were talking of Writers - Steele's Essays were mentioned - but they are too thin said Mr Johnson; being mere Observations on Life and Manners without a sufficiency of solid Learning acquired from Books, they have the flavour, like the light French wines you so often hear commended; but having no Body, they cannot keep. Speaking of Mason Gray &c. he said The Poems they write must I should suppose greatly delight the Authors; they seem to have attained that which themselves consider as the Summit of Excellence, and Man can do no more: yet surely such unmeaning & verbose Language if in the Morning it appears to be in bloom, must fade before Sunset like Cloe's Wreath.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 18 Jul 1773

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Thomas Gray

Title:

n/a

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

22740

Source:

Print

Author:

Hester Lynch Thrale

Editor:

Katharine C. Balderston

Title:

Thraliana

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1951

Vol:

I

Page:

172

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Hester Lynch Thrale, Katharine C. Balderston (ed.), Thraliana (Oxford, 1951), I, p. 172, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=22740, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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