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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: 3977


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

" But, if I chose to walk six or seven miles along the coast... I might spend as pocket-money the railway fare I thus saved. Such considerable sums I fostered in order to buy with them editions of the poets. These were not in those days, as they are now, at the beck and call of every purse, and the attainment of each little masterpiece was a separate triumph. In particular I shall never forget the excitement of teaching at last the exorbitant price the bookseller asked for the only, although imperfect, edition of the poems of S.T.Coleridge. At last I could meet his demand, and my friend and I went down to consummate the solemn purchase. Comimg away with our treasure, we read aloud from the oranged-coloured volume, in turns, as we strolled along, until at last we sat down on the bulging foot of an elm-tree in a secluded lane. Here we stayed, in a sort of poetical nirvana, reading, forgetting the passage of time, until the hour of our neglected mid-day meal was! a long while past, and we had to hurry home to bread and chees and a scolding."

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1863 and 31 Dec 1865

Country:

England

Time

morning: morning, and through lunchtime
daytime: morning, and through lunchtime

Place:

county: Devon
other location: outdoors in Devon village

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Edmund Gosse

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1849

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

son of zoological writer

Religion:

Plymouth Brethren

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

a friend, male, also 14-16 years


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Title:

[poems]

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

3977

Source:

Print

Author:

Edmund Gosse

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Father and Son : a study of two temperments

Place of Publication:

Keele

Date of Publication:

1994

Vol:

n/a

Page:

190

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Edmund Gosse, Father and Son : a study of two temperments (Keele, 1994), p. 190, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=3977, accessed: 25 April 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
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