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: 7878


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Fanny Kemble, journal letter to Harriet St. Leger, 27 June 1835, listing 'the books just now lying on my table, all of which I have been reading lately': 'Alfieri's "Life", by himself, a curious and interesting work; Washington Irving's last book, "A Tour on the Prairies", rather an ordinary book, upon a not ordinary subject, but not without sufficiently interesting matter in it too; Dr. Combe's "Principles of Physiology"; and a volume of Marlowe's plays, containing "Dr. Faustus". I have just finished Hayward's Translation of Goethe's "Faust", and wanted to see the old English treatment of the subject. I have read Marlowe's play with more curiosity than pleasure. This is, after all, but a small sample of what I read, but if you remember the complexion of my studies when I was a girl at Heath Farm and read Jeremy Taylor and Byron together, I can only say that they are still apt to be of the same heterogenous quality. But my brain is kept in a certain state of activity by them, and that, I suppose, is one of the desirable results of reading.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Jun 1835

Country:

USA

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Branchtown

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:

Fanny Kemble

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

27 Nov 1809

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Actress

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

USA

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Dr Combe

Title:

Principles of Physiology

Genre:

Science, Medicine

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

7878

Source:

Print

Author:

Fanny Kemble

Editor:

Catherine Clinton

Title:

Fanny Kemble's Journals

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Date of Publication:

2000

Vol:

n/a

Page:

84

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Fanny Kemble, Catherine Clinton (ed.), Fanny Kemble's Journals (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2000), p. 84, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=7878, accessed: 29 March 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design