Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 18779

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'I have had such a pleasant morning perusing Lara to day that I cannot risist [sic] the impulse of writing to you and telling you so. The last Canto of it is much the best thing you ever wrote - there are many pictures in it which the heart of man can scarcely brook. It is besides more satisfactorily and better wind up [sic] than any of your former tales and the images rather more perceptible. You are constantly improving in this Your figures from the very first were strong without parallel but in every new touch of your pencil they are better and better relieved. In the first Canto there is haply too much painting of the same and too close on that so much dwelt on in the Corsair; Yet still as it excels the rest in harmony of numbers I am disposed to give it the preference to any of them. [Hogg then advises Byron not to attempt writing drama] I have been extremely puzzled to find out who Sir Ezzelin is sometimes I have judged him to be some sea captain at others Medora's uncle or parent from whom the Corsair had stole her but I have at last pleased myself by concluding that Lord Byron does not know himself - what a wretched poet Mr Rogers is. You are truly very hardly set for great original poets in England at present when such as he must be extolled. I could not help smiling at his Jacqueline'.
Century: 1800-1849
Date: 14 Aug 1814
Country: Scotland
Time: morning
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:James Hogg
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Male
Date of Birth Nov 1770
Socio-economic group: Labourer (agricultural)
Occupation: shepherd and writer
Religion: n/a
Country of origin: Scotland
Country of experience: Scotland
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: George Gordon, Lord Byron
Title: Lara
Genre: Poetry
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: n/a
Provenance: unknown

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 18779  
Source - Print  
  Author: James Hogg
  Editor: Gillian Hughes
  Title: Collected Letters of James Hogg, The
  Place of Publication: Edinburgh
  Date of Publication: 2004
  Vol: I
  Page: 194
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: James Hogg, Gillian Hughes (ed.), Collected Letters of James Hogg, The (Edinburgh, 2004), I, p. 194, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=18779, accessed: 29 March 2024

Additional comments:

Letter to Lord Byron

 

 

Reading Experience Database version 2.0.  Page updated: 27th Apr 2016  3:15pm (GMT)