Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 22295

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
' [letter from Johnson to bookseller Mr Dilly] There is in the world a set of books which used to be sold by the booksellers on the bridge, and which I must entreat you to procure me. They are called "Burton's Books"; the title of one is "Admirable Curiosities, Rarities, and Wonders in England". I believe there are about five or six of them; they seem very proper to allure backward readers; be so kind as to get them for me, and send me them with the best printed edition of "Baxter's Call to the Unconverted".'
Century: 1700-1799
Date: Until: 6 Jan 1784
Country: England
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: England
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Richard Baxter
Title: Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live
Genre: Other religious
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: n/a
Provenance: unknown

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 22295  
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: 1263
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 1263, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=22295, accessed: 28 March 2024

Additional comments:

Originally published 1791. From the tone it seems Johnson was familiar with these books already

 

 

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