Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 26305

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'Moby Dick'. The present vogue of Hermann Melville is mainly due to two English novelists, Frank Swinnerton and myself. We both of us have great opportunities for publicity and 8 or 10 years ago, in the Reform Club, we decided to convince the world that 'Moby Dick' was the greatest of all sea-novels. And we did! There is a lot more of Melville that you ought to read, if you have not already read it. Some of the ‘Piazza Tales’ are wonderful. And the novel 'Pierre', though while mad and very strange and overstrained, is really original and remarkable. Some of the still stranger books I have not yet read or tried to read. The trouble is that the esoteric books can only be obtained in the complete edition of the works. Happily I possess it. I believe that the original editions of 'Typee' and 'Omoo' are much better than the current editions, which have been expurgated. Please note that I think 'Evan Harrington' is better than 'Beauchamp’s Career' and 'The Woodlanders' better than the 'Mayor of Casterbridge'.
Century: 1900-1945
Date: Until: 2 Aug 1930
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:Arnold Bennett
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Male
Date of Birth 27 May 1867
Socio-economic group: Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation: writer/journalist/reviewer
Religion: Christian
Country of origin: England
Country of experience: n/a
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Herman Melville
Title: Typee
Genre: Fiction
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: n/a
Provenance: owned

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 26305  
Source - Print  
  Author: Arnold Bennett
  Editor: James Hepburn
  Title: Letters of Arnold Bennett Vol.III 1916 -1931
  Place of Publication: London: Oxford University Press
  Date of Publication: 1970
  Vol: III
  Page: 337-8
  Additional comments: In a letter from Arnold Bennett to André Gide, from Rod Meadow. Trewoofe, dated 2 August 1930

Citation: Arnold Bennett, James Hepburn (ed.), Letters of Arnold Bennett Vol.III 1916 -1931 (London: Oxford University Press, 1970), III, p. 337-8, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=26305, accessed: 29 March 2024

Additional comments:

 

 

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