Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 8855

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
Mary Berry, in letter of 2 January 1800: 'I have been reading [...] a new novel of Godwin's, in four vols., called "The Travels of St. Leon." it is an odd work, like all his, and, like all his, interesting, tho' hardly ever pleasantly so; and while one's head often agrees with his observations, and sometimes with his reasoning, never does one's heart thoroughly agree with his sentiments on any subject or in any character [...] I should tell you, which I know from Edwards, that it was written for bread, agreed for by the booksellers beforehand, and actually composed and written as the printers wanted it. I think you will see many marks of this throughout the work if you read it, which I should recommend to you, if, like me, you have not seen a [italics]readable[end italics] novel this age.'
Century: 1700-1799, 1800-1849
Date: Between 1 Dec 1799 and 2 Jan 1800
Country: England
Time: n/a
Place: city: London
   
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:Mary Berry
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Female
Date of Birth 16 Mar 1763
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: William Godwin
Title: St Leon
Genre: Fiction
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: 1799
Provenance: unknown

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 8855  
Source - Print  
  Author: n/a
  Editor: Lady Theresa Lewis
  Title: Extracts of the Journal and Correspondence of Miss Berry From the Year 1783 to 1852
  Place of Publication: London
  Date of Publication: 1865
  Vol: 2
  Page: 111
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: Lady Theresa Lewis (ed.), Extracts of the Journal and Correspondence of Miss Berry From the Year 1783 to 1852 (London, 1865), 2, p. 111, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=8855, accessed: 28 March 2024

Additional comments:

 

 

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