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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 
 
 
 

Record Number: 13108


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

A friend of mine, a Welsh blacksmith, was twenty-five years old and could neither read nor write, when he heard a chapter of 'Robinson' read aloud in a farm kitchen. Up to that moment he had sat content, huddled in his ignorance, but he left that farm another man. There were day-dreams, it appeared, divine day-dreams, written and printed and bound, and to be bought for money and enjoyed at pleasure. Down he sat that day, painfully learning to read Welsh, and returned to borrow the book. It had been lost, nor could he find another copy but one that was in English. Down he sat once more, learned English, and at length, and with entire delight, read 'Robinson'.

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1850 and 31 Oct 1882

Country:

Wales

Time

n/a

Place:

location in dwelling: farm kitchen

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Listener:

anon

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

Blacksmith

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Wales

Country of Experience:

Wales

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

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Daniel Defoe

Title:

Robinson Crusoe

Genre:

Fiction, Geography / Travel

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

Welsh translation

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

13108

Source:

Print

Author:

Robert Louis Stevenson

Editor:

n/a

Title:

'A Gossip on Romance' in Longman's Magazine

Place of Publication:

n/a

Date of Publication:

November 1882

Vol:

1:1

Page:

273-4

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Robert Louis Stevenson, 'A Gossip on Romance' in Longman's Magazine, (November 1882), 1:1, p. 273-4, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=13108, accessed: 22 December 2024


Additional Comments:

Stevenson's 'A Gossip on Romance' was first published in Longman's Magazine, 1:1 (November 1882), 69-79.

   
   
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