Record Number: 20636

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'The "Edinburgh Review" will have praised "Waverley" to your hearts content. I think however they left out one of the most affecting parts of the work, which is the return of W. to the Barons, and the conduct of the poor innocent David Gellatley. Surely there is no doubt but that Walter Scott is the principal Author of it. The learned here do not affect to speak of it as belonging to anyone else -- I read "The Lord of the Isles" last night it being lent me for the Evening. There is some beautiful description indeed in it, particlarly to my fancy a barren scene in one of the Isles. I own I expected more from the two opening cantos than I afterwards found, and on the whole was disappointed. The story of the Page is so hackneyd, and there is nothing to redeem it but a greater power of holding the tongue than is commonly given to Women, and, as in every thing Walter Scott writes one can never feel great interest for the Lover, which one certainly ought to do, Malcolm Graeme in the "Lady of the Lake", "Waverley", and the Lover in "Marmion", and now Ronald, altho' I expected a great deal from him from the opening. I am however in love with the description of Robert Bruce, I think it beautiful. It is very presumptuous in me thus to give my opinion, [particularly as I have this morning heard that Sir James Mackintosh says it is by far the best thing Walter Scott has done, but then he is puffer general particularly to Scotsmen.] ' [Words inside brackets crossed out in original]

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Until: 31 Jan 1815

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London
specific address: Great Russell St

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

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Anne Romilly

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

1773

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

nee Garbett

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[unknown]

Title:

Edinburgh Review [review of 'Waverley']

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

20636

Source:

Print

Author:

Anne Romilly

Editor:

Samuel Henry Romilly

Title:

Romilly-Edgeworth Letters 1813-1818

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1936

Vol:

n/a

Page:

101-2

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Anne Romilly, Samuel Henry Romilly (ed.), Romilly-Edgeworth Letters 1813-1818, (London, 1936), p. 101-2, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20636, accessed: 22 December 2024

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Additional Comments:

Year of birth is a guess: AR was married in Jan 1798, aged about 24.