Record Number: 20708
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'he read a great deal in a desultory manner, without any scheme of study, as chance threw books in his way, and inclination directed him through them. He used to mention one curious instance of his casual reading, when but a boy. Having imagined that his brother had hid some apples behind a large folio upon an upper shelf in his father's shop, he climbed up to search for them. There were no apples; but the large folio proved to be Petrarch, whom he had seen mentioned in some preface, as one of the restorers of learning. His curiosity having been thus excited, he sat down with avidity and read a great part of the book'.
Century:1700-1799
Date:Between 1 Jan 1712 and 18 Sep 1727
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: Lichfield
county: Staffordshire
other location: his father's shop
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Child (0-17)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:18 Sep 1709
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:later writer
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:[works]
Genre:Essays / Criticism, Poetry
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceborrowed (other)
owned by his father
Source Information:
Record ID:20708
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R. W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:43-4
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R. W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson , (Oxford, 1980), p. 43-4, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20708, accessed: 30 September 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791.