Record Number: 22116

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'[from the 1780 Johnsoniana passed to Boswell by Bennet Langton] 'When in good humour he would talk of his own writings with a wonderful frankness and candour, and would even criticise them with the closest severity. One day, having read over one of his "Ramblers", Mr. Langton asked him, how he liked that paper; he shook his head, and answered, "too wordy". At another time, when one was reading his tragedy of "Irene" to a company at a house in the country, he left the room; and somebody having asked him the reason of this, he replied, "Sir, I thought it had been better".'

Century:

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1780

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

other location: at a country house

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Listener:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

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

Dr Johnson and others

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Samuel Johnson

Title:

Irene

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

read in situ

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22116

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

1068

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 1068, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22116, accessed: 16 February 2025

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791. Reader unknown