Record Number: 26309

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Moby Dick'. The present vogue of Hermann Melville is mainly due to two English novelists, Frank Swinnerton and myself. We both of us have great opportunities for publicity and 8 or 10 years ago, in the Reform Club, we decided to convince the world that 'Moby Dick' was the greatest of all sea-novels. And we did! There is a lot more of Melville that you ought to read, if you have not already read it. Some of the ‘Piazza Tales’ are wonderful. And the novel 'Pierre', though while mad and very strange and overstrained, is really original and remarkable. Some of the still stranger books I have not yet read or tried to read. The trouble is that the esoteric books can only be obtained in the complete edition of the works. Happily I possess it. I believe that the original editions of 'Typee' and 'Omoo' are much better than the current editions, which have been expurgated. Please note that I think 'Evan Harrington' is better than 'Beauchamp’s Career' and 'The Woodlanders' better than the 'Mayor of Casterbridge'.

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Until: 2 Aug 1930

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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:

Arnold Bennett

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

27 May 1867

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer/journalist/reviewer

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Thomas Hardy

Title:

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

26309

Source:

Print

Author:

Arnold Bennett

Editor:

James Hepburn

Title:

Letters of Arnold Bennett Vol.III 1916 -1931

Place of Publication:

London: Oxford University Press

Date of Publication:

1970

Vol:

III

Page:

337-8

Additional Comments:

In a letter from Arnold Bennett to André Gide, from Rod Meadow. Trewoofe, dated 2 August 1930

Citation:

Arnold Bennett, James Hepburn (ed.), Letters of Arnold Bennett Vol.III 1916 -1931, (London: Oxford University Press, 1970), III, p. 337-8, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=26309, accessed: 22 November 2024

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Additional Comments:

None