Record Number: 27335
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
William Lamb to John Murray, 20 December 1822: 'The incongruity of, and objections to, the story of "Ada Reis" can only be got over by power of writing, beauty of sentiment, striking and effective situation, &c. [...] Mr. [William] Gifford [Murray's reader], I dare say, will agree with me that since the time of Lucian all the representations of the infernal regions, which have been attempted by satirical writers, such as Fielding's "Journey from this World to the Next," have been feeble and flat. The sketch in "Ada Reis" is commonplace in its observations and altogether insufficient [...] I think, if it were thought that anything could be done with the novel, and that the faults of its design and structure can be got over, that I could put her [i.e Lady Caroline Lamb] in the way of writing up this part a little, and giving it something of strength, spirit, and novelty, and making it at once more moral and more interesting. I wish you would communicate these my hasty suggestions to Mr. Gifford, and he will see the propriety of pressing Lady Caroline to take a little more time to this part of the novel. She will be guided by his authority, and her fault at present is to be too hasty and too impatient of the trouble of correcting and recasting what is faulty.'
Century:1800-1849
Date:Between 1 Dec 1822 and 20 Dec 1822
Country:n/a
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(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:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:n/a
Socio-Economic Group:Royalty / aristocracy
Occupation:n/a
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:n/a
Country of Experience:n/a
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Ada Reis
Genre:Fiction
Form of Text:Manuscript: Unknown
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:27335
Source:Samuel Smiles
Editor:n/a
Title:A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:1891
Vol:2
Page:144
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Samuel Smiles, A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray, (London, 1891), 2, p. 144, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=27335, accessed: 17 August 2024
Additional Comments:
William Lamb was Caroline Lamb's husband.