Record Number: 28651

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Charlotte Bronte to her publisher, W. S. Williams, 16 August 1849:

'The "North British Review" duly reached me. I read attentively all it says about "E. Wyndham," "Jane Eyre," and "F. Hervey." Much of the article is clever, and yet there are remarks which — for me — rob it of importance [...] I do not respect an inconsistent critic. He says, "if "Jane Eyre" be the production of a woman, then she must be a woman unsexed." [...] I am reminded of the "Economist." The literary critic of that paper praised the book if written by a man, and pronounced it "odious" if the work of a woman.
To such critics I would say, "To you I am neither man nor woman — I come before you as an author only. It is the sole ground on which you have a right to judge me — the sole ground on whiich I accept your judgement.'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

Between 1 Jul 1849 and 16 Aug 1849

Country:

England

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:

Charlotte Brontë

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

21 Apr 1816

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

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

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Text Being Read:

Author:

unknown unknown

Title:

[article on Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, and works by others]

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical

Publication Details

In The North British Review

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

28651

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington

Title:

The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships, and Correspondence

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

2:1

Page:

11

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Thomas James Wise and John Alexander Symington (ed.), The Brontes: Their Lives, Friendships, and Correspondence, (Oxford , 1980), 2:1, p. 11, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=28651, accessed: 25 November 2024

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Additional Comments:

None