Record Number: 31593

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at Oakdene, Northcourt Avenue 7.iv.41 S. A. Reynolds in the chair.
1. The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed.
[...]
7. Dr. [Dorothea] Taylor read from “Sentimental Tommy” – a pathetic story, but salted with humour, the pathos becomes palatable.
8. Knox Taylor read from Barrie’s famous rectorial address delivered at St. Andrews University in May 1922 on the subject of “Courage”.
9. Muriel Stevens read from “The Little Minister” Barrie’s first long novel which was published in 1891. This book introduced, not without unmixed success, extraneous elements into the familiar life of Thrums, including the winsome heroine Babbie, but proved the author’s considerable gift of romance.
10. The first Act of “A Kiss for Cinderella” was read by: Arnold Joselin as the Policeman
Bruce Dilks as Mr. Bodie
Alice Joselin as Cindarella
with Margaret Dilks reading the introduction & stage directions. In this play we realize how near is the authors genius to that of Hans Anderson on the one hand, and of Dickens on the other. Like Hans Anderson he mixes the everyday world with Fairyland, & like Dickens he entices us to that borderland of laughter where we suddenly find ourselves in tears. But Barrie is at once jester and tender- hearted moralist and there is a special kind of broken-hearted fun which is quite his own.

[Signed as a true record by] A. G. Joselin 5 May 1941'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

7 Apr 1941

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: Oakdene, Northcourt Avenue

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:

Reader:

Knox Taylor

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

Quaker or associated with the Friends

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

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

Members of the XII Book Club

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

J. M. Barrie

Title:

Courage [University of St Andrews Rectoral address]

Genre:

Speeches

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

31593

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Margaret Dilks

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

92–6

Additional Information:

Margaret Dilks was secretary to the XII Book Club from 1940 to 1970. It is inferred from this, and from the handwriting, that she was the author of this set of minutes.

Citation:

Margaret Dilks, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 92–6, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31593, accessed: 22 November 2024

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Additional Comments:

Material by kind permission of the XII Book Club. For further information and permission to quote this source, contact the Reading Experience Database (http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/contacts.php).