Record Number: 33901

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I had to confess [to his recently returned elder brother] that I had not read a line of his [Darwin's] work, that with the exception of Draper's "History of Civilisation" which had come by chance in my way, I had, during all those five years, read nothing but the old books which had always been on our shelves. He said he knew Draper's "History" and that it was not the sort of book for me to read at present. I wanted a different history, with animals as well as men in it. He had a store of books with him, and would lend me "The Origin of Species" to begin with. When I read and returned the book, and he was eager to hear my opinion, I said it had not hurt me in the least, since Darwin had, to my mind, only succeeded in disproving his own theory with his argument from artificial selection [...] He advised me to read it again, to read and consider it carefully with the sole purpose of getting at the truth.[...]"as a naturalist". I read it again in the way he had counselled and then refused to think any more on the subject.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1860 and 1860

Country:

Argentina

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Quilmes
county: La Plata, South of Buenos Aires
specific address: Los Veinte-cinco Ombus

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:

William Henry Hudson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

4 Aug 1841

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Field naturalist, author

Religion:

Protestant (Anglican) in childhood only

Country of Origin:

Argentina

Country of Experience:

Argentina

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Charles Darwin

Title:

On the Origin of Species

Genre:

Philosophy, Science, Natural history

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

first publ. 1859 and from the context probably first read soon after publication.

Provenance

borrowed (other)
borrowed from elder brother Edwin Hudson

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Source Information:

Record ID:

33901

Source:

Print

Author:

William Henry Hudson

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Far Away and Long Ago: A History of my Early Life

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1918

Vol:

n/a

Page:

327-8

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

William Henry Hudson, Far Away and Long Ago: A History of my Early Life, (London, 1918), p. 327-8, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33901, accessed: 19 February 2025

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Additional Comments:

None