Student library info ▿The Student library info pertains to the period when Beckett was a student at Trinity College Dublin (1923-1927) and a lecturer at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and TCD (1928-1931). It explains when he is thought to have acquired and read the book in question, based on his inscription, as well as various external sources including the official TCD college calendars, his 'Dream' Notebook, and his letters.Read: by April 1923.
The History contains a marginal comment on page 171 in the "Marlowe" subsection which reads "25/4/23". This allows us to determine that Beckett was already preparing months in advance for his Junior Exhibition (the entrance examination in October 1923). Prospective students were also supposed to read the accompanying extracts from Smith's Specimens organized under the same chapter titles as Thompson's History. We can assume Beckett read Thompson and Smith in parallel in the spring of 1923, although no extant copy of the Specimens is available.
Source:TCD College Calendar
A History of English Literature, and of the Chief English Writers
London: John Murray, 1914
Revised edition
Inscription:S. B. Beckett / feb. 1923
Notes:pages 309, 311, 511, 523, 601, 603, 605, 645 and 647 have been folded down.
> Show all marginalia in this book
Available scans ▿cover, inscription, tp, toc1, toc2, toc3, toc4, toc5, 143, 149, 171, 180, 192, 214, 215, 223, 276, 291, 303, 308, 309, 310, 311, 319, 386, 438, 510, 511, 522, 523, 540, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 644, 645, 646, 647, insbackcover.
Source:
A History of English Literature, and of the Chief English Writers
London: John Murray, 1914
Inscription:
Notes:
> Show all marginalia in this book
Available scans ▿cover, inscription, tp, toc1, toc2, toc3, toc4, toc5, 143, 149, 171, 180, 192, 214, 215, 223, 276, 291, 303, 308, 309, 310, 311, 319, 386, 438, 510, 511, 522, 523, 540, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 644, 645, 646, 647, insbackcover.
