04904nam 2200793 450 991078068820332120230912131425.01-282-02263-697866120226301-4426-7313-310.3138/9781442673137(CKB)2420000000003949(EBL)3254983(SSID)ssj0000292022(PQKBManifestationID)11212254(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000292022(PQKBWorkID)10255941(PQKB)10073026(CaBNvSL)thg00600315 (DE-B1597)464336(OCoLC)1013938119(OCoLC)944178228(DE-B1597)9781442673137(Au-PeEL)EBL4671361(CaPaEBR)ebr11257076(CaONFJC)MIL202263(OCoLC)666912403(MdBmJHUP)musev2_104594(VaAlCD)20.500.12592/162q47(schport)gibson_crkn/2009-12-01/6/418247(MiAaPQ)EBC4671361(MiAaPQ)EBC3254983(EXLCZ)99242000000000394920160923h20022002 uy 0engur|n|---|||||txtccrCome, bright improvement! the literary societies of nineteenth-century Ontario /Heather MurrayToronto, [Ontario] ;Buffalo, [New York] ;London, [England] :University of Toronto Press,2002.©20021 online resource (366 p.)Studies in Book and Print CultureDescription based upon print version of record.0-8020-3633-3 Includes bibliographical references and index.Contents -- Preface: The Immigration of Improvement -- Maps -- CHAPTER ONE: A Legacy of Literary Culture -- CHAPTER TWO: Early Societies in Toronto -- CHAPTER THREE: Culture and Conflict in the Western District -- CHAPTER FOUR: Circle to Circle -- CHAPTER FIVE: The Rise of the Women's Societies -- CHAPTER SIX: Literary Study in the Literary Societies -- CHAPTER SEVEN: Literary Societies as a Source for History and Theory -- Appendix A: Literary and Debating Club Pledge, Hamilton, 1893 -- Appendix B: Readings and Recitations of the Barrie Literary Society, 1881â€?1893Appendix C: Programs of Study of the Browning Club of Toronto, 1897â€?1905Literary Societies of Nineteenth-Century Ontario: A Preliminary Resource Guide -- Notes -- Sources Cited -- Illustration Credits -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z -- IllustrationsThe forerunner of today's book clubs, nineteenth-century literary societies provided a lively social and intellectual forum where people could gather and discuss books, cultural affairs, and current events. In Come bright Improvement!, Heather Murray explores the literary societies of Ontario between 1820 and 1900 - some of which are still in existence today - and examines the extent to which they mirrored or challenged contemporary social, political, and intellectual trends. Based on a wealth of original research with periodicals and local archival materials, Murray traces the evolution from early political and debating clubs to more dedicated literary and cultural societies, such as Shakespeare or Browning groups. Many people formed literary societies, including workers, women, Black fugitives, and members of religious denominations such as Quakers and Methodists. Murray studies the societies in detail, exploring everything from the reading materials they favoured to the other kinds of social and civic activities in which they participated. Of additional interest to scholars of book history if the book's resource guide, which records the location, history, and archival deposits of several hundred societies. A first in the study of the book club phenomenon, Come, bright Improvement! is a wonderful introduction to nineteenth-century Ontario, the history of book studies, and the history of reading.Studies in book and print culture.English literatureAppreciationOntarioBooks and readingOntarioHistory19th centuryBook clubs (Discussion groups)OntarioHistory19th centuryOntarioIntellectual life19th centuryHistory.Electronic books. English literatureAppreciationBooks and readingHistoryBook clubs (Discussion groups)History820.9008Murray Heather1951-1574253MiAaPQMiAaPQMiAaPQBOOK9910780688203321Come, bright improvement3850400UNINA