Customer Reviews

Anecdotes of the Late Samuel Johnson

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Very glad to see an inexpensive edition of Hester Thrale Piozzi's Anecdotes in print. While Boswell's "Life of Johnson" is certainly an engaging read, Boswell's and Piozzi's experieices don't overlap that much, so Piozzi captures a different side of Johnson. Hester Thrale and her husband Henry rescued Johnson from a period of depression by getting him out of London proper and into their family life, and Johnson thrived. Boswell didn't see that much of this side, and their accounts are complementary (though hints of the rivalry often come through). There are also some great lines in here, some of which are my favorites: " Life is a pill which none of us can bear to swallow without gilding;" "The law is the last result of human wisdom acting upon human experience for the benefit of the public;" "we must either outlive our friends you know, or our friends must outlive us; and I see no man that would hesitate about the choice." Well worth your time and money!