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James Boswell

The Life of Samuel Johnson (Everyman's Library) Hardcover – January 11, 1993

by James Boswell (Author), Claude Rawson (Introduction)

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One of the greatest and most compelling of all biographies in literature had its beginnings on a fateful day in London in 1763, when young James Boswell determinedly attached himself to the dominant literary figure of his age—the splendidly humane, devastatingly witty, often troubled Dr. Samuel Johnson. What followed was one of the most famous of literary friendships, one that Boswell carefully documented over the years and eventually made the basis of an extraordinarily vivid group portrait.

Johnson was at the center of a brilliant circle that included the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, the actor David Garrick, the writers Frances Burney and Edmund Burke, and even King George III. By incorporating conversations he had recorded and including a wealth of personal and human details in his LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, Boswell revolutionized the art of biography. He not only managed to bring to life the towering and complicated figure of Johnson, but also provided an intimate picture of private life that mingled the hero’s humbler friends with the greatest talkers of a talkative age. The result is an enduring monument to a remarkable man that ensured Boswell’s own place in literary history.

Print length

1344 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Everyman's Library
Publication date

January 11, 1993
Dimensions

5.5 x 2.35 x 8.3 inches
ISBN-10

0679417176
ISBN-13

978-0679417170
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Boswell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1740. He attended the University of Glasgow and is now considered one of the greatest biographers in the history of Western literature. He died in 1795.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Everyman's Library; Illustrated edition (January 11, 1993)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1344 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679417176
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679417170
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 2.35 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #234,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #257 in British & Irish Literary Criticism (Books)
- #306 in British & Irish Literature
- #1,322 in Author Biographies

Customer Reviews:
129 ratings

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JM Hopkins

Hodge Shall Not Be Shot, No, Hodge Shall Not Be Shot

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2017

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What a great read! This is one of those classics of Western Literature which gets one through dark times. Samuel Johnson was a literary raconteur and noted wit. He came from very inauspicious beginnings and sought to really frame human life in all of its follies and foibles. I was impressed that Boswell saw fit to record the minutiae of his life (worries about money, worries about drinking too much, all the places he lived in London). Boswell really brought Samuel Johnson's larger than life character and private concerns out into the open and (perhaps) immortalized his version for posterity.

18 people found this helpful

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James Boswell's classic and unique biography of Dr. Samuel Johnson paints a colorful portrait of the man and his times

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2014

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Why should you spend the time and money to read this huge biography which is over twelve hundred densely written pages?
1. James Boswell (1740-96) a wealthy Scottish lawyer wrote this immense work which is filled with countless anecdotes about Dr Johnson (1709-84) and his friends making the age in which they lived come alive in the minds of readers. If you want a portrait of eighteenth century Great Britain and the literary scene at that time you can turn to no better tome.
2. The book tells a rags to riches Horatio Alger story of a great literary genius. Johnson was near sighted, heavyset and resembled a bear in his demeanor. He could be rough, coarse, sarcastic and was a master of conversational repartee and bon mots. He was also a devoted Christian believer who could be very kind and loving to family and his wide circle of friends. Johnson was the author of such monumental works as his "Dictionary of the English Language"; "The Vanity of Human Wishes"; "Rasselas" and countless essays culled from the pages of "The Rambler" newspaper and other publications of the day.
3. The book is filled with stories about Johnson's distinguished friends from the world of politics, business, farming and art. He was a close friend of Dr. Oliver Goldsmith the author of "The Vicar of Wakefield" and other works, Joshua Reynolds the famous painter and David Garrick the famous Shakespearean actor.
4. The book has wonderful advice on how to live a Christian life of morality and honor. Johnson was a good though far from perfect man. He did not drink but loved lavish meals and luxury. Johnson was faithful to his wife but adored the company of lovely women. He was a strong monarchist who had a famous meeting with King George III. Johnson was opposed to the American Revolution. Unlike his friend Boswell he was a strong enemy towards the slave trade.. He professed a dislike of Scotland but had many Scottish friends including James Boswell his biographer. Johnson had a strong fear of death. Dr. Johnson was plagued by ill health throughout his long and productive life of literary endeavor. Johnson wished he had become a lawyer but was one of England's greatest authors of all time,
5. The biography gives us a travelogue account of many of the places visited by Dr. Johnson . Johnson and his friends the Thrales visited the France of Louis XVI and he and Boswell traveled to the Hebrides islands..
Caveats? This is not an easy book to read! There are long footnotes on many pages; Latin and Greek quotations in the original tongues and some pages are downright dull! The work contains many letters from Johnson, Boswell and others which provide fascinating reading. Some readers will have trouble with the formal language of the work filled with classical quotes from ancient authors and referring to current plays and political controversies. This reviewer found this material to be worthy of being read.
6, The book is a treasure trove of pungent and succinct quotations being used with profit by writers and orators. The book has good through countless editions since first published in the 1790s.
The book is a reading essential for anyone who enjoys the story of a wonderful man and his rise to the top. James Boswell is the greatest of all biographers in the English tongue. This book is an essential classic even in our twenty first century world. Essential and enjoyable! Highly recommended!

44 people found this helpful

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Nancy L

A great edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson for readers

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2020

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What a wonderful, readable edition of Boswell's great biography of Samuel Johnson. This first major biography in English draws its subject from conversations with so many other Londoners of the mid-l8th century. Johnson's memorable phrases and insights are constantly interesting, but at 1250 pp., you need to have patience with your reading style. Take it in modest helpings, and you will be so satisfied. The hardback binding, with its ribbon bookmark, seems to make only a little bulk for the long book.

All in all, I was very satisfied with my purchase. Good introduction; good footnotes where original. (Full disclosure: I'm an English prof.)

3 people found this helpful

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Susan

Print size?

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019

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Just received this famous work......and the print is stunningly small. If you wear glasses you'll need a microscope to read this specific publication.

6 people found this helpful

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Mickey Pineda

A wonderful window into the 1700's.

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2018

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The more I read this book the more I enjoyed it. It was great having it on Kindle so that I could find out definitions of words not used much in our modern language. I had read Boswell's journal that covered when he met Johnson so I knew how much he meant to him.

5 people found this helpful

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Michael B.

I was pleased with the readability

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2015

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I should have read this as a university class assignment back in 1965, but did not because of other course demands. And I never did read it, even after I earned my terminal degree in English Literature in 1974. So I thought it was time. I was pleased with the readability, which is a credit to Boswell, and a bit shocked with the wisdom of Johnson, which is very right-wing (albeit Tory) and more than a bit self-centered. I did not realize that Boswell connected with Johnson so late in life (post dictionary). The number of aphorisms that are Johnson's and are part of modern culture is quite astonishing, and for this reason I would recommend a select few readers to try this very large, long book. For dipping into, perhaps 10-15 pages at a time, not for reading in a single sitting as would have been my need back in 1965.

13 people found this helpful

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Dr L

A great Kindle book

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2020

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I didn't read it the way Dr Johnson would recommend but straight through from beginning to end. If you do that and use the look up feature for people and places that you want to know more about, you'll have many days of entertainment.

One person found this helpful

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ProfZeb

A Readable Classic

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016

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Boswell writes in the grand style of the 18th Century and his subject is fascinating. Because of this book I became a great fan of Samuel Johnson. Johnson is famous for his conversation because of Boswell's book, his dictionary and his own writing. This book makes him human. There are those who carp at Boswell's failings and the problems with the book, but we are still talking about it 250 years later.

8 people found this helpful

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Michael Collier

Actually three books in one

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2015

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The best biography ever written. For me there are three main strands: 1) Johnson's life by Boswell, mainly reliable as Boswell's attempts to give this or that emphasis to his friend's actions or opinions are pretty transparent 2) Johnson's life in his own words (via his letters in particular, some of which are spectacular) and 3) Boswell's notes, which are frequently and unintentionally hilarious, particularly when he is castigating Sir John Hawkins, Johnson's previous biographer.
So as I'm sure people must have observed before you actually get almost as clear a picture of Boswell as you do of Johnson, but the beauty of the whole thing is you never completely trust Boswell, which actually makes this a wonderful critical biography. Perhaps most importantly, this gave me a fresh perspective on Johnson as a man and a writer and has inspired me to read his own works.
At risk of sounding patronising, I think this really is a book for middle aged people. If I had read this as a young man I would not have got this at all. Now, having been knocked about by life a bit, I find it deeply moving.

30 people found this helpful

Norman Housley

Ground-breaking biography of a great figure in Eng Lit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2018

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Well, it’s a classic so you have to cut Boswell some slack. What you get is disorganised and clearly garbled reminiscence, written down rapidly in the early hours, often after several bottles of port had been consumed. But Johnson’s personality leaps off the page, part perceptive observer of human nature and part infuriating reactionary. He is right about half of the time, which is not bad going (as good as Tolstoy or Shaw, for example). The book is probably best kept for dipping into rather than reading it cover to cover.

E. T.

Boswell on Johnson

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2014

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Needs little introduction but a very handy one volume edition of the full work. It was really the first modern biography that set the standard for others. An excellent read and full of information.

4 people found this helpful

squirrel

Have read the abridged life several times, and decided ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2015

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Have read the abridged life several times, and decided it was about time I read the whole thing. If you cant face a really long book, try an abridgement and/or the Journal of a tour of the Hebrides.

One person found this helpful

Paul Grice

Desert Island essential

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2012

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What more is there to say? Johnson has been the most thoughtful, religious and amusing Englishman; Boswell a journalist of high integrity - at any rate where Johnson is involved!

2 people found this helpful

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