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Life of Johnson (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

by James Boswell (Author), Pat Rogers (Contributor), R. W. Chapman (Editor) "To write the Life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we consider his extraordinary endowments, or..." (more)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 1536 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; New ed of 3 Revised ed edition (10 Sep 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0192835319
  • ISBN-13: 978-0192835314
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.9 x 5.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 510,894 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #52 in  Books > Biography > Essays, Journals & Letters > 16th to 18th Centuries
    #88 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism > Novels & Novelists > 16th to 18th Centuries

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Product Description

Product Description

This complete and unabridged edition is the only complete critical edition in paperback. Samuel Johnson was a poet, essayist, dramatist, and pioneering lexicographer, but his continuing reputation depends less on his literary output than on the fortunate accident of finding an ideal biographer in James Boswell. As Johnson's constant and admiring companion, Boswell was able to record not only the outward events of his life, but also the humour, wit, and sturdy common sense of his conversation. His brilliant portrait of a major literary figure of the eighteenth century, enriched by historical and social detail, remains a monument to the art of biography.
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First Sentence
To write the Life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we consider his extraordinary endowments, or his various works, has been equalled by few in any age, is an arduous, and may be reckoned in me a presumptuous task. Read the first page
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Better than 'Blackadder III' !, 28 Dec 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Life of Samuel Johnson (Everyman's Library classics) (Hardcover)
Onee of the funniest books I have read in a long time, and ironically it really shouldn't be--after all, an 18th century bio should be dry and dull. The book is anecdotal, basically comprising bits of dialogue and images from Johnson's life, but is rendered in such a droll and vivid fashion that it held me to the last. Johnson and Boswell form an almost Laurel-and-Hardy like team of call and response humor, with Johnson's blustering wit always triumphing. Boswell, an intemperate Scot of aristocratic birth, both falls prey to the Tory, common-born, common-sense Johnson's wit and intellect and renders then in a fashion that makes you wish you could have met him. Johnson's directness in his opinions is refreshing in today's questioning post-modern climate, a bracing and entertaining read full of rudeness and delight.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best biography ever written, and should be read in full, 7 Oct 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Life of Samuel Johnson (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature) (Paperback)
This is the best biography ever written; so good, in fact, that you should get the unabridged version. The most fascinating thing about Johnson is not his one-off witticisms or words of wisdom, but his character as it slowly unfolds in Boswell's writing, and the fuller the picture you get, the better.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite biography, 11 Mar 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Life of Samuel Johnson (World's Classics) (Paperback)
I enjoyed reading this biography very much, finding Boswell an amazingly adroit reporter and his subject fascinating and wise. Johnson was full of shrewdness and good sense, along with amusing biases and unusual mannerisms, just the sort of person to ask to liven up a dinner. The book is both humorous and moving, written in a lively style, and good for repeated readings through the years.
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