Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson's literary reputation rests on such a varied output that he defies easy description: poet, critic, lexicographer, travel writer, essayist, editor, and, thanks to his good friend Boswell, the subject of one of the most famous English biographies.This volume celebrates Johnson's astonishing talent by selecting widely across the full range of his work. It includes "London" and "The Vanity of Human Wishes" among other poems, and many of his essays for the Rambler and Idler. The prefaces to his edition of Shakespeare and his famous Dictionary, together with samples from the texts, are given, as well as selections from A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, the Lives of the Poets, and Rasselas in its entirety. There is also a substantial representation of lesser-known prose, and of his poetry, letters, and journals.This edition represents the single most comprehensive anthology of Johnson's works. With a new, modern package this is an invaluble classic to add to your collection.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Rasselas --regarded as Johnson's most creative work--presents the story of the journey of Rasselas and his companions in search of "the choice of life." Its charm lies not in its plot, but rather in its wise and humane look at man's constant search for happiness. The text is based on thesecond edition as Samuel Johnson revised it.

Samuel Johnson's A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and James Boswell's The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides recounts their tour of Scotland in 1773. While Johnson focuses on Scotland itself, Boswell is even keener on presenting his friend to the notables of his homeland. Together they form a complete account of a fascinating journey, two intriguing personalities, and of a society coming to terms with itself after a period of drastic upheaval.

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), often referred to simply as Dr Johnson, was one of England's greatest literary a poet, essayist, biographer, lexicographer and a critic of English literature. He was also a great wit and prose stylist, well known for his aphorisms. Between 1745 and 1755, Johnson wrote perhaps his best-known work, A Dictionary of the English Language. During the decade he worked on the Dictionary, Johnson, needing to augment his precarious income, also wrote a series of semi-weekly essays under the title The Rambler. These essays, often on moral and religious topics, tended to be more grave than the title of the series would suggest. They ran until 1752. Initially they were not popular, but once collected as a volume they found a large audience. Johnson's final major work was his Lives of the Poets (1781), comprising short biographies of about 50 English poets, most of whom were alive in the eighteenth century. Amongst his other works are The Idler (1758-1760), Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia (1759) and The Patriot (1774).

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

With his wit, eloquence, and shrewd perception of contemporary morals, Samuel Johnson was the most versatile writer of the English neoclassical period. His dictionary, dramas, and poetry established his reputation, but it was the essays that demonstrated the range of his talent. This new edition presents both the forcefully argued moral pieces of Johnson's middle years and the more light-hearted essays of his later work. Tackling ethical questions—such as the importance of self-knowledge, awareness of mortality, the role of the novel, and, in a lighter vein, marriage, sleep, and deceit—these brilliant and thought-provoking essays are a mirror of the time in which they were written and a testament to Johnson's stature as the leading man of letters of his age.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, published in 1755, marked a milestone in a language in desperate need of standards. No English dictionary before it had devoted so much space to everyday words, been so thorough in its definitions, or illustrated usage by quoting from Shakespeare and other great writers. Johnson's was the dictionary used by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, Wordsworth and Coleridge, the Brontës and the Brownings, Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde. This new edition, edited by David Crystal, will contain a selection from the original, offering memorable passages on subjects ranging from books and critics to dreams and ethics.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Here is a substantial selection of Samuel Johnson's magisterial and unforgettable portraits of the lives of the English poets of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally covering the lives of 52 poets, with the primary focus on Milton, Dryden, Swift, and Pope, Johnson's Lives was described by Thomas Gray as a "compendious story of a whole important age in English literature, told by a great man, and in a performance which is itself a piece of English literature of the first class." Unsentimental, opinionated, and quotable, The Lives of the Poets continues to influence the reputations of the writers concerned. This selection - featuring the lives of eleven of the most important poets - draws from Roger Lonsdale's authoritative complete edition. It includes an engaging introduction, helpful notes, and an up-to-date bibliography. Its publication coincides with the 300th anniversary of Johnson's birth in September 1709.

Lives that Never Grow OldPart of a radical new series –edited by Richard Holmes – that recovers the great classical tradition of English biography. Johnson’s book is a biographical masterpiece, still thrilling to read and vividly alive.When he first came to London, young Samuel Johnson was befriended by the flamboyant poet, playwright and blackmailer, Richard Savage. Walking the backstreets at night, he learned Savage’s extraordinary story – supposedly persecuted by a ‘cruel mother’, sentenced to death for a murder in a brothel, appointed Volunteer Poet Laureate to the Queen, and finally broken and outcast.With this moving and intimate account, Johnson created a brilliant black comedy of 18th-century Grub Street which revolutionised English biography by its psychological realism. Yet Savage’s destructive charm and delusions of grandeur sometimes even threatened to entangle Johnson himself.

From the bestselling, cancer-vanquishing Love Your Sister team, and edited by the indefatigable Samuel Johnson, comes Dear Lover, a funny, revealing and soul-stirring collection of letters written by notable Australians like Turia Pitt, Samuel Johnson, Susie Youssef, Hilde Hinton, Stuart Coupe, Jacqui Lambie, Larry Emdur, John Paul Young, Mandy Beaumont, Rhett Davis, Adam Harvey, Mark Brandi and Kate Mildenhall, to name a few, just in time for Valentine's Day. What would someone say to their childhood sweetheart, their life partner, their latest crush or their cherished soul mate? 'Thanks for everything?' 'Unravel your sports socks before you put them in the washing basket?' Anything goes in this collection of letters. If you could tell your lover anything, what would it be?A big-hearted, comforting and uplifting collection of letters celebrating love. The perfect gift for the one you love.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

An ample and varied section of accessible essays by Samuel Johnson This selection of the cream of the writing from volumes II to V of the Yale Edition of the Works of Samuel Johnson fills the largest remaining gap in easily available eighteenth-century texts for the student and general reader. The edition provides in popular form the amplest selection available of Johnson’s essays, ranging from his great moral pieces to the valuable essays on literary criticisms. The text is that of the authoritative Yale Edition and includes full annotation. An introduction by W. J. Bate provides a concise summary of the publication history of the essays and probes in detail the moral vision that pervades most of them.

Dr Johnson's Dictionary remains a major resource for and cornerstone of the English language, its key editions being those of 1755 and 1773 (the First and Fourth Edition, respectively).

This selection of the Rambler essays is designed to show Dr. Johnson as both moralist and critic: as moralist in the philosophical and religious spheres, as critic of literature and manners. His moods range from the contemplation of eternal truth to the grim humour of his contemporary scene.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

As well as containing the major texts in Wimsatt's volume, Woudhuysen includes more of Johnson's annotations of individual plays and his essay "Preface to Shakespeare". It looks at Johnson's studies on Shakespeare in their 18th century context and analyzes their significance and achievement.

Thanks to Boswell’s monumental biography of Samuel Johnson, we remember Dr. Johnson today as a great wit and conversationalist, the rationalist epitome and the sage of the Enlightenment. He is more often quoted than read, his name invoked in party conversation on such diverse topics as marriage, sleep, deceit, mental concentration, and patriotism, to generally humorous effect. But in Johnson’s own day, he was best known as an essayist, critic, and lexicographer: a gifted writer possessed of great force of mind and wisdom. Writing a century after Johnson, Ruskin wrote of Johnson’s essays: He “taught me to measure life, and distrust fortune…he saved me forever from false thoughts and futile speculations.” Peter Martin here presents “the heart of Johnson,” a selection of some of Johnson’s best moral and critical essays. At the center of this collection are the periodical essays from the Rambler, Adventurer, and Idler. Also included are Johnson’s great moral fable, Rasselas; the Prefaces to the Dictionary and his edition of Shakespeare; and selections from Lives of the Poets. Together, these works―allied in their literary, social, and moral concerns―are the ones that continue to speak urgently to readers today.

Written virtually single-handedly over a seven-year period by a revered dean of English letters, Johnson’s Dictionary first appeared in 1755. A remarkable monument to the vigor and variety of our language and to the genius of its author, it served as the standard dictionary for more than 150 years and formed the basis for all subsequent English dictionaries. This modern version reduces the original 2,300 pages of definitions and literary examples to a more manageable length, retaining the verbal pleasure and historical curiosity of the original. It features many entries that can no longer be found in most modern dictionaries, with intriguing definitions and examples of usage in the literature of Johnson’s time.

Includes 20 short biographies.

The celebrated Dr. Johnson made a lasting contribution to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer and lexicographer. This comprehensive eBook presents the complete works of Samuel Johnson, with numerous illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Johnson's life and works* Concise introductions to the major works* ALL the essays, articles, pamphlets, biographies and critical works* Rare works often missed out of collections* Includes the posthumous collection PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS, appearing here for the first time in digital print* Includes a generous selection of entries for the original 1755 Dictionary, with many definitions for all letters of the alphabet, as well as the original plan and preface* Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts* Excellent formatting of the texts* Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry* Easily locate the poems you want to read* Special criticism section, with essays evaluating Johnson’s contribution to literature* Features four biographies – immerse yourself in Johnson's world!* Includes the complete edition of Boswell’s seminal biography, as well as a useful abridged version* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresCONTENTS:The Essays and PamphletsA VOYAGE TO ABYSSINIAMARMOR NORFOLCIENSEA COMPLEAT VINDICATION OF THE LICENSERS OF THE STAGETHE PLAN OF A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGETHE RAMBLERTHE ADVENTURERTHE IDLERTHE FALSE ALARMTHOUGHTS ON THE LATE TRANSACTIONS RESPECTING FALKLAND’S ISLANDSTHE PATRIOTTAXATION NO TYRANNYA JOURNEY TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS OF SCOTLANDDEBATES IN PARLIAMENTA CONVERSATION BETWEEN HIS MOST SACRED MAJESTY GEORGE III AND SAMUEL JOHNSON LIDMISCELLANEOUS PAMPHLETS, REVIEWS AND ESSAYSPRAYERS AND MEDITATIONSThe NovellaTHE PRINCE OF ABISSINIA: A TALEThe DictionaryPREFACE TO A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGESELECTED DICTIONARY ENTRIESThe BiographiesAN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF MR RICHARD SAVAGETHE LIVES OF THE MOST EMINENT ENGLISH POETSTHE LIVES OF EMINENT MENThe Literary CriticismMISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS ON THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETHPROPOSALS FOR PRINTING THE DRAMATICK WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREPREFACE TO THE PLAYS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARENOTES TO SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYSGENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEAREThe PlayIRENEThe PoemsLIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDERThe CriticismDR. JOHNSON AND HIS CIRCLE by John BaileySAMUEL JOHNSON by Richard Claverhouse JebbSAMUEL JOHNSON by Leslie StephenSTUDIES OF A BIOGRAPHER by Leslie StephenA POETICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERARY AND MORAL CHARACTER OF JOHNSON by John CourtenaySAMUEL JOHNSON by Nathaniel HawthorneSAMUEL JOHNSON by C. E. VaughanANECDOTES OF THE LATE SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. by Hester Lynch PiozziTHE REAL DR. JOHNSON by G. K. ChestertonA REMINISCENCE OF DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON by H. P. LovecraftThe BiographiesTHE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON LL.D.

In his moving essay, Samuel Johnson offers wise words on confronting grief at the loss of a loved one. The other pieces here, ranging from art to marriage to morality, demonstrate the brilliance, perception and wit that made Johnson the leading man of letters of his day, and one of the finest essayists in the English language. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, originally titled The Prince of A Tale, though often abbreviated to Rasselas, is an apologue about bliss and ignorance by Samuel Johnson. The book's original working title was "The Choice of Life". The book was first published in April 1759 in England. Early readers considered Rasselas to be a work of philosophical and practical importance and critics often remark on the difficulty of classifying it as a novel.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.Table of ContentsSamuel Johnson BiographyNovella :: Biographies :: Essays :: Play :: PoetryNovellaRasselas, Prince of Abyssinia 1759BiographiesLives of the Poets (Addison, Savage, Swift, Prior, Congreve, Blackmore, Pope, Waller, Milton Cowley, King, Halifax, Parnell, Garth, Rowe, Gay, Tickell, Somervile, Thomson, Watts, A. Philips, West, Collins, Dyer, Shenstone, Young, Mallet, Akenside, Gray, Lyttelton) 1779–81Notes to Shakespeare Vol. I Comedies 1765Preface to Shakespeare 1765Essays and periodicalsThe Adventurer 1753–54The Idler 1758–60The Rambler 1750–52A Grammar of the English TongueA Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland 1775Parlimentary Debates IParlimentary Debates IIPreface to a Dictionary of the English Language 1755Play A Historical TragedyPoetryLondon 1738Prologue at the Opening of the Theatre in Drury Lane and other poemsThe Vanity of Human Wishes 1749