Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson
When the Life of Samuel Johnson was published in 1791 it at once commanded the admiration that Boswell had sought for so long, and it has since suffered no diminution. Its style was unique in that, unlike other biographies of that era, it directly incorporated conversations that Boswell had noted down at the time for his journals. He also included far more personal and human details than those to which contemporary readers were accustomed. Instead of writing a respectful and dry record of Johnson's public life in the style of the time, he painted a vivid portrait of the complete man, brought to life through a 'dramatic' style of dialogue. It has often been described as the greatest biography ever written.
It has often been asked how a man such as Boswell could have produced so remarkable a work as the Life of Johnson. Among those who attempted an answer were Macaulay and Carlyle: the former argued that Boswell's uninhibited folly and candour were his greatest qualifications; the latter replied that beneath such traits was a mind to discern excellence and a heart to appreciate it, aided by the power of accurate observation and considerable dramatic ability.
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Famous quotes containing the words boswell and/or samuel:
“Had his other friends been as diligent and ardent as I was, he might have been almost entirely preserved. As it is, I will venture to say that he will be seen in this work more completely than any man who has ever yet lived.”
—James Boswell (1740–1795)
“Capt. Rev. Samuel Clayton: Well, the prodigal brother. When d’you get back? I ain’t seen you since the surrender. Come to think of it, I didn’t see you at the surrender.
Ethan Edwards: Don’t believe in surrender. I still got my saber, Reverend. Didn’t turn it into no plowshare, neither.”
—Frank S. Nugent (1908–1965)