The Life of Samuel Johnson, Ll. D., Comprehending an Account of His Studies, and Numerous Works, in Chronological Order: a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations With Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition, Never Before Published; the Whole.: Volume 1

James Boswell

ISBN 10: 0461608537 / ISBN 13: 9780461608533

Published by HardPress Ltd, 2020

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Life of Samuel Johnson, Ll. D., Comprehending an Account of His Studies, and Numerous Works, in Chronological Order: a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations With Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition, Never Before Published; the Whole.: Volume 1
• Publisher: HardPress Ltd
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461608537
• ISBN 13: 9780461608533
• Binding: Paperback / softback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 526 grams

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Synopsis

The Life Of Samuel Johnson, Ll. D., Comprehending An Account Of His Studies, And Numerous Works, In Chronological Order: A Series Of His Epistolary Correspondence And Conversations With Many Eminent Persons; And Various Original Pieces Of His Composition, Never Before Published; The Whole — James Boswell. This section of Boswell's Life covers Part 1, introducing the Johnson biography framed as a year-by-year chronicle drawn from Johnson’s papers, friends’ recollections, and Boswell’s interviews. It surveys Johnson's early world in Lichfield, Oxford, Birmingham, and London as he begins his literary career. It foregrounds Johnson’s prodigious memory, sharp intellect, and recurring melancholy, along with family background (father Michael Johnson, mother Sarah Ford) and early influences. The overview tracks Johnson's schooling, his time at Pembroke College, and the two-year interlude home where wandering study shaped his foundation. It details Birmingham’s editorial and translation work, connections with Edward Cave, and the move toward London. The excerpt emphasizes Boswell’s method of collecting anecdotes, letters, and conversations to reconstruct Johnson’s life with documentary rigor, plus themes of genius under hardship, education outside formal pathways, and the craft of writing, publishing, and moral discipline. It also sketches Johnson's evolving religious sensibilities and the social web of patrons, publishers, actors, and writers around him. This Part 1 sets the stage for Johnson's London years and the next phase of his biographical arc.