Showing results by author "Samuel Johnson" in All Categories

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Young prince Rasselas is discontented with life in the idyllic Happy Valley, where the children of the King of Abyssinia are confined for life amid every pleasure that the heart could desire. Along with his sister Nekayah, and his friend the poet Imlac, Rasselas escapes the Valley to explore the world and the human condition, so that they may each make their own choice of life. As they encounter different classes of people and modes of life, they come to understand better the elusive nature of happiness.

The published dictionary was a huge book: with pages nearly 1½ feet tall and 20 inches wide, it contained 42,773 words; it also sold for the huge price of £4/10s. ($400?). It would be years before "Johnson's Dictionary", as it came to be known, would ever turn a profit; authors' royalties being unknown at that time, Johnson, once his contract to deliver the book was fulfilled, received no further monies connected to the book. Johnson, once again a freelance writer, albeit now a famous one, faced a grim hand-to-mouth existence; however, in July 1762 the twenty-four year old King George III ...

Initially published in 1775, A Journey to the Western Isles recounts a three-month trip to upper Scotland that Samuel Johnson undertook with James Boswell a couple of years previously. During their adventure, they discover a novel culture, stunning landscapes and welcoming locals – all described in Johnson's captivating prose.

Rasselas and his companions escape the pleasures of the "happy valley" in order to make their "choice of life". By witnessing the misfortunes and miseries of others they come to understand the nature of happiness and value it more highly. Their travels and enquiries raise important practical and philosophical questions concerning many aspects of the human condition, including the business of a poet, the stability of reason, the immortality of the soul, and how to find contentment.

In The Dr Johnson Library, the works of Samuel Johnson are restored to the ear: essays, poems, tales, criticism, and meditations on the frailty and dignity of mankind. Here the listener may accompany a mind grave without gloom, learned without pedantry, and moral without cant; a companion for hours of solitude, study, reflection, and honest amusement.

Here, in this unusual collection, are some of the greatest essays in Western literature. Witty, informative and imaginative, the topics vary from starvation in Ireland, fine China, the extension of railways in the Lake District, and the tombs in Westminster Abbey. A little like after-dinner monologues, they are passing thoughts expressed as journalism. Neville Jason reads with urbane clarity.

This audiobook contains grammar points with examples for learners. With many chapters on various grammatical theories, A Grammar of the English Tongue is the complete guide to the correct usage of English. A Grammar of the English Tongue can help you get the basic skills you need for a career and for further educational pursuits.

This is a volume of selected essays by "the great master of reason" Samuel Johnson. The most famous exerpts from The Rambler, The Adventurer and The Idler are included, covering a vast range of topics. - Summary by Carolin

The prayers and meditations of Samuel Johnson, published posthumously by George Strahan to whom Johnson had entrusted the manuscripts. Johnson had been writing these down for over forty years. They often show him at his most repentant, melancholy and fragile -- and the book was controversial because of it -- but they also show the goodness, sense and strength which has always characterised this great man. - Summary by Steven Watson

This beautifully curated anthology draws on major historical figures including Emerson, Thoreau, Carlyle, Oliver Goldsmith, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Francis Bacon, Montaigne, and Aristotle. The pieces range across themes such as the sentiment of friendship, its pleasures, and the art of choosing...

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia is a philosophical fable exploring life’s greatest question—what leads to true happiness? As Prince Rasselas escapes from a utopian valley in search of wisdom, he encounters thinkers, rulers, and lovers, only to discover that no life is free from sorrow. A timeless meditation on human nature.

Se ha escrito mucho sobre el Dr. Johnson. Sin embargo, poco se ha hecho para escuchar sus propias palabras, pensamientos y sentimientos acerca de su vida, desafíos y éxitos. Nuestra serie En Sus Propias Palabras tiene precisamente ese propósito, comenzando con el mayor ingenio de su época y...

Above all, Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas (1759) is concerned with the nature of happiness. Rasselas and his companions remove themselves from the pleasure of the ‘happy valley’ so that they can make their ‘choice of life’. In the course of their travels they come across scholars, astronomers, shepherds, hermits and poets, explore their way of life. Rasselas finds that complete happiness is elusive and, in the words of his mentor Imlac, ‘while you are making the choice of life, you neglect to live’.

When Samuel Johnson unicycled around Australia, he met some awesome people. And before we had to lock down, he and his other sister, Hilde, were travelling the country talking at schools, community groups and at the side of busy streets to spread their message about how to kick cancer in the...

This is an essay from the Favorite Essays collection.

Brothers and sisters often dare each other to do things - it's what siblings do. However, when Connie Johnson dared her brother Samuel to embark on a one-wheeled odyssey around Australia, she knew it was a big ask. But Connie knew exactly what she was doing and was sure he wouldn't say no. Not...

A literary giant of the eighteenth century, Samuel Johnson made lasting contributions to English literature as an essayist, moralist, poet, biographer, literary critic and editor. His philosophical novella Rasselas became so popular that it was translated into five languages. A new English edition was published every year and even today there are multiple print editions available.

Dr. Johnson was the great wit of his age and all ages. He is as widely quoted today as in his time. He had the most pity and appropriate comments of any man of any age. All contained herein.

The subject and argument of the poem are clear from the title. However, unlike Juvenal, Johnson espoused the view that Christian values are an essential aspect of a life well lived. While Johnson passes harsh judgement on the foolishness of greed and social pretensions, his scorn is much tempered by that natural compassion that has made him one of the most lovable figures in English literature.