The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Johnson

A comprehensive and accessible introduction, for students and general readers, to perhaps the most celebrated writer in British history.

A full but concise introduction to Samuel Johnson's life and works, providing an invaluable survey of his writings and detailed analyses of his major texts to students and, to the general reader, a readable overview of a legendary figure of English literature and history.Samuel Johnson is a towering figure of eighteenth-century literature. As well as the celebrated Dictionary of the English Language, Johnson was the leading literary critic of his time, and a celebrated author who contributed to almost every genre from poetry to political pamphleteering. At the same time, an enduring legend developed around him, culminating in James Boswell's classic biography. This book offers a concise introduction to Johnson's many-sided work, and its complex and rich historical contexts. Presenting Johnson in his different guises – Journalist, Poet and Storyteller, Scholar, Critic, Political and Social Thinker, Biographer and Legend – it carefully guides the reader through Johnson's writings, and provides detailed expert treatments of his major texts.