Chapter 6 "Johnson"

Putting fiction aside for now, let's look at other types of books.Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson is, I think, generally acknowledged as the greatest biography in the English language.This is a book suitable for any age, and whenever you pick it up and turn to any page, you will always enjoy it.But it's absurd to keep repeating the praises of this one, so I'd like to suggest another, less well-known book - which I know is inappropriate - Boswell's The Hebrides. The Journal of a Tour to the Hebridges.I think everyone knows that Boswell's manuscripts have always been published by Malone.In order to cater to the stale politeness of the time, Malone made a lot of revisions to Boswell's manuscript, leaving out many highlights.Thanks to Colonel Isham's purchase of Boswell's manuscript, we have the privilege of reading it in its original form without abridgement.

It brings a deeper understanding of Johnson and Boswell.Therefore, people not only love and appreciate this resolute old doctor, but also respect the much-criticized biographer.Boswell is far from a trivial writer, with a keen eye for the amusing, a well-placed use of vivid phrases, and a rare gift for faithfully recreating the atmosphere of a scene, and A lively conversation. Dr. Johnson's fame resounded throughout the eighteenth century.His outstanding strengths and unpleasant faults made him considered a model British citizen.We have all read his biography, so that we know him better than our relatives and friends.Yet very few people have read his work, even if he wrote at least one book that is extremely interesting to read.So far, I can't find a better book to read on vacation or keep next to my bed than Johnson's Lives of the Poets.The writing style of this book is fluent, the language is spicy and humorous, and the content is easy to understand.While some of his comments are startling, such as that he thinks Gray is dull and that Milton's Lycidas isn't good, you can still have fun with them because they are It is the embodiment of his personality.He was no less interested in the poets mentioned in the book than in their writings.You may not have read the poems, but he observes the writers with keenness, vividness, and forgiveness, and paints vivid portraits that you can't take your eyes off of.