The Samuel Johnson Society in Lichfield, England (Johnson’s birthplace), recently started what promises to be an excellent Twitter account (@SamJohnsonSoc), where they are posting details and facts — no fake news here! — about Johnson, Lichfield, and … well, we shall see, as it has only just started a couple of weeks ago. The purpose […]
I’m referring of course to his writing style. His sartorial style was rarely a priority for him, though one of my favourite slices of an anecdote about Johnson involves an elaborate scheme his friends concocted to bring him together at a dinner with John Wilkes, who had been critical of Johnson’s dictionary but who also, […]
One of the things I’ve been gathering a lot of information about is about what I might call generically “life in the 18th century.” Given that the book is aimed at a general readership, I think it’s important to give people an idea of what it was like to live during that century. I don’t […]
Please take a look at my guest posting on the blog of the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum here. Includes an image of a painting I commissioned in 2014 for what turned out to be a bright, cubist take on one of Sir Joshua Reynolds’s portraits of Johnson.
That’s the answer that Johnson gave to Boswell when he was asked how he could make any of his Rambler essays any better. It’s a good answer from a practical person and editor. Nothing is perfect. If you look back at anything you were quite pleased with when you first wrote or published it, you […]
A well-researched introduction … This book features many of Johnson’s quotes, along with Jones’ accompanying learned commentary and historical context. Although the author doesn’t hide his admiration for his subject, he’s also unafraid to explore Johnson’s personal difficulties, including episodes of depression, and personal aspects, such as his sexual habits. As a biography that targets general readers, the book more than succeeds in its mission to offer an accessible account of Johnson’s life and work in fewer than 200 pages. Jones, the author of multiple books and a former academic librarian, is a skilled writer who carefully balances erudite literary analysis with an engaging writing style. The book’s impressive research is backed by a network of endnotes and a bibliography, both of which reflect a firm command over Johnson’s extensive work and relevant scholarly literature alike.
— KIRKUS REVIEWS
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… As an entry point into further reading aimed at general readers, Jones’ book explores Sam’s writing (his livelihood) and his person. Short “Digressions” from the chronology of major events, such as the failures (running a school) and the accomplishments in Sam’s life are segued between the chapters. The digressions serve to contextualize Sam in a colorful, historical snapshot of eighteenth-century Britain. The book turns readers on to Sam’s writing by explanation, historical interest, and tribute. His life is chronicled according to his writings. Foremost is one of the first-ever dictionaries … Another digression inquires into his dissatisfied sexual life and his both loving and tense relations with his wife and a good female friend. Full of facts as well as anecdotes, illustrations, and an index for further reading, this is an honest and compassionate portrayal of a lesser-known literary figure worth knowing more about.
— THE US REVIEW OF BOOKS