I don’t find the blogging about my writing about Johnson is slogging. But I set up a convenient form on my website where people can contact me, or send comments, or whatever they might want to do. It is here for my Johnson site and here for my general website. I’m going to have to […]
I have a lot of bits and pieces, and some of them some big bits or pieces, done for the biography about Samuel Johnson that I am writing. Some sections or scenes or passages have been fully written in advanced first draft, where when I go back to look at them, there likely won’t be […]
Johnson was 75 years old when in died in 1784. Even apart from his failing health, it was a troubled and turbulent year for him, one of dramatic changes and actions. It’s as if everything was starting to fall apart anyway, so death near the end of the year was the logical conclusion. He seemed […]
Johnson was notoriously hard on himself. Not in the sense that he doubted his intelligence or his ability to write or debate, for example, but more in the sense of himself as a person, his morality, his character, his traits. Often near the end of the year (but sometimes also throughout the year or on […]
I took the afternoon off on Wednesday and went to a spa. First time in my life for any such thing (and I just turned 60 a couple of weeks ago). I wandered around in a bathrobe and partook of the various luxurious offerings: large outdoor hot tubs, saunas that drained me, a (ahem) “foot […]
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