Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson was born in Lichfield in 1709, the son of a bookseller. His early reading and education gave him a deep knowledge of classical and English literature, but a lack of money ended his time at Oxford. After an unsuccessful attempt to run a school, he moved to London in 1737 and supported himself through writing. His Dictionary of the English Language appeared in 1755, drawing definitions and examples from wide reading. Rasselas followed in 1759, exploring the search for happiness through an imagined journey. Johnson also edited Shakespeare and wrote literary biography and criticism. His Anglican faith informed his concern with duty, charity, suffering, and the limits of human achievement. The conversations and friendships recorded in James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson helped make him one of the most vividly remembered literary figures of eighteenth-century Britain. He died in London in 1784.

Samuel Johnson is also an author in the library: author page and works.

See also: James Boswell