ساموئل جانسون: مبارزه

Ford Madox Ford declared Samuel Johnson “the most tragic of all our major literary figures.” Blessed with a formidable intellect and a burning passion for ideas, Johnson also struggled throughout his life with mental instability and numerous physical defects. One of the most illustrious figures of the English literary tradition, Johnson made his fame as poet, essayist, critic, dictionary-maker, conversationalist, and all-around larger-than-life personality. His success was all the greater for the adversity he had to overcome in achieving it. Drawing on a lifetime of study of Johnson and his era, as well as a wide array of new archival materials, noted biographer Jeffrey Meyers tells the extraordinary story of one of the great geniuses of English letters. Johnson emerges in his portrait as a mass of contradictions: lazy and energetic, aggressive and tender, melancholy and witty, comforted yet tormented by religion. He was physically repulsive and slovenly in dress and habits, but his social ideas were progressive and humane—he strongly opposed slavery and the imperial exploitation of indigenous peoples. He gave generously to the poor and homeless, rescued prostitutes, and defended criminals who’d been condemned to hang. But these charitable acts could not dispel the darkness that clouded his world: overwhelming guilt and fear of eternal damnation. A masterful portrait of a brilliant and tormented figure, this book reintroduces a new generation of readers to the heroic Dr. Johnson. Just in time for the 300th anniversary of his birth, an authoritative new biography of the man who created the English language.;List of Illustrations xi; Acknowledgments xiii; INTRODUCTION: The Struggle 1; 1. Lichfield Lad, 1709-1728 9; 2. Vile Melancholy, 1728-1730 31; 3. Preposterous Union, 1730-1736 52; 4. Benevolent Giant, 1737 73; 5. Grub Street, 1737 90; 6. London Observed, 1737-1739 109; 7. Politics and Passion, 1739-1744 131; 8. Doom of Man, 1745-1749 157; 9. Greatest Genius, 1750-1752 183; 10. Intellectual Entertainments, 1752-1754 212; 11. Sluggish Resolution, 1755-1758 242; 12. Dangerous Imagination, 1759-1762 262; 13. Society of the Afflicted, 1762-1763 279; 14. Contagion of Desire, 1763-1764 293. Presents the life of the English literary genius, shedding new light on his role as a poet, essayist, critic, dictionary-maker, and raconteur, while examining the personal challenges he was forced to overcome to achieve success.