The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Classics)

RASSELAS is a provocative fable about "the choice of life." Bored by the endless contentment of "the happy valley" in which he has been brought up, Prince Rasselas escapes with his sister. The rove the world searching for the secret of happiness and striving to find the ideal way to live. Repeatedly the pleasures they glimpse dissolve on closer acquaintance, and the great men they admire prove to be flawed. Where, then, are happiness and purpose to be found? These questions, of course, remain open for every generation; but perhaps no one has dicussed them with more wisdom and humanity than Dr. Samuel Johnson. RASSELAS is a searching and often darkly humorous commentary on the human condition as well as a classic of English prose. "Rasselas" is a provocative fable about 'the choice of life'. Bored by the endless contentment of 'the happy valley' in which he has been brought up, Prince Rasselas escapes with his sister. They rove the world searching for the secret of happiness and striving to find the ideal way to live. Repeatedly the pleasures they glimpse dissolve on closer acquaintance, and the great men they admire prove flawed. Where, then, are happiness and purpose to be found? This short novel is a satire on the philosophical stories popular at the time, such as Voltaire’s Candide. A young man is accompanied on his travels by an older wiser teacher, who explains various situations they encounter in terms of happiness or otherwise.