Samuel Johnson: Selected Works

I am more than pleased by this fine collection of the writings of Samuel Johnson. I absolutely love the style and prose of Dr Johnson. He might be my literary hero.

I have been collecting the Yale edition of Johnson’s writings for over 20 years. Earlier this year I finally bought the last volume. So the complete set sits on my shelf. And I enjoy the books, because you can pick them up and read sections of various books without feeling you have to read any complete book at once.However the reason this one volume is so great is because it has some of the best writings in one place, and it’s a great book to take when I travel. Sure, it’s huge and heavy, but it’s worth lugging around.The book itself is printed and bound beautifully, and the dust jacket is beautiful as well.

Put aside your trash novels, self-help books, revisionist histories, science-fiction fantasies, and red or blue political diatribes. Buy and read this book.The editors of this selection of Samuel Johnson's writings have done a fine job and deserve praise. Given the scope and majesty of Dr. Johnson's works, this must have been a task more focused on what to exclude than what to include.I especially appreciated the restraint of the editors in their keeping footnotes to a minimum, and often simply using quotations from Dr. Johnson's own dictionary to explain now obscure words.

Although the book is a bit bulky in size, the contents are a superb and diverse selection of Johnson's writings taken from the 23-volume Yale University Press collection, with illuminating annotations and other editorial material.

Wonderful book!

I've always had a special affection for Samuel Johnson. His prose just sparkles. His wisdom is inspiring and life affirming. This particular edition is most generous in its range and quality. The publication itself is a pleasure to possess. I refer to it frequently. Reading Johnson's prose puts me in the virtual presence of an "wise friend." I can see why Boswell desired to stay close to this fellow.