The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson is a towering figure of eighteenth-century literature.As well as the celebrated Dictionary of the English Language, Johnson was the leading literary critic of his time, and a celebrated author who contributed to almost every genre from poetry to political pamphleteering.At the same time, an enduring legend developed around him, culminating in James Boswell's classic biography.This book offers a concise introduction to Johnson's many-sided work, and its complex and rich historical contexts.Presenting Johnson in his different guises – Journalist, Poet and Storyteller, Scholar, Critic, Political and Social Thinker, Biographer and Legend – it carefully guides the reader through Johnson's writings, and provides detailed expert treatments of his major texts.