The Life of Samuel Johnson (Abridged) Audiobook

" This was my first e-book, and I got it for free through Project Gutenburg. I've been reading it on my iPod iTouch for 15 to 30 minutes at a time - whenever standing in line, stuck in traffic, in bed before sleep - since Christmas. It wasn't really a comprehensive biography so much as a series of anecdotes, conversations the author had noted in his diary. Very repetitive, but here and there were some interesting details. Like the fact that Johnson most likely had Tourette's Syndrome. And that he was a Tory who despised Americans. And that "animadversion" means "criticism." And that in 1791 "awful" still meant "awe-inspiring." And that educated people still actually *spoke* Latin. Etc. "

" So many times I have tried to read this and must conclude I am simply not heavyweight enough to enjoy this sort of thing. It is well written but the amount of footnotes is phenomenal. Should one read them or ignore them?? In addition the other people in the book - well known in their day - are all very obscure to me and I cannot drum up any interest in their doings. Oh dear. "

" This, along with Pride and Prejudice, Tom Jones and a few prime Wodehouse novels, is my favorite book of all time and I'm always re-reading it. "

" The ultimate non-fiction book. Just plain great. For me, this is beach-reading. "

" I'm giving this five stars even though it's an abridgment. "

" I love this book. It is one of the ultimate fantasies of life and literature...two friends and companions, one the persona,the other a patient amnuensis, who devotes himself to capturing that personality in the amber of a transparent prose. "

" All right, I read only part of the abridged version, but I liked it well enough. This is a LONG book full of anecdotes told by Johnson's flunky, Boswell. Many of these little stories are quite enjoyable, and many are boring. No reason to read this whole thing unless you're an 18th Century scholar. "

" Excerpts read for 18th Century British Roots of Modern Disciplines. "

" This is an unabridged edition. You don't need to read the unabridged edition to get the benefit. "

" It would have been so much better if Boswell had kept himself out of it and had stuck to writing about JOHNSON. It really got on my nerves after a while. For once, I think I support the abridgement of a classic. "

" I only remember it was so very well written. boswell the better man "

" read it just for Johnson's death: a stunning area of the book. "

" Actually, I dip in and out of this one (over 30 years!) and I find it delightful & very funny. "

" Cumbersome, perhaps, but better to get the wheat and the chaff then have to wonder what was left out. Boswell is a little over-zealous, but one has to admire his devotion and tenacity. "

" While I love much about the 18th century, particularly the education of gentlemen that made for a facile fluency with Latin and often Greek, I am simply not as enraptured with Samuel Johnson as was Boswell. Oh well. "

" I'm only on page 50, of 1006.... it's a daunting prospect but it's already clear it will be so well worth it! I love that elegant georgian (?) way of writing. "

" I love this book. It is one of the ultimate fantasies of life and literature...two friends and companions, one the persona,the other a patient amnuensis, who devotes himself to capturing that personality in the amber of a transparent prose. "

" The ultimate non-fiction book. Just plain great. For me, this is beach-reading. "

" I had to control myself not to make a thorough study of Johnson after reading this account of his life. He was a true character. I especially loved the group of men he hung out with. Boswell was a good friend to write a book that immortalized the bigger than life Johnson. "

" Not as funny as I expected. "

" It's a great one. Will re-read again. "

" Actually, I dip in and out of this one (over 30 years!) and I find it delightful & very funny. "

" Very witty and entertaining at parts, but also very dense. Along with 100 Years of Solitude, it's a book where I spent so much effort climbing the mountain that I couldn't enjoy the view. Will have to reread it to really grasp it and appreciate it. "

" While I love much about the 18th century, particularly the education of gentlemen that made for a facile fluency with Latin and often Greek, I am simply not as enraptured with Samuel Johnson as was Boswell. Oh well. "

" It gets better and better. "

" I'm giving this five stars even though it's an abridgment. "

" Kind of hard to get through. I didn't like the writing style and found it kind of boring. It's HUGE and takes forever to read because the print is tiny. He's an interesting guy but this could have been shorter. "