Forty-plus years ago I was given an undergraduate assignment to analyze Johnson, of whom I knew nothing. Now, I "get it" and have a far better understanding of the man. Perhaps, also of myself. Thank you for this excellent production.
If you want to really be blown away read the massive autobiography written by his life long friend. Its the most detailed and accurate biography ever written.
As an OCD sufferer myself, I love revisiting this documentary from time to time. Johnson is one of my favorite historical figures; I find it so inspiring, how he was able to endure all of the anxiety and depression that plagued him throughout his life, and overcome it all to become one of the greatest intellectuals and authors of all time. It's good to know his story has the same impact on others in the same boat. I hope you're doing well, friend :)
I truly enjoyed viewing this well crafted program! One of the many aspects that I particularly liked was the portrayal of Dr.Johnson's kindness and humanity by showing him adopting the young Jamaican boy and giving him a great start in life both as a person and financially as well...
I heartily recommend Paul Fussell's distinctive biography, SAM'L JOHNSON & THE LIFE OF WRITING. Extraordinary book, and unique (I believe) in its emphasis on the man's "manner of proceeding" in taking pen to paper, his understanding of what writing was and of his writerly duty. The last sentence of the book: "Johnson's species in the Lives [of the Poets] is the writer as representative man, obliged by his frailty to imitate and to adhere to genres and conventions which he has not devised; tormented by the hunger of imagination only to be always defeated of his hopes; and finally carried away by the very stream of time which it has been his ironic ambition to shape, and by shaping, to arrest." (Fussell is best known for THE GREAT WAR & MODERN MEMORY, and in general for his hard-won skepticism about the heroic narrative of war; he also wrote a wryly funny and insightful book called CLASS.)
I read once that Boswell, after he had written a travel book about Corsica, went about prodding others to call him Corsica Boswell, to attach the achievement to his name in the public's mind. It did not catch on, obviously because of the relatively small significance of the work compared to that of Dictionary Johnson.
I think the word "get" is an example of one of those extremely versatile verbs in English. Usually it means the same as acquire, obtain, or receive. But then what is "getting by?" Are you trying to possess something called by? Obviously not. "Get" can also mean "to become," as in "getting drunk" or "getting fit."
What is the name of the song that is played at the beginning of this . I think it is Chopin , but I can not remember. My mother often played the tune on the piano.
Hi you seem like a scholar and a very intelligent gentleman I have some questions I would like for you to answer them the first question our so-called black people in so-called people of color or so-called Africans are they Moors the second question our so-called white people hybrid Albion Europeans the third question are Moors the Aboriginal Europeans the fourth question are Moors the Aboriginal Americans
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