Character Sketches: Dr. Johnson, His Club and Other Friends

by Jenny Uglow

A man of powerful intellect and bullish stubbornness, Johnson forged his way in 18th Century London society with his friends, who included such greats as Boswell, David Garick and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Together, they formed the exclusive Johnson's Club.

Genres: History

64 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

Jennifer Sheila Uglow OBE (née Crowther, born 1947) is a British biographer, critic and publisher. The editorial director of Chatto & Windus, she has written critically acclaimed biographies of Elizabeth Gaskell, William Hogarth, Thomas Bewick and the Lunar Society, among others, and has also compiled a women's biographical dictionary.

Reviews

[Elgy]

I'm adding this one next after falling in love with Boswell's Life of Johnson and "According to Queenie," writer Beryl Bainbridge's account of the great and tortured man's passion for Mrs Thrale. But my favorite account is in "Dr Johnson and his Friends" by Robert Lynd, a very old paperback I found that seems to be out of print.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book because I enjoy Jenny Uglow. I also have enjoyed a bit of historical exploration of Samuel Johnson. So this book caught my eye. It's a short read and I was interested in the character sketches while disappointed to not have loads of Jenny Uglow to read. That's ok. Maybe it will be a pleasant surprise to someone fishing through a free little library.