Record Number: 20791
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'His "Vanity of Human Wishes" has less of common life, but more of a philosophick dignity than his "London". More readers, therefore, will be delighted with the pointed spirit of "London", than with the profound reflection of "The Vanity Of Human Wishes". Garrick, for instance, observed in his sprightly manner, with more vivacity than regard to just discrimination, as is usual with wits, "When Johnson lived much with the Herveys, and saw a good deal of what was passing in life, he wrote his 'London', which is lively and easy. When he became more retired, he gave us his 'Vanity of Human Wishes', which is as hard as Greek. Had he gone on to imitate another satire, it would have been as hard as Hebrew".'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Between 1 Jan 1749 and 31 Dec 1791
Country:n/a
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:29 Oct 1740
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:writer and lawyer
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:Scotland
Country of Experience:n/a
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Vanity of Human Wishes, The
Genre:Poetry
Form of Text:Print: Unknown
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:20791
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:138
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 138, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20791, accessed: 22 November 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791.
