Samuel Johnson’s Followers (371)

Add New
Videos

A brief scene from Boswell's Dr. Johnson

Add a comment

Samuel Johnson

Born

in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England

September 18, 1709

Died

December 13, 1784

Genre

Nonfiction, Literature & Fiction, Poetry

Influences

Martin Martin, Thomas Pennant, David Dalrymple ...more

edit data

People note British writer and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, known as "Doctor Johnson," for his Dictionary of the English Language (1755), for Lives of the Poets (1781), and for his series of essays, published under the titles The Rambler (1752) and The Idler (1758).

Samuel Johnson used the first consistent Universal Etymological English Dictionary , first published in 1721, of British lexicographer Nathan Bailey as a reference.

Beginning as a journalist on Grub street, this English author made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, novelist, literary critic, biographer, and editor. People described Johnson as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history." James Bo ...more

Combine Editions
Samuel Johnson’s books

Average rating: 3.68 · 12,170 ratings · 902 reviews · 4,025 distinct works • Similar authors

	The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia 3.46 avg rating — 6,539 ratings — published 1759 — 695 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides 3.57 avg rating — 829 ratings — published 1775 — 35 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Major Works by Samuel Johnson, Donald J. Greene (Editor) 3.89 avg rating — 374 ratings — published 1925 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Preface to Shakespeare 3.61 avg rating — 333 ratings — published 1778 — 72 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Vanity of Human Wishes 3.46 avg rating — 241 ratings — published 1749 — 36 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Grammar of the English Tongue 3.70 avg rating — 155 ratings — published 2005 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland 3.40 avg rating — 167 ratings — published 1775	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Selected Essays by Samuel Johnson, David Womersley (Editor) 4.16 avg rating — 133 ratings — published 2003 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Dictionary of the English Language: An Anthology by Samuel Johnson, David Crystal (Introduction) 4.24 avg rating — 116 ratings — published 1755 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language 3.57 avg rating — 123 ratings — published 1755 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Samuel Johnson…

Quotes by Samuel Johnson (?)

“Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.”
― Samuel Johnson, Works of Samuel Johnson

tags: curiosity

1671 likes

“I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.”
― Samuel Johnson

tags: humor, humour, mankind, misanthropy

570 likes

“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.”
― Samuel Johnson

422 likes

See all Samuel Johnson's quotes »

Polls

April 2023 Old School Classics Poll

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, 378 pages, 1893

79 votes, 38.9%

Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov, 586 pages, 1859

31 votes, 15.3%

The Elder Edda by Unknown, 384 pages, 1270

28 votes, 13.8%

The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 1: The Golden Days by Cao Xueqin, 542 pages, 1790

20 votes, 9.9%

Selected Essays of Michel de Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne, 224 pages 1580

18 votes, 8.9%

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel JohnsonSamuel, 224 pages, 1759

15 votes, 7.4%

The Adventures of Roderick Random by Tobias Smollett, 476 pages, 1748

12 votes, 5.9%

203 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Seasonal Read...: 30.6 (Donna Jo's Task - As Suggested By Liz Brooklyn - Character References)	115	397	May 11, 2010 02:21PM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2589	1083	Feb 28, 2011 09:05PM
Goodreads Librari...: GR Author merge	952	881	Sep 03, 2011 08:09PM
The Next Best Boo...: Jayme VA - Frequent Flyer 2010-2011	116	92	Sep 18, 2011 02:47PM
The Next Best Boo...: Diane -- Frequent Flyer	129	510	Sep 28, 2011 07:02PM
The History Book ...: BECKY'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2011	106	175	Dec 10, 2011 09:23PM
Romance Readers R...: 2011 Create-Your-Own Reading Challenge	245	554	Feb 13, 2012 01:09PM
The Sword and Laser: Hyp: Hyperion and Keats	13	136	May 12, 2012 01:31AM

More…