The Life of Samuel Johnson

By: James Boswell

Narrated by: David Timson

Length: 51 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Charming, vibrant, witty and edifying, The Life of Samuel Johnson is a work of great obsession and boundless reverence. The literary critic Samuel Johnson was 54 when he first encountered Boswell; the friendship that developed spawned one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature.

The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Wilkes, Oliver Goldsmith and David Garrick, while also giving a compelling insight into Johnson's complex humanity - his depression, fear of death, intellectual brilliance and rough humor.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks

A Masterful Reading Of The Classic Biography

Mr. Timmons’ reading allowed the listener to imagine he was eavesdropping on the dawning of modern English literature. This exhilarating experience was in no small part due to the narrator’s complete, consistent, and nuanced application of the appropriate dialect for everyone of the represented characters.

For the serious fan only, maybe?

Way too long for anyone other than the most serious student of his life and or times, I think. Well-performed, interesting subject matter usually. I think redundant and over-kill. That's the fault of Boswell's man-crush. lol.

Stunningly thorough

I've never before felt like I knew the subject of a book personally. Boswell makes you feel as if you actually knew Johnson, and the reader makes both Johnson and Boswell come to life.

There's one part that I was particularly impressed with: Boswell quotes Hawkins quoting Johnson, after Boswell expresses doubts about the authenticity of the quote. The reader read the quote in Johnson's "voice", but subtly added the accent from the Hawkins "voice" to it. I was impressed that that much attention was paid to details.

Brilliant

Highly recommended. It’s the kind of book (or audiobook) that can be read and reread.

Unique

You see the subject for who he really was rather than for where he went and what he did.

Wonderful!

I usually try to wait till I’ve finished listening to a book to write a review. I have to make an exception in this case. David Timson is the perfect narrator for Boswell’s Life of Johnson, and he carries it off with lightness and charm (and the slightest of Scottish accents). I took a point off on the story because I dislike Boswell - it’s irrational, but despite his charm and his devotion to Johnson, I can’t help feeling he’s not a very nice person. Fortunately the effect of the book is of spending many hours in Johnson’s company rather than Boswell’s.

There is one other recording of the complete Life available on Audible. While both are excellent, Timson’s delivery is more engaging and the sound quality of this recording is better.

Don’t think of it as a mammoth undertaking. Think of it as something to listen to for an hour a day - at that rate you’ll have gone through the whole thing in less than two months. You can even take weekends off.

The finest literary biography

The Life of Johnson by Boswell is a wonderful treat for anyone interested in literature and literary biographies. It is a biography that intuitively understood how to bring the subject alive and leads you through Dr Johnson’s everyday preoccupations and literary exertions. More than anything, it introduces us to the live everyday conversations of Dr Johnson, whose solemn wit and repartee is legendary, either alone with Boswell or in company with other great names of the era - Garrick the actor, Oliver Goldsmith, Reynolds the artist, and many others. It is a long book but fascinating for anyone interested in the subject and in the times. David Timson is probably the best narrator of English literature with perfect enunciation as well as the right intonation. It is indeed an education to listen to his narration of the book. #EnglishLiterature #Biography #OutstandingNarration #18thCenturyLondon #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

Covid quarantine listening

I listened to this book while playing final fantasy 14 for big chunks of the day during quarantine times, looking back this was not necessarily the best way to spend my time, and knowing what little risk there was from Covid outdoors i should've spent more days outside or just reading it, but I figured it was a better use of my time than a podcast, and less necessary for my full attention than a less personality based text. What follows is this--you get the full encapsulation of a man and his time, with his witty personality and his obvious prejudices, and with what is fully a formed individual. Yes, plenty to say against the man and his beliefs, but if you believe you'll fare better in three hundred years I dont know what to tell you.

Exquisite work of artistry

Every aspect, from the subject (Samuel Johnson) to the writing (James Boswell) and finally the narration (David Timson) the integrity of the entire work is exquisitely presented.

Excellent presentation

As for the objection that it’s too long, I took it in small increments over a long period of time. Since there’s no real “plot “, this approach works well. The narrator does a fine job giving Boswell and Johnson distinct and entertaining voices. I have long been familiar with the title of this work; now I know what’s in it.