His libido knew no bounds; he exhibited his ruttish behaviour with all classes of women, of all ages (near and after puberty), and in all sorts of places. His energy was prodigious for he was up at all hours, walked everywhere in London, rose at an early hour, and returned home late having worked at his office, attended meetings, dined with friends, visited the Royal Navy shipyards, attended the theatre, or had sex with one of several mistresses. Pepys wrote his diary for himself, for his own pleasure, a recollection aide for events or decisions made, and was so certain of its importance for later generations that he had it bound in several volumes, with very specific directions and sums allotted for its deposition at Magdalen College at Cambridge, when he died. He was the world’s premier diarist and happily enough, he lived at the center of epic historical events that he was able to write it all down in an engaging style. The only misfortune is the diary covers only 10 years from 1660 to 1669. ( )

Tomalin makes an excellent case for Pepys as a literary genius, and for the diary's intrinsic worth as literature over and above its value as history. The subtitle "The Unequalled Self" is perfect; the book demonstrates how the diary really is a supremely high-fi transcription of person (complete with blind spots and self-deceptions) to page. The other great charm of this biography is its tenderness for Pepys the man, while not occulting his personal failings (many of which he owned). Although perhaps an affection for the man is a prerequisite to enjoying the diary? In any case, this is what I come to literature for — to feel how it is to be other — and Tomalin groks how Pepys provides this service par excellence to his posthumous readers.

Inevitably the best part of this book is the diary years, when Pepys' energetic prose is on tap to supplement Tomalin's narrative. They're also Pepys' salad days, and his vigour is amazing to behold as he tears around London dispatching business and oysters in equal measure. His early life and his long (but not uneventful) post-diary existence seem kinda flat in comparison. But Tomalin is great at contextualising the people, places and events wihch Pepys describes, at setting the stage for the drama of his life. It's an essential companion to the diary and also, with its felicitous use of quotation, a great stand-alone read. ( )

So interesting to move from fiction circa Henry VIII (Wolf Hall) to this. I very much enjoyed it and clearly the author had a wonderful time putting his life and writing and perspective in a larger frame. She covers the history he lived through as well as the unique role his Diary plays as part of historical writing and History with a big H. ( )

I've read enough fiction and nonfiction about Restoration England to know who Samuel Pepys was, but this biography provided a fuller account of his life and his famous diary than the glimpses I'd had previously. Analysis and overviews of the diary Pepys kept from 1660 to 1669 account for nearly a third of this book, dividing his life into periods before, during, and after he kept the diary so well known today. I found the later period of Pepys' life fascinating, as I hadn't known he was a loyal Jacobite and largely sacrificed his career due to his personal loyalty to James II, and, of course, the story of how the famous diary came to be discovered, transcribed, and published is a tale all its own. This is an excellent read for those interested in the Restoration period and is a highly valuable biography for fleshing out the entirety of Samuel Pepys' life. ( )

Samuel Pepys is one of history’s most colourful characters, so I expected this biography to reflect that, but I only enjoyed the book in parts. I admit to skipping over certain dry or off-topic subjects that didn’t hold my attention.

By “off-topic”, I mean when the author includes too much detail about someone or some event related to Pepys, but not directly involving him. If this sort of thing had been cut, the bio would’ve been a much more entertaining read.

The political side of things didn’t interest me, except for Pepys’s direct interaction with Charles II and James II. Pepys’s personal life appealed to me most. His relationship with his wife and his adulterous affairs made for the most engaging reading. ( )