Two friends went on a tour of Scotland in the 1770s. One of them was the Englishman Samuel Johnson, the compiler of the first great dictionary of the English language. The other was the Scotchman James Boswell, good friend and later biographer of Johnson. Both kept a record of their trip. It has been said that their journals differ because Johnson studied Scotland, and Boswell studied Johnson.

So far I’ve only read Boswell’s account, and it’s true it mostly serves as a vehicle for describing Johnson’s conversation. There’s a whole lot of 18th-century name-dropping, most of which didn’t mean much to me. But I learned a few things, and found the occasional humorous passage. Check out my Kindle highlights for examples.

This was my second pick for Georgianuary 2020. ( )

Seriously, does it get any better than this? Sure, it's just Johnson and Boswell riding around, staying with various people and talking to them, but WHAT TALK!

There is something about 18th century prose, in general, that makes me happy. ( )

Boswell's tale of the tour of the highlands by his hero, Samuel Johnson.
The book is more about Johnson than Scotland, but still makes fascinating reading almost 250 years later.
Read April 2017 ( )

When they engaged on their 1773 journey through Scotland together, James Boswell (1740-1795) was of Scottish descent and almost half the age of Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), who was not well travelled and critical of all things Scottish. Boswell is also the author of a complete biography of Johnson, heralded as one of the best biographies ever written. Much of his focus here is on Johnson rather than the tour. He was devoted to Johnson but also proud of his Scottish heritage, and he hoped this journey would be a happy meeting of the two.

I'm not sure I've encountered so extreme an example before of reading something I initially thought detestable and then wound up shelving it among my favourites. Boswell's depiction of Samuel Johnson takes some initial getting used to, when Johnson comes across as full of hot air and voicing judgmental opinions that lack for evidence to back them up. It took me a while to realize Boswell worships the ground Johnson walks on and records virtually every insightful thing Johnson says, whatever the subject. I was trying to read the constant switches in topic as continuous conversation and getting frustrated, until I realized they aren't sewn together. After that I found some patience and was slowly won over. Johnson could quote erudite stuff like nobody's business and take any side of an argument for the sake of having one. It seems this was much admired in him. He didn't like to lose a debate, and would quickly switch to ridicule if he felt in danger. Boswell quotes their contemporary Oliver Goldsmith who said there's no use arguing with Johnson, since if he fails to shoot you with his pistol (metaphorically) he'll just knock you down with the butt end of it.

Boswell indicates that Johnson read his journal entries as he wrote them, but still doesn't shy from stating where he thinks Johnson was wrong about something he said or did. Sometimes Johnson consequently adds further comments, which Boswell dutifully records. Sometimes Boswell praises Johnson for letting something pass. It's all so layered. There's occasional commentary by Boswell on Johnson's earlier account of their journey, offering backing or clarification. It's a reminder that records like these can only be interpreted within the limits of what the author chooses to tell, and shines a light on the value gained by having the two accounts to compare. Boswell earns credit for how well they complement one another, but read Johnson's account first to better appreciate this one. ( )

Not really a travelogue so much as a conversationalogue, with Johnson always beating his opponents in straight sets. He is probably the most quotable man on the planet, no wonder Boswell latched on to him. It would be fun to discover he was really a dull, tendentious old man, and Boswell created one of the greatest literary characters in history.

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