This review may appear with other editions, but the Oxford edition, edited by Fleeman, is a very thorough and detailed edition for the specialist. For the specialist, it's worth the relatively high price. Fleeman provides detailed notes, and appendices on the the various early editions, cancelled sheets, clans structures, etc. If you are a serious reader of Johnson, as I am, this is the edition to have.

If you are -not- a serious reader, then you would do well to buy the penguin paperback, which combines Johnson's and Boswell's volumes. The two books are fascinating to read in tandem, and it's revealing about Boswell that Johnson doesn't even mention conversations which meant so much to Boswell. In addition, the notes in the Penguin edition (by Peter Levi) are also very helpful.

The -third- part of the story, however -- Johnson's letters to Hester Thrale while J & B were traveling -- are not included in any current edition that I know of. I suspect we will have to wait for an electronic version in order to be able to compare all three resources at once.

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A journey in stereo  Jul 17, 2000
An inspired combination - Johnson's celebrated travel book and Boswell's trial run at biography. Johnson and Boswell toured the Highlands of Scotland in 1773, when Johnson was the undisputed capo di tutti capi of English letters, and Johnson published his account of it two years later. Boswell published his in 1785, the year after Johnson's death, as a flexing of writerly muscles before taking on the enormous task of writing the famous biography.

The differences between the two books are manifold, not just in style and tone. Johnson is in his usual grave, polysyllabic manner, inspecting the houses, the landscape and the people with the eye of a moralist for whom pretty much everything reminds him of the hardship of highland life. Characteristically, after witnessing all this deprivation, he finishes the book not by speculating on how it happened or what could be done about it, but by musing that he thought he'd seen everything, but it's a big world, right enough, etc. Boswell is perkier, chattier, as anxious to shine as ever and much more prone to repeat conversations. Few things are as funny as Boswell in full social-climbing effect.

The real difference, of course, is that Johnson is looking at the Western Isles, and Boswell is looking at Johnson looking at the Western Isles. This doesn't prevent Johnson poking some deadpan fun at his companion, such as when he relates how he slept in a barn wrapped in his coat, while Boswell (the sissy) had to have _sheets_, for goodness' sake.

The only problem with this book is Peter Levi's self-regarding introduction and his deeply irritating refusal to translate odd bits of Latin. The Oxford University Press had a much better-annotated joint edition of these two books out years ago, but it seems to be out of print. Pity.

15 of 17 found the following review helpful:


The Beauties of Boswell  Apr 22, 2002 By Mark David Dietz
Quite a while back I posted a review of the Oxford edition of Samuel Johnson's writings in which I included a short review of the Penguin edition of the Sctoland journey/journal. Reposting that review to the newest edition of the Oxford book, it occurred to me I ought to place this review where it belongs.

There is little with which one might compare these two wonderful pieces of writing today -- and yet to some extent they are, each in its own way, foundations upon which much of modern writing has been built. Johnson is here, if not at his finest, still nearing an apogee of clarity, lucidity and intellectual rigor. Boswell is making his initial foray into the published first-hand journal, written only half-a-thought out of the public eye, that would eventually lead him to write his enormous and enormously popular Life of Johnson.

Reading the two interlaced is an utter delight -- moving from the formality, grace and power of Johnson to the smaller, more intimate pleasures of Boswell gives one the feeling of having captured, in the adventurous peregrinations of these two inimitable characters, the very breadth and depth of eighteenth century English writing. (I must point out that the Penguin book does not print the two Journals in interlaced fashion, but with a little effort the reader can move between the two so as to get the efect of Johnson and Boswell speaking in turns on the same topology, if not always the same topic...)

To love and admire Johnson, but not appreciate the brilliant, even if much different, stylistic inventions of Boswell seems to me somewhat perverse. Certainly Boswell had his shortcomings, but half the joy of reading and 'knowing' Johnson and his circle comes from appreciating the little peccadilloes and foibles that each displayed in his turn--not the least the Great Cham, Johnson, himself. Having said that I hope I may be allowed one short comment on Frank Lynch's review below. While meaning no disrespect to Frank it seems odd to me that he would note that Johnson does not comment on conversations that Boswell took as very important. Johnson knew of Boswell's journals as they were being written and encouraged Boswell to publish them. Moreover, Johnson was writing a topographical piece and not the more intimate "Travels with the Great Cham" journal that Boswell was writing.

In the long run, that Boswell found these conversations important is what delights us -- his ability to possess and bring weight to the smallness of life contrasts wonderfully with Johnson's ability to enlarge and ennoble life -- and the reflection is an interesting one when we find some of the Great Cham's noble thoughts somewhat bitterly missing the mark while Boswell's little thoughts can roll about one's mind for a very long time.

I cannot think of either of these two men that I don't see Thomas Rowlandson's wonderful caricature of the two walking arm in arm -- the older man a head taller, wagging his finger and pontificating casually and brilliantly on some weighty matter, and the other rolling along beside him smiling with sweet admiration and pride of association. To read Johnson and bypass Boswell, is to find one great treasure and forsake another.

If I must add one small quibble it is that the notes to the Penguin edition seem rather eccentric -- more the product of a dyspeptic travel writer than a Johnsonian scholar.

2 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Johnson in the outer reaches of Scotland  Oct 11, 2006 By Bomojaz
Samuel Johnson had long planned a journey to the western islands of Scotland, but it wasn't until 1773, when he was already 64 years old, that he was able to realize the trip; his companion was James Boswell (who would write his own account of the excursion). The two men left Edinburgh in August and traveled up the east coast through Aberdeen, then west to Inverness and south to Loch Ness, before making it to Glenelg on the western coast. From there they explored a number of islands - Skye, Col, and Mull - before continuing to Inveray on the mainland, Glasgow, Auchinleck (Boswell's home), and finally back to Edinburgh. They were back in Edinburgh in November, about 100 days after they started.

The purpose of the trip was to sightsee, and to report on what was encountered. Ancient castles, ruined monasteries and churches, old forts all come under Johnson's scrutiny, as do various inns and innkeepers, lodgings, and numerous natural sights, including caves (in one they forgot to bring candles and couldn't explore it as thoroughly as they wished), Loch Ness (Johnson is amused at how inaccurately the loch has been described in the past), and much rugged and wild terrain (Johnson explored thoroughly some mountain crags that is impressive for a 64-year-old man to be attempting). The only thing missing are people; Johnson did not include much about the people he met, conversations held, etc. (Boswell, on the other hand, included much along those lines.) His view of Scotland and the Scots is often derogatory (he thinks the lack of trees on the western islands can be blamed on the "laziness" of the people in not planting them), but he is careful to include information about all sorts of Scottish customs and habits, from the use of silver at table to bagpipe playing. Many of his comments are of the political kind (immigration to America, the clans, the schools, laws), often in comparison to England. It's a fascinating travel book and reveals as much about Johnson as it does about Scotland.

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With mule as transport  May 08, 2002 By Professor Joseph L. McCauley "Joseph L. McCauley"
This book was my companion on my first trip to Norway, the origin in viking times of the settlement of much of Northern Scotland and the Hebrides. I was curious to know how the region looked in earlier times and, is always the case with the writing of Johnson and Boswell, was happily entertained. If one reads only one travel book then maybe this one is the right one--maybe Lawrence's 'Travels in Italy' is second on my list.

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