Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia

Description

Samuel Johnson was quite probably one of the greatest minds of his time. A successful author, poet and literary historian, he quickly became one of the most prominent figures of early 18th century England, as well as one of the most well-known literary figures of his time.

Struggling with anything from severe health problems, such as scrofula contracted at a young age, to various verbal tics he had to deal with throughout his life, Samuel Johnson did not have an easy existence overall. Despite all of his challenges, however, he was an excellent student, who went on to graduate from Pembroke College in Oxford, and later move to London, where he would become a truly renowned literary author.

Johnson was basically considered a literary genius, and Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia is a good example of why that is – as the author managed to complete it in its entirety during the span of a single week!

Despite being a genius, however, Johnson felt powerless to overcome many of the problems that he saw in life. Offering his unique perspective of them in Resselas, however, has brought illumination to many minds throughout the following 300 years.

The book essentially argues in favor of the fact that human happiness cannot be attained under any circumstance. It shows how neither marriage nor bachelorhood can lead to a happy condition, and goes on to show how wealth, fame and various other essential dreams that most people hold dear, do very little to support a genuinely happy life.

Overall, Rasselas is a fascinating book, and even many of those who don’t agree with the points made by the author have admitted to this fact. Samuel Johnson’s outstanding writing style, crystal clear arguments and often unexpected thought-provoking points will definitely make you think and challenge your preconceived beliefs about any of life’s seeming certainties.
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