308:), fragments of Fanny Burney's journals and of Johnson's own writings. This is skilfully done, yet Bainbridge's very absorption in her sources gives her problems. The novel demands to be true to the words of its progenitors: even the thoughts of the characters are studded with quotations. This sometimes results in an uncertainty of tone... her closeness to 18th-century cadences is uneven...She has had to take risks that a biographer can avoid, even though she has relied on biography. It is impossible not to notice her attention to
277:
mostly imaginary dalliances with his hostess and sparring with the likes of
Garrick and Goldsmith. He accompanies the Thrales and their hangers-on on a European journey that is freighted with woe, and also proudly escorts them on a pilgrimage to his hometown of Lichfield. The tension between the bizarre manners of the day and the unexpressed passions burning within is beautifully caught, and Queeney's skeptical commentary lends just the right distance.'
290:
witnessing through the eyes of the narrator is not necessarily to be relied upon. Bainbridge's spare prose is perfectly suited to her purpose, conveying an immediate sense of experience, in the muddle and intensity of the present. This is a highly intelligent, sophisticated and entertaining novel, which requires reading more than once to appreciate its complexity.'
289:
praises
Bainbridge: 'The result is that many of the incidents she describes are known to have happened, and many of the words she puts in to Johnson's mouth are those he is reported to have said. This verisimilitude makes it all the more disconcerting to discover that the action we are apparently
29:
276:
reviews the novel: 'each scene is pared down to its essentials—is more a sketch of a way of life and feeling than a full-blown narrative. The great lexicographer is brought to life more vividly than by any chronicler since James
Boswell. We see him enjoying the Thrales' hospitality, indulging in
312:'s fine life of Johnson, first published in 1975 and still not outdone. It is a compliment to Bainbridge's skills that her novel feels like a meditation on the story that he tells, and that it will send at least some readers to the very sources that she has mined.'
328:
has its share of sharp, offbeat perceptions, as well as the grotesque comic touches that have always been one of
Bainbridge's strongest suits. (When conversation turns to an actor's losing his teeth in the middle of a performance,
522:
586:
514:
602:
594:
333:) If this isn't Beryl Bainbridge's finest or most ambitious work, much of what's always been striking and irreducible about her still abides within it.'
331:
Mrs. Thrale was aware there wasn't one among them, herself included, who wasn't secretly engaged in running their tongue along their gums.
191:
155:
324:: 'too much of the material may have been written of too many times and too well for Bainbridge ever to have made much headway with it.
489:
302:
has some weaknesses about the novel: 'There are shards of real letters, quotations from
Boswell and from Mrs Thrale's own diary (her
698:
355:
174:
Mostly told from the point of view of
Queeney, Samuel Johnson suffered a breakdown and was bed-ridden for weeks. His friend
693:
678:
498:
688:
538:
121:
610:
243:
158:'. The bulk of the novel is set between 1765 and his death in 1784, with the exception of the correspondence from
650:
482:
626:
683:
673:
458:
446:
434:
546:
475:
75:
397:
371:
159:
293:
207:
183:
175:
151:
554:
203:
562:
211:
8:
570:
309:
320:
139:
618:
422:
273:
116:
502:
349:
247:
239:
163:
143:
135:
42:
530:
359:
251:
199:
194:. For the next few years he was a common guest with them and accompanied them to
57:
634:
235:
219:
187:
147:
667:
467:
315:
255:
231:
298:
285:
227:
215:
179:
578:
280:
202:, Wales and Paris. Many of the characters appear in the novel, including
223:
28:
304:
195:
186:. They encourage him to come to their country house at
270:was generally well-received among British press.
665:
166:from 1807 onwards, at the end of the chapters.
497:
483:
318:also has some misgivings about the novel in
490:
476:
398:"Books of the moment: What the papers say"
372:"Books of the moment: What the papers say"
27:
666:
190:, where he meets their young daughter
471:
13:
53:Mrs Thrale and her Daughter Hester
14:
710:
146:. It concerns the last years of
699:Little, Brown and Company books
651:The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress
539:The Dressmaker/The Secret Glass
452:
440:
428:
416:
404:. 8 September 2001. p. 52
390:
378:. 1 September 2001. p. 52
364:
343:
16:2001 novel by Beryl Bainbridge
1:
336:
178:introduces him to the brewer
150:and his relationship between
353:at www.themanbookerprize.com
261:
7:
423:Review in Publishers Weekly
10:
715:
694:Works about Samuel Johnson
679:Novels by Beryl Bainbridge
459:The Man Who Came to Dinner
200:Brighthelmstone (Brighton)
689:English historical novels
547:The Bottle Factory Outing
509:
115:
107:
99:
91:
81:
76:Little, Brown and Company
71:
63:
48:
38:
26:
611:An Awfully Big Adventure
523:Another Part of the Wood
435:Madness and the mistress
169:
160:H. M. Thrale (Queeney)
627:Every Man for Himself
515:A Weekend with Claude
22:According to Queeney
643:According to Queeney
461:Retrieved 4/11/2021.
449:Retrieved 4/11/2021.
437:Retrieved 4/11/2021.
425:Retrieved 4/11/2021.
351:According to Queeney
326:According to Queeney
268:According to Queeney
131:According to Queeney
684:Biographical novels
674:2001 British novels
402:The Daily Telegraph
376:The Daily Telegraph
358:16 May 2008 at the
310:Walter Jackson Bate
23:
321:The New York Times
198:(his birthplace),
154:and her daughter '
142:by English writer
140:biographical novel
21:
661:
660:
619:The Birthday Boys
447:Queeney's English
274:Publishers Weekly
127:
126:
92:Publication place
49:Cover artist
706:
595:Watson's Apology
503:Beryl Bainbridge
492:
485:
478:
469:
468:
462:
456:
450:
444:
438:
432:
426:
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
394:
388:
387:
385:
383:
368:
362:
347:
248:Oliver Goldsmith
244:Giuseppe Baretti
240:Frances Reynolds
164:Laetitia Hawkins
144:Beryl Bainbridge
83:Publication date
43:Beryl Bainbridge
31:
24:
20:
714:
713:
709:
708:
707:
705:
704:
703:
664:
663:
662:
657:
531:Harriet Said...
505:
496:
466:
465:
457:
453:
445:
441:
433:
429:
421:
417:
407:
405:
396:
395:
391:
381:
379:
370:
369:
365:
360:Wayback Machine
348:
344:
339:
264:
252:Joshua Reynolds
208:James Woodhouse
172:
100:Media type
84:
58:Joshua Reynolds
56:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
712:
702:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
659:
658:
656:
655:
647:
639:
635:Master Georgie
631:
623:
615:
607:
599:
591:
583:
575:
567:
559:
551:
543:
535:
527:
519:
510:
507:
506:
495:
494:
487:
480:
472:
464:
463:
451:
439:
427:
415:
389:
363:
341:
340:
338:
335:
266:Upon release,
263:
260:
236:Bennet Langton
188:Streatham Park
171:
168:
148:Samuel Johnson
125:
124:
119:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
85:
82:
79:
78:
73:
69:
68:
65:
61:
60:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
711:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
671:
669:
653:
652:
648:
645:
644:
640:
637:
636:
632:
629:
628:
624:
621:
620:
616:
613:
612:
608:
605:
604:
600:
597:
596:
592:
589:
588:
587:Winter Garden
584:
581:
580:
576:
573:
572:
568:
565:
564:
560:
557:
556:
555:Sweet William
552:
549:
548:
544:
541:
540:
536:
533:
532:
528:
525:
524:
520:
517:
516:
512:
511:
508:
504:
500:
493:
488:
486:
481:
479:
474:
473:
470:
460:
455:
448:
443:
436:
431:
424:
419:
403:
399:
393:
377:
373:
367:
361:
357:
354:
352:
346:
342:
334:
332:
327:
323:
322:
317:
316:Thomas Mallon
313:
311:
307:
306:
301:
300:
295:
291:
288:
287:
282:
278:
275:
271:
269:
259:
257:
256:James Boswell
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
212:Anna Williams
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
182:and his wife
181:
177:
176:Arthur Murphy
167:
165:
161:
157:
153:
152:Hester Thrale
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
132:
123:
122:0-316858-67-6
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
80:
77:
74:
70:
66:
62:
59:
54:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
33:First edition
30:
25:
19:
649:
642:
641:
633:
625:
617:
609:
603:Filthy Lucre
601:
593:
585:
577:
569:
563:A Quiet Life
561:
553:
545:
537:
529:
521:
513:
454:
442:
430:
418:
406:. Retrieved
401:
392:
380:. Retrieved
375:
366:
350:
345:
330:
325:
319:
314:
303:
299:The Guardian
297:
292:
286:The Observer
284:
279:
272:
267:
265:
232:Davy Garrick
228:Fanny Burney
220:Frank Barber
216:Robert Levet
204:John Hawkins
180:Henry Thrale
173:
138:-longlisted
130:
129:
128:
52:
18:
579:Young Adolf
571:Injury Time
294:John Mullan
283:writing in
281:Adam Sisman
668:Categories
337:References
224:John Delap
134:is a 2001
87:6 Sep 2001
305:Thraliana
262:Reception
196:Lichfield
192:'Queeney'
72:Publisher
356:Archived
64:Language
408:19 July
382:19 July
156:Queeney
95:England
67:English
654:(2011)
646:(2001)
638:(1998)
630:(1996)
622:(1991)
614:(1989)
606:(1986)
598:(1984)
590:(1980)
582:(1978)
574:(1977)
566:(1976)
558:(1975)
550:(1974)
542:(1973)
534:(1972)
526:(1968)
518:(1967)
499:Novels
184:Hester
136:Booker
55:- 1781
39:Author
108:Pages
103:Print
410:2024
384:2024
254:and
170:Plot
117:ISBN
501:by
296:in
246:,
162:to
111:242
670::
400:.
374:.
258:.
250:,
242:,
238:,
234:,
230:,
226:,
222:,
218:,
214:,
210:,
206:,
491:e
484:t
477:v
412:.
386:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
