Literature Network » Samuel Johnson

Messing about in dictionaries.(Book Review)

Content courtesy of

From: Quadrant
Date: 20050601
Author:Izzard, John

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary: Selections from the 1755 Work that Defined the English Language, edited by Jack Lynch; Atlantic Books, 2004, $49.95.

"BELIEVE ME, my young friend, there is nothing--absolutely nothing--half as much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." To many of us, Ratty's advice to Mole could equally apply to dictionaries.

In an age of postmodernist, politically correct obsessives, Professor Jack Lynch's book Samuel Johnson's Dictionary is a welcome relief and comfort to the word-whipped. And Lynch's introduction is a beautifully written account ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Samuel Johnson

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.