“JAMES BOSWELL”

Evening Star, Issue 21316, 21 January 1933, Page 19

“JAMES BOSWELL”

That a foolish coxcomb should have written the greatest biography in the English language is one of the strangest things in the history of literature, and Boswell’s ‘ Life of Johnson ’ remains on that account something of an enigma. Mr C. E. Vulliamy. in * James Boswell,’ has written a book which besides being a notable addition to Boswelliana, puts forward a new explanation of Boswell’s shortcomings. “ His extreme egoism,” writes Mr Vulliamy, 11 was actually the defence of a man who is desperately trying to escape from the crowd of besieging fears in his own mind. Boswell knew that ho was being hunted down by devils and black dogs and all tho horrors of melancholia. He tried to escape, but he never did'escape, All his blatancy, all his ridiculous pride, all his wild excesses were due tp this recurring panic.” • But apart from tho question of Boswell’s sanity, Mr Vulliamy has written a most attractive book. There is a great deal of new material in it, and it has the rich qualities of humanity and humour which are for ever associated with Boswell and Johnson. Tho passing of tho years does not lessen the interest in Boswell—and this is a worthwhile book about him.