'A stellar literary event . . . written with panache and an enviable economy . . . the biggest risk of her literary life' Margaret Atwood According to Queeney is a masterly evocation of the last years of Dr Johnson, arguably Britain's greatest Man of Letters. The time is the 1770s and 1780s and Johnson, having completed his life's major work (he compiled the first ever Dictionary of the English Language) is running an increasingly chaotic life. Torn between his strict morality and his undeclared passion for Mrs Thrale, the ...
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'A stellar literary event . . . written with panache and an enviable economy . . . the biggest risk of her literary life' Margaret Atwood According to Queeney is a masterly evocation of the last years of Dr Johnson, arguably Britain's greatest Man of Letters. The time is the 1770s and 1780s and Johnson, having completed his life's major work (he compiled the first ever Dictionary of the English Language) is running an increasingly chaotic life. Torn between his strict morality and his undeclared passion for Mrs Thrale, the wife of an old friend, According to Queeney reveals one of Britain's most wonderful characters in all his wit and glory. Above all, though, this is a story of love and friendship and brilliantly narrated by Queeney, Mrs Thrale's daughter, looking back over her life.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Stock lightly toned but otherwise all in VG, crisp, clean and bright order. Yellow silk bookmark. Smart maroon boards with bright gilt titling to spine. VG unclipped d/j. 8vo. 242pp.
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Seller's Description:
First U.k. Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket. 8vo. Original publisher's maroon cloth, lettered gilt at the spine. Signed by the author on the title page with good signed handwritten letter, loosely inserted. ISBN: 0316858676 Pages: 256 Fine in fine dust jacket.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
This historical novel about Dr Samuel Johnson is written from the point of view of the women in his life, with imagination and sympathy. It covers a long period from the 1760s to the 1800s when some of them are looking back long after his death. The Johnson household is chaotic, shambolic and sometimes a bit like a madhouse as Johnson suffered from severe bouts of melancholy and symptoms of mania. Life in 18th century London is evoked in its rough squalor, with some gory details (the book starts with his autopsy just to get you warmed up). Bainbridge shows a real sensitivity in trying to recover the experience of women, both educated, such as Mrs Thrale, and uneducated, who came into contact with the "great man". This is a very different Johnson from the one described with veneration by Boswell. The use of letter form adds a distinct charm.
