Rasselas, prince of abyssinia: a quick read edition

Quick Read, Samuel Johnson

Parution le 13/04/2023

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Résumé

"The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia" is a philosophical tale written by Samuel Johnson. The book's original title was "The Choice of Life". Johnson wrote the piece in only one week to help pay the costs of his mother's funeral. Rasselas, the fourth son of the King of Abyssinia, is shut up in a beautiful valley called The Happy Valley, "till the order of succession should call him to the throne". Rasselas grows weary of the factitious entertainments of the place and, after much brooding, escapes with his sister Nekayah, her attendant Pekuah and his poet-friend Imlac by digging under the wall of the valley. They are to see the world and search for happiness in places such as Cairo and Suez. After a sojourn in Egypt, where they encounter various classes of society and undergo a few adventures, they perceive the futility of their search and return to Abyssinia after none of their hopes for happiness are achieved. The story is primarily episodic. Johnson was influenced by other texts, including works by Herodotus and Paradise Lost. The book has been interpreted in various ways, including as a reflection of Johnson's melancholia projected on to the wider world, particularly at the time of his mother's death.

Discover a new way to read classics with Quick Read.
This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter.
- Reading time of the complete text: about 3 hours
- Reading time of the summarized text: 41 minutes