Your Top Ten Boswell Belly-laughs?
ForumThe Turk's Head
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1Polite_Society
As I'm only through volume 4 in the Yale series, I don't have ten yet, but so far my list includes:
*** Boswell having it off with a prostitute in broad daylight on a London street; her theft of his handkerchief; his calling for a cop! (London Journal)
*** Boswell clobbering himself to become 'retenue' -- "You was blabbing at table last night. Speak only french from now on, since you haven't enough of it to blab." And the sincerity with which he swore off billiards -- three times in one week! (And of course he went right on playing.) (Boswell in Holland)
*** Boswell's unsuccessful cloying to be presented to Frederick the Great; his encounters with Rousseau ("Get out!"); and his typically mad whim of sprawling atop a tomb to write a letter! (Grand Tour, Germany & Switzerland)
So, what made you laugh out loud?
*** Boswell having it off with a prostitute in broad daylight on a London street; her theft of his handkerchief; his calling for a cop! (London Journal)
*** Boswell clobbering himself to become 'retenue' -- "You was blabbing at table last night. Speak only french from now on, since you haven't enough of it to blab." And the sincerity with which he swore off billiards -- three times in one week! (And of course he went right on playing.) (Boswell in Holland)
*** Boswell's unsuccessful cloying to be presented to Frederick the Great; his encounters with Rousseau ("Get out!"); and his typically mad whim of sprawling atop a tomb to write a letter! (Grand Tour, Germany & Switzerland)
So, what made you laugh out loud?
2Pepys
This new thread is a very good idea. I know Boswell made me laugh with his London Journal, but unfortunately I have the bad habit never taking reading notes...
However I remember this from his The Life of Johnson:
Boswell's silly idea of not writing to Johnson upon a return trip to Scotland as he used to do otherwise, just to see how long it would take Johnson to send a letter to enquire. And then, after he got a letter from Johnson several months later, his writing back to him and telling him that it was just a joke...
However I remember this from his The Life of Johnson:
Boswell's silly idea of not writing to Johnson upon a return trip to Scotland as he used to do otherwise, just to see how long it would take Johnson to send a letter to enquire. And then, after he got a letter from Johnson several months later, his writing back to him and telling him that it was just a joke...
3Pepys
I forgot this one, taken from my review of the Journey to the Western Isles, read at the beginning of this year:
Boswell also made me laugh with his report of the last breakfast they had in the Isles. The house lady asked Boswell who was first up, if Johnson would like to have a cold mutton head for breakfast. Her husband was horrified and tried to persuade her that it was not suitable. But Boswell very maliciously replied that yes, why not, although he knew in advance what would be Johnson's reaction. Then he sat in an armchair and took a book for a countenance. When Johnson came down from his bedroom, he first replied 'No' to the question 'Dr Johnson, have you taken some cold mutton head?'. But, as the house lady misunderstood the answer and insisted, he had to be ruder. In his armchair behind his book, Boswell was smiling.
Boswell also made me laugh with his report of the last breakfast they had in the Isles. The house lady asked Boswell who was first up, if Johnson would like to have a cold mutton head for breakfast. Her husband was horrified and tried to persuade her that it was not suitable. But Boswell very maliciously replied that yes, why not, although he knew in advance what would be Johnson's reaction. Then he sat in an armchair and took a book for a countenance. When Johnson came down from his bedroom, he first replied 'No' to the question 'Dr Johnson, have you taken some cold mutton head?'. But, as the house lady misunderstood the answer and insisted, he had to be ruder. In his armchair behind his book, Boswell was smiling.
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