Издания и произведения

'What then is to be done? said Rasselas; the more we inquire, the less we can resolve.' Rasselas and his companions escape the pleasures of the 'happy valley' in order to make their 'choice of life'. By witnessing the misfortunes and miseries of others they may come to understand the nature of happiness, and value it more highly. Their travels and enquiries raise important practical and philosophical questions concerning many aspects of the human condition, including the business of a poet, the stability of reason, the immortality of the soul, and how to find contentment. Johnson's adaptation of the popular oriental tale displays his…

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, leaves the easy life of the Happy Valley, accompanied by his sister Nekayah, her attendant Pekuah, and the much-travelled philosopher Imlac. Their journey takes them to Egypt, where they study the various conditions of men’s lives, before returning home in a “conclusion in which nothing is concluded.” Johnson’s tale is not only a satire on optimism, but also an expression of truth about the human mind and its infinite capacity for hope.

This book comes with an introduction and notes by Michael Irwin, Professor of English Literature, University of Kent at Canterbury. "Rasselas" is a provocative fable about 'the choice of life'. Bored by the endless contentment of 'the happy valley' in which he has been brought up, Prince Rasselas escapes with his sister. They rove the world searching for the secret of happiness and striving to find the ideal way to live. Repeatedly the pleasures they glimpse dissolve on closer acquaintance, and the great men they admire prove flawed. Where, then, are happiness and purpose to be found? These questions, of course, remain open for each…

Written in the evenings of a single week to pay for his mother's funeral, Samuel Johnson's only novel offers a compelling glimpse of the distinguished English writer's moral views. Its rapid execution, it is said, was the result of a lifetime spent contemplating the book's chief topics. A philosophical romance that traces the pilgrimage of an African prince and his companions to Egypt, the parable ponders a number of subjects — among them flying machines, poetry, marriage, and madness.

Расселас, принц Абиссинский — философская повесть доктора Джонсона, очерк о "выборе жизненного пути". Рэсплас, сын императора Абиссинии, устав от радостей "счастливой долины", жителям которой известны только "удовольствия и нега", бежит в Египет в сопровождении своей сестры Некайи, ее служанки Пекуйи и философа-путешественника Имлака. Здесь они изучают разнообразные формы человеческой жизни и после незначительных происшествий решают вернуться в Абиссинию. Очарование этой книги - в ее мудрой и человечной меланхолии, в выводе о том, что счастье недостижимо, и в утверждении, что никто - ни философы, ни отшельники, ни богатые люди - не…