Back to results

The Open University

Out of Johnson's Shadow: James Boswell as Travel Writer

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

James Boswell has generally been regarded as a key figure in the evolution of the biography via his work on Samuel Johnson. Ranging over his public, published writing, his private-public unpublished journal writing (read by his friend John Johnston), and his private-private unpublished writing (his personal journals) this thesis sets out to address how he should also be seen as a travelogue writer of note. The most important contention is that the rise of Boswell as a travel writer is key to understanding his prowess as an auto/biographical writer – with the topography of the man-monument central. The principal aim is to stress that he was ‘Corsica Boswell’ long before he was ‘Johnson Boswell’.

Degree

thesis:*
Name dc:type.qualificationname
phd
Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
doctoral
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
The Open University
Year dc:date.issued
2017

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Griffin, Julian Marc

Rights

Language dc:language
en

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
The Open University
Base URL
oro.open.ac.uk/cgi/oai2
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Griffin, Julian Marc. Out of Johnson's Shadow: James Boswell as Travel Writer. doctoral thesis, The Open University, 2017.