The Johnson Circle: A Group Portrait by Lyle Larsen (review)

In Idler 23, Johnson wrote "Life has no pleasure higher or nobler than that of friendship." Indeed, Johnson's life was shaped by his waxing and waning social relationships; some friendships proved too complex to sustain while others evolved and strengthened over time. Mr. Larsen's The Johnson Circle illuminates the dynamics of Johnson's friendships by presenting ten figures who occupied prominent positions in his social circle: "it explores their characters, their contributions to society, their relationships with one another, and their indebtedness to [him]." The book includes commentary on Garrick, Baretti, Reynolds, Goldsmith, the Thrales, Bennet Langton, Topham Beauclerk, Boswell, and Frances Burney. In sum, Mr. Larsen evokes the social world of eighteenth-century London and details the idiosyncrasies of some of its illustrious members through rich storytelling and astute characterization.

The Johnson Circle begins in 1737 with Johnson's arrival in London with his former pupil David Garrick and chronicles Garrick's rapid rise on the stage alongside Johnson's employment struggles. Garrick was instrumental in initiating Johnson's departure from Lichfield and proved a supportive companion during the decades when Johnson sought to establish himself as a professional writer. While their friendship waned over the course of their lifetimes, Johnson never forgot Garrick's support. This relationship anticipated the many mentor/mentee relationships (for example, Boswell, Goldsmith, Langton, and Beauclerk) that would follow as Johnson rose to prominence.

Perhaps the most distinguished friend Johnson acquired (in terms of artistic achievement) during the early London years was Joshua Reynolds; he entered Johnson's sphere in the 1750s, with Boswell following in 1763. These decades were marked by Johnson's guidance of younger men, many of whom seemed more successful than he was but were nonetheless drawn to his wit and genius. Such social connections also formed a foundation of emotional support for Johnson to embark on his most ambitious endeavor—the Dictionary. Much of the first part of the Johnson Circle is filled, then, with discerning portrayals of Johnson's protégés and companions as well as accounts of their challenges (for example, the sobering retelling of Joseph Baretti's court trial for the murder of Evan Morgan). However, Mr. Larsen does not speculate on the possible direct psychological impact of these relationships on Johnson until he arrives at the Thrales.

The Johnson Circle's narrative becomes more linear and less anecdotal with Johnson's introduction to Henry and Hester Thrale in 1765. Capturing the emotional complexity of Streatham, Mr. Larsen expounds on the romantic dynamics that undergirded the Thrales' courtship and asserts that Hester's decision to marry was at the insistence of her mother, whose death, he contends, set her free to embark on a project of self-realization. This freedom made her the "most modern of the Johnson circle," in the sense that she welcomed change.

One important (and contestable) argument of The Johnson Circle is Mr. Larsen's insistence that Hester underwent a profound transformation "from submissive wife and daughter to wit and salonière" in the course of her marriage, a process that was, in part, initiated by the attention Johnson paid to her. As she cultivated a persona separate from her husband and family, she also became less reliant on Johnson's critical appraisal. Mr. Larsen spends some time pondering why she deemed Johnson's friendship finally oppressive, concluding that Johnson's judgment of her might have been reminiscent of her mother's unwelcome authority. He views the Thrales' union as sound (despite Henry's infidelity) and argues that Hester finally resigned herself to, and even discovered some satisfaction in, their marriage during its later stages. Larsen also believes that she found true companionship and lasting happiness in her second union with Gabriel Piozzi, which certainly contributed to the ending of her relationship with Johnson.

As Johnson became more immersed in Streatham, some of his earlier friendships faded or became less important to him. With the Thrales, he discovered an emotional intimacy...