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The  Brothers Boswell
The Brothers Boswell
Author: Philip Baruth
?The Brothers Boswell is such an impressive book, both for its ability to inhabit its source material and for how well it shines on its own merits.  Many novels claim to be literary thrillers, but rarely are they quite this literary and quite this thrilling.  Philip Baruth has written a remarkable work.??David Liss, author of T...  more » ?Meticulously researched, The Brothers Boswell has a strong narrative line, psychological allure, and plenty of adventure. I recommend the book for both the general reader and the aficionado.??Frances Sherwood, author of Vindication and Night Sorrows Praise for Philip Baruth: ?Ingenious, often hilarious . . . if you can handle a fanciful plot and an onslaught of irreverence.??The Washington Post Book World ?History won?t stand still in this clever time-travel romp.??The New York Times Book Review ?An engaging, action-filled adventure.??San Francisco Chronicle The year is 1763.Twenty-two-year-old James Boswell of Edinburgh is eager to advance himself in London society. Today his sights are set on furthering his acquaintance with Dr. Samuel Johnson, famed for his Dictionary; they are going to take a boat across the Thames to Greenwich Palace. Watching them secretly is John Boswell, James? younger brother. He has stalked his older brother for days. Consumed with envy, John is planning to take revenge on his brother and Johnson for presumed slights. He carries a pair of miniature pistols that fire a single golden bullet each, and there is murder in his heart. Philip Baruth is an award-winning commentator for Vermont Public Radio and a graduate of Brown University with an MA and PhD from the University of California at Irvine. His previous novel, The X President (Bantam Books, 2003) received critical acclaim. He teaches at the University of Vermont.
ISBN-13: 9781569475591
ISBN-10: 1569475598
Publication Date: 5/1/2009
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1

3.5 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Soho Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Brothers Boswell on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
The title characters are James Boswell (biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson, author of the famous dictionary) and his younger brother, John Boswell. John is insane and plans to abduct and possibly murder both his brother and Dr. Johnson because he is highly jealous of the friendship between his brother James and Dr. Johnson.

The book follows along on John's pursuit of James and Johnson along with flashbacks to the lives of the Boswell brothers.

The book is a "literary thriller" an exciting, suspenseful story of two literary men menaced by a madman. If you're interested in Boswell and Johnson, or in 18th-century England, you should read this book.
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