Boswell in Holland: 1763-1764 - 1952 ed

In this captivating installment of James Boswell's journals, readers follow the young Scottish writer during his formative years in Holland from 1763 to 1764, as he pursues legal studies, continental education, and a cure for his melancholy. Through intimate daily entries, Boswell documents his intellectual and emotional development with remarkable candor—recording encounters with luminaries like Voltaire and philosopher Belle de Zuylen, wrestling with his father's expectations, pursuing romantic entanglements, and battling persistent self-doubt. Meticulously edited from Boswell's rediscovered manuscripts, this compelling volume reveals the complex inner life of the man who would later become Samuel Johnson's celebrated biographer. More than mere historical document, these journals offer an extraordinary psychological portrait of a brilliant young man coming of age in Enlightenment Europe, capturing both the timeless struggles of youth and the particular intellectual ferment of the eighteenth century. Boswell's Holland journals stand as an essential chapter in one of literature's most remarkable acts of self-documentation. - Boswell in Holland: 1764-1764 Including his correspondence with Belle de Zuylen (Zelide). Edited by Frederick A. Pottle Published 1952, William Heinemann Ltd. London Hardcover. Approx. 6x9in. 427pp. In decent vintage condition. External boards show a bit of wear.