Life of Samuel Johnson vs The Life of Samuel Johnson: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Johnson, English Authors, Biography & Memoir

Cover of Life of Samuel Johnson

Life of Samuel Johnson James Boswell · 1776 ★★★★☆ 3.8 567 pages · ≈ 10 h 30 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

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Cover of The Life of Samuel Johnson

The Life of Samuel Johnson James Boswell · 1909 ★★★★☆ 3.8 408 pages · ≈ 7 h 33 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.8 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
The Life of Samuel Johnson is the quicker read — about 7 hours vs 10 for Life of Samuel Johnson.
The Life of Samuel Johnson is the easier read (Challenging), Life of Samuel Johnson more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side