Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell

E273949

biography book non-fiction work

Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell is a landmark 18th-century biography renowned for its vivid, detailed portrayal of the English writer Samuel Johnson and for helping to define the modern genre of biography.

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All labels observed (5)

Label	Occurrences
The Life of Samuel Johnson	2
James Boswell’s Life of Johnson	1
Life of Samuel Johnson	1
Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell canonical	1
The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T2525273 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell
Context triple: [Samuel Johnson, describedBySource, Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell]

A. Johnson’s Life of London
Johnson’s Life of London is a popular history book by Boris Johnson that profiles influential figures and episodes that shaped the city of London.
B. Autobiography of Francis Place
Autobiography of Francis Place is the personal memoir of the 19th-century English radical reformer and political activist Francis Place, offering a detailed account of his life, ideas, and involvement in social and political movements.
C. The Diary of Samuel Pepys
The Diary of Samuel Pepys is a famous 17th-century personal journal that offers an intimate, day-by-day account of London life, politics, and major events such as the Great Plague and the Great Fire.
D. Biographia Literaria
Biographia Literaria is Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s seminal autobiographical and critical work that blends literary theory, philosophy, and personal reflection, particularly on the nature of poetry and imagination.
E. Studies of a Biographer
Studies of a Biographer is a collection of critical and biographical essays by Victorian man of letters Leslie Stephen, reflecting on the art and practice of biography.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell
Target entity description: Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell is a landmark 18th-century biography renowned for its vivid, detailed portrayal of the English writer Samuel Johnson and for helping to define the modern genre of biography.

A. Johnson’s Life of London
Johnson’s Life of London is a popular history book by Boris Johnson that profiles influential figures and episodes that shaped the city of London.
B. Autobiography of Francis Place
Autobiography of Francis Place is the personal memoir of the 19th-century English radical reformer and political activist Francis Place, offering a detailed account of his life, ideas, and involvement in social and political movements.
C. The Diary of Samuel Pepys
The Diary of Samuel Pepys is a famous 17th-century personal journal that offers an intimate, day-by-day account of London life, politics, and major events such as the Great Plague and the Great Fire.
D. Biographia Literaria
Biographia Literaria is Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s seminal autobiographical and critical work that blends literary theory, philosophy, and personal reflection, particularly on the nature of poetry and imagination.
E. Studies of a Biographer
Studies of a Biographer is a collection of critical and biographical essays by Victorian man of letters Leslie Stephen, reflecting on the art and practice of biography.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	biography ⓘ book ⓘ non-fiction work ⓘ
author	James Boswell ⓘ
countryOfOrigin	Great Britain ⓘ
depicts	English society in the 18th century ⓘ London literary life ⓘ life of Samuel Johnson ⓘ
genre	biography ⓘ
hasBiographee	Samuel Johnson ⓘ
hasBiographer	James Boswell ⓘ
hasCriticalReputation	landmark of English biography ⓘ one of the greatest biographies in English literature ⓘ
hasLaterEdition	numerous annotated editions ⓘ
hasPart	journal extracts by James Boswell ⓘ letters by Samuel Johnson ⓘ letters by contemporaries of Johnson ⓘ
influenced	literary biography as a genre ⓘ modern biographical writing ⓘ
influencedBy	Boswell’s journals ⓘ linked to: James Boswell James Boswell’s personal acquaintance with Samuel Johnson ⓘ
language	English ⓘ
literaryPeriod	18th century ⓘ
mainSubject	Samuel Johnson ⓘ
notableFor	detailed use of conversations and anecdotes ⓘ helping to define the modern genre of biography ⓘ psychological depth of characterization ⓘ rich documentation of Johnson’s circle ⓘ vivid portrayal of Samuel Johnson ⓘ
originalMedium	print ⓘ
placeOfPublication	London ⓘ linked to: London, England
portrays	Samuel Johnson’s conversation ⓘ linked to: Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson’s friendships ⓘ Samuel Johnson’s health and melancholy ⓘ Samuel Johnson’s literary career ⓘ Samuel Johnson’s personality ⓘ Samuel Johnson’s political views ⓘ Samuel Johnson’s religious views ⓘ
publicationYear	1791 ⓘ
publisher	Charles Dilly ⓘ
relatedWork	Dictionary of the English Language ⓘ linked to: A Dictionary of the English Language Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides ⓘ The Rambler ⓘ
settingTime	18th century ⓘ
subjectOccupation	Samuel Johnson as critic ⓘ Samuel Johnson as lexicographer ⓘ Samuel Johnson as writer ⓘ
timeSpanCovered	Samuel Johnson’s life from birth to death ⓘ

How these facts were elicited