tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13464555.post-16222925045841163262007-09-25T17:43:00.000-07:002007-09-25T17:47:49.307-07:00<div align="left"><u><a href="http://www.qksrv.net/click-1212659-9836638?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdogbert.abebooks.com%2Fabe%2FBookSearchPL%3Fph%3D2%26an%3Djohnson%26tn%rasselas" target="_top">Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia.</a></u><br />Samuel Johnson.</div><div align="left">John B. Alden: 1887.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">A short classic about a young prince who leaves his overprotective castle to search the world for happiness -- or, the way to live happily. He is joined by his sister and an older "man of learning," Imlac, on his quest.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Along their way, they meet with a variety of people who seem happy: farmer, hermit, scientist, philosopher, ruler, etc.; yet each one declares himself to be unhappy. Eventually, they decide to return to Abyssinia.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Johnson's cynicism and pessimism are laughable at times, probably intentionally. Rasselas intends to find a life of continual ease and happiness -- such as his father intended for him at Abyssinia -- yet despite his own experience and observations, he his unable to see that struggle and strife are necessar to experience true happiness.</div><div align="left"></div>Scott Givenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13545199488256992081noreply@blogger.com