James and John Boswell are close; brought up in Scotland, in the mid-18th century in an age of primogeniture. James pledges his younger brother that this will not cause them to be rivals, as so often happened to brothers at this time in British society but time and nature intervenes. James travels to London, to seek out and befriend his boyhood hero, Dr Samuel Johnson, seek entry to London society and win a commission as an officer in a prestigious Guards regiment.
John joins the Army but, in a cruel twist of fate, finds that he has inherited the family trait of mental ill health and he spends time in an institution. A terrible place to be in those times. His intelligence allows him to earn an early release even though he is still far from well. John travels to London with revenge for real or imagined hurts in his heart so that the brothers are unable to recapture their boyhood loyalty. Misunderstandings, secrets and lies lead to violence.
This is a classy picture of London society in the mid 18th century of Dr Johnson's time. A good history lesson. Also an asute picture of brothers through boyhood and adulthood. We travel with James from his position of the loyal, kind older brother to being the self-centred, ambitious young man about town to the realisation that he has forgotten his boyhood vows and finding, again, his love for his younger brother through a time of trial. With John, we move from a safe, trusting boyhood through the conviction that he has been betrayed, to the confusion of mental ill health to the redemption of forgiveness and love.
I liked this very much. For lovers of historical fiction, recommended.
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