Reading - The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
by Samuel Johnson

"Telling how Rasselas and his companions escape from the bland pleasures of their perfectly happy valley in Abissinia to Egypt, to study how people live, the book is a parable and a pilgrimage in which all manner of subjects are discussed - flying machines, poetry, marriage, madness. Rasselas embodies Dr. Johnson's most powerful and heart-warming qualities: his tragic sense of life, his justice, his wisdom which is never boring or solemn, and his miraculous ability to balance humour with sympathy in weighing up some of life's more mysterious problems - what is happiness, and how can we find it?"


Thanks Elton for sharing the books =) There are so many passages that are worth remembering... here is one of them.

p. 124
"Nor was much satisfaction to be hoped from their conversation: for of what could they be expected to talk? They had seen nothing; for they had lived from early youth in that narrow spot: of what they had not seen they could have no knowledge, for they could not read. They had no ideas but of the few things that were within their view, and had hardly names for any thing but their cloaths and their food ..."

I'm thankful...for my teachers & friends who opened my eyes and enlightened my heart.