So is Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” which is the first inarguably modern novel. The third is James Boswell’s “The Life of Samuel Johnson,” the earliest recognizable modern biography.

James Boswell is a hard act to follow. His Life of Johnson, written at close range after more hours in pubs and miles of travel with his eccentric subject than most could have withstood, is detailed, ...

The repeated failures and faithful persistence of the 18th-century author Samuel Johnson to keep his vows should inspire us all. ... chronic depression and late hours. “I have, all my life long, ...