Selected Essays

Selected Essays collects key works by William Hazlitt, one of the foremost essayists of 19th century Britain. The anthology spans Hazlitt's career and includes writings on literature, art, theater, philosophy and politics from the 1810s-1820s. These essays demonstrate Hazlitt's ability to examine both broad cultural topics and specific works or figures with equal skill. His subjects range from Shakespeare's characters to the nature of wit, from prize-fighting matches to the personalities of his contemporaries. The pieces showcase Hazlitt's direct, vigorous prose style and his talent for precise observation. His voice remains distinctive whether he is crafting a character study, analyzing a painting, or arguing a political position. The collection reveals Hazlitt as both a chronicler of his era and an early master of the personal essay form, writing that explores the intersection of individual perspective with broader cultural critique.

Readers appreciate Hazlitt's wit, argumentative skill, and ability to make early 19th century topics relevant to modern times. Many note his clear, engaging writing style that avoids academic stuffiness while tackling complex subjects. Positive reviews focus on his essays about human nature, particularly "On the Pleasure of Hating" and "On the Fear of Death." Readers value his psychological insights and frank discussions of uncomfortable emotions. Common criticisms include dated references that require extensive footnotes to understand, and occasional meandering digressions. Some readers find his combative tone and personal attacks on contemporaries off-putting. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (198 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (24 ratings) Sample review: "Hazlitt reaches through time to speak truth about human desires, prejudices, and contradictions. His essays on art and theater feel less urgent now, but his observations about people remain razor-sharp." - Goodreads reviewer

Essays by Francis Bacon These short, philosophical meditations on truth, power, and human nature share Hazlitt's incisive observations of society and human behavior.

Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb The personal essays explore London life, memories, and cultural observations with the same intimate perspective and attention to human character found in Hazlitt's work.

Selected Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson These essays examine art, politics, and the human spirit through a transcendentalist lens that mirrors Hazlitt's deep engagement with philosophical and social themes.

Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold The cultural criticism and social commentary in these essays reflects Hazlitt's tradition of examining society's intellectual and moral conditions.

Common Reader: First Series by Virginia Woolf These literary critiques and personal reflections continue Hazlitt's legacy of combining scholarly analysis with personal insight in essay form.

🎨 William Hazlitt wrote many of his most famous essays while sitting in London coffee houses, particularly the Southampton Coffee House on Southampton Row, where he would observe people and society for hours. 📚 Though now celebrated as one of England's greatest essayists, Hazlitt originally trained as a painter and maintained a deep passion for art throughout his life, which influenced his vivid descriptive writing style. ✍️ The essay "The Fight" (included in Selected Essays) was revolutionary for its time, being one of the first pieces of sports journalism in English literature, describing a boxing match between Bill Neate and Thomas Hickman. 🎭 Hazlitt's essay "On Going to a Fight" was so controversial when published that it led to his dismissal from The Yellow Dwarf magazine, showing how his raw, honest writing style often clashed with contemporary sensibilities. 🌟 Despite dying in poverty and relative obscurity in 1830, Hazlitt's essays influenced later writers including Charles Lamb, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Virginia Woolf, who praised his work and helped establish his reputation as a master of English prose.