Image of William Hazlitt

Timeline

Lifetime: 1778 - 1830 Passed: ≈ 194 years ago

Title

Essayist, Literary Critic, Painter, Philosopher

Country/Nationality

United Kingdom
Wikipedia

William Hazlitt

William Hazlitt was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print. 

 

During his lifetime he befriended many people who are now part of the 19th-century literary canon, including Charles and Mary Lamb, Stendhal, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and John Keats.

Books by William Hazlitt

Characters of Shakespeare's Plays Cover image

Characters of Shakespeare's Plays

Non-Fiction Essays Reference work
19th century Analysis Literary Criticism Character Develpoment

Characters of Shakespeare's Plays is a book by William Hazlitt, a 19th-century English essayist and critic. The book is a collection of essays in which Hazlitt discusses and analyzes the characters of Shakespeare's plays. Hazlitt begins the book wit...

Plain Speaker: Opinions on Books, Men, and Things Cover image

Plain Speaker: Opinions on Books, Men, and Things

Philosophy Non-Fiction Essays Art
Death Politics Literature Culture Art Thought Society Life Relationships Human Nature Criticism social commentary Philosophy Character Essays Opinion

This posthumously assembled collection of essays by William Hazlitt, organized by his grandson, presents a diverse range of Hazlitt's insights on various subjects. The essays delve into literary criticism, exploring works by contemporary and histori...

Liber Amoris Cover image

Liber Amoris

Romance Memoir Non-Fiction Essays
Love Truth Autobiography Cruelty Passion Relationships Ego Perception Failure Reality Self-Portrait Unrequited Infatuation Mental turmoil

Liber Amoris is a deeply personal and unflinching account of William Hazlitt's obsessive infatuation with a young woman. The work goes beyond a typical love story, delving into the depths of Hazlitt's emotional turmoil and self-destructive tendencies...

Spirit of the Age; Or, Contemporary Portraits Cover image

Spirit of the Age; Or, Contemporary Portraits

Non-Fiction Essays Biography
19th century Politics Romanticism Culture Literary Criticism social commentary Philosophy English literature Essays Biographies Portraits Intellectuals

In 'Spirit of the Age,' William Hazlitt offers a collection of insightful essays examining prominent figures of his era. Through his keen observation and sharp wit, he provides biographical sketches and critiques of individuals who shaped the intelle...