![]() Cover of corrected Second Edition of 1759 | |
Author | Samuel Johnson |
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Original title | The Prince of Abissinia: A Tale |
Language | English |
Genre | Apologue, Theodicy, Fable |
Publisher | R. and J. Dodsley, W. Johnston |
Publication date | April 1759 |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type |
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, originally titled The Prince of Abissinia: A Tale, though often abbreviated to Rasselas, is an apologue about bliss and ignorance by Samuel Johnson. The book's original working title was "The Choice of Life".[1] The book was first published in April 1759 in England. Early readers considered Rasselas to be a work of philosophical and practical importance and critics often remark on the difficulty of classifying it as a novel.[1]