Selected Writings

Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774), essayist, reviewer, dramatist, novelist, librettist and poet, became one of the most popular authors in that age of authors , especially for The Vicar of Wakefield . In this selection of his poetry and prose, John Lucas reconsiders Thackeray’s praise of Goldsmith as the most beloved of English writers , and reveals him as a more radical, formidable - and Irish - figure than the phrase suggests. Goldsmith’s wit, civility of tone and adroit handling of form express, Lucas argues, the author’s intelligence, integrity and concern for a society that he saw disintegrating into competing interests. The introduction, detailed notes and afterword on the contemporary context present a Goldsmith whose moral seriousness is as necessary to 21st century society as it was to his own.