In view of the author of Oliver Goldsmith (originally published in 1974), the many biographies which have appeared seem defective in several respects. They either omit information which is readily available, or ignore essential features of Goldsmith’s life and character, or fail to see the real problems which should be considered; they are too prone to pass over or make light of Goldsmith’s faults. Dr Lytton Sells decided, therefore, that he would have to go back to the sources and to think out his character afresh.

There are strange gaps in the records of Goldsmith’s life, and many questions that remain unanswered. Goldsmith kept no journal and few of his letters have survived. He was an inveterate liar, and we cannot often give credence to what he tells us about himself. This is what makes the biographer’s task a difficult one; nevertheless, Dr Lytton Sells has tackled it with great enthusiasm and insight and has given us a life that is both sound and readable and takes account of all the evidence available. And to this he has added a full-length study of the works which will be invaluable to any student of English literature.