The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

Author: Johnson, Samuel

Classic fiction (pre c 1945)

Published on 27 September 2007 by Penguin Books Ltd (Penguin Classics) in the United Kingdom.

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, leaves the easy life of the Happy Valley, accompanied by his sister Nekayah, her attendant Pekuah, and the much-travelled philosopher Imlac. Their journey takes them to Egypt, where they study the various conditions of men's lives, before returning home in a 'conclusion in which nothing is concluded'. Johnson's tale is not only a satire on optimism, but also an expression of truth about the human mind and its infinite capacity for hope.