Autobiography, Letters and Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi

Hester Lynch Piozzi (born Hester Lynch Salusbury and formerly known as Hester Thrale) was an influential British diarist, author, and patron of the arts, living during the eighteenth century. Her autobiographical works and extensive correspondence provide a vibrant depiction of Johnsonian London. Piozzi's 'Autobiography, Letters and Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi (Thrale)' offers a rare introspective look into the life of a woman entwined with the literary and social circles of her time. Born in 1741 into the Welsh gentry, she married Henry Thrale, a wealthy brewer, and became a close friend of Samuel Johnson. Her home became a hub for literary figures, and her observations on Johnson and others were compiled posthumously into the referenced second edition of her literary remains by Abraham Hayward in 1861, which is a testament to her wit, intellect, and her role as a commentator on and participant in the vibrant cultural life of her era. Skillfully blending literary criticism, social commentary, and personal anecdotes, her writing is marked by its conversational tone and warmth, capturing the dynamics of her relationships with key literary figures of her time.