The New Cambridge Companion to Samuel Johnson ed. by Greg Clingham (review).

The article focuses on *The New Cambridge Companion to Samuel Johnson* (2023), a completely new volume in the Cambridge Companions to Literature series that revisits Samuel Johnson scholarship with fresh chapters and perspectives, despite sharing an editor and some contributors with the 1997 edition. Unlike the earlier Companion, which reflected late twentieth-century efforts to reframe Johnson as a serious thinker rather than a caricature, the new collection presents more nuanced discussions on Johnson’s complex views on gender, politics, language, race, and empire. The volume balances accessibility for students with scholarly rigor, covering a broad range of topics beyond Johnson’s major works, and reflects ongoing critical debates that continue to evolve with each generation.