The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia is a book by Samuel Johnson, first published in 1759. This classic philosophical novel follows Prince Rasselas, who lives in the secluded “Happy Valley” of Abyssinia, a luxurious paradise designed to shield royal heirs from hardship and dissatisfaction. Despite every comfort, Rasselas grows restless and begins to question whether true happiness can be found in isolation. Determined to understand the nature of human fulfillment, he escapes the valley with his sister Princess Nekayah, her companion Pekuah, and the wise poet Imlac.

Their journey leads them to Egypt, where they explore different walks of life in search of the secret to contentment. Along the way, they encounter scholars, hermits, wealthy men, philosophers, and rulers, each convinced that their chosen path offers the key to happiness. Through a series of thoughtful conversations and real-world experiences, the characters discover the limits of ambition, wealth, solitude, knowledge, and power. Johnson’s prose blends travel narrative, moral fable, and philosophical inquiry into a work that remains central to eighteenth-century English literature.

As a seminal work of Enlightenment thought, this literary classic examines themes of ambition, disillusionment, free will, and the universal human search for meaning.