The Common Reader
A blog for what Samuel Johnson and Virginia Woolf called the common reader. Make the most of your reading time. "One of my favourite Substacks." Helen Lewis
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“Books you didn’t know you wanted to read. ”
Helen Lewis, The Bluestocking
“literature and biography (and opsimaths too!) - great stuff”
Shane O'Mara, Brain Pizza by Shane O'Mara
“As someone who hasn't yet attained the status they seek, this publication's focus on late bloomers and their paths in life is inspiring and diverting”
James Harris, Stiff Upper Quip
1825: the first modern financial crisis1825 was supposed to be a very good year for Britain. Trade was thriving. War on the continent had been averted. Harvests had been good for three years. The Bank of England was well-stocked with bullion. Optimism was in the air. In February, King George IV said, “there was never…
