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Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Company typeReference work
IndustryPublishing
Founded1855
FounderJohn Bartlett
Headquarters
Boston
,
United States
ProductsAnthology of quotations
ParentLittle, Brown and Company

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, commonly referred to simply as Bartlett's, stands as a premier American reference work and is recognized as the longest-running and most extensively circulated anthology of quotations. Initially released in 1855, the collection is currently in its 19th edition (2022).

The compilation arranges its entries by author, sorted by birth year in chronological order rather than alphabetically, with each author's quotations also presented in chronological sequence. It features an all-encompassing keyword index and provides source citations for every quotation included.

19th century

John Bartlett, an American publisher who managed the University Book Store located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, started assembling quotations in response to frequent customer inquiries. In 1855, he privately published A Collection of Familiar Quotations, which also drew upon Isabella Rushton Preston’s 1853 work Handbook of Familiar Quotations from English Authors. The inaugural edition contained 258 pages covering 169 authors, with a primary focus on the Bible, William Shakespeare, and notable English poets.

In the fourth edition, Bartlett acknowledged the difficulty in defining what constitutes "familiar" quotations, noting that familiarity varies among different readers.

The publication enjoyed commercial success; Bartlett released three subsequent editions before affiliating with Little, Brown and Company in Boston. He became a senior partner there and supervised nine additional editions until his death in 1905, during which sales exceeded 300,000 copies. Significant editions included the seventh (1875), eighth (1882), and ninth (1891), while the tenth edition was published after a two-decade interval.

20th century

The 10th edition (1914), edited by Nathan Haskell Dole, preserved the established format by organizing English quotations chronologically from literary sources and adding sections for politicians, scientists, translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts, as well as biblical excerpts. The 11th edition (1937), under editors Christopher Morley and Louella D. Everett, introduced a larger page format with a two-column layout that defined the modern style. Morley and Everett also managed the 12th edition (1948).

The "Centennial Edition," or 13th edition (1955), credited Morley, Everett, and Emily Morison Beck as editors and incorporated contemporary personalities such as cartoonist Bill Mauldin and Queen Elizabeth II. Beck later edited both the 14th (1968) and 15th editions (1980). Critic Aram Bakshian contended that Beck’s 15th edition represented a decline due to an excessive focus on trendy youth culture and feminist quotations.

Following Beck’s retirement, Little, Brown appointed Justin Kaplan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for his work on Mark Twain, to edit the 16th edition (1993). Kaplan faced criticism for perceived ideological partiality, including limiting quotes from former president Ronald Reagan to only three minor entries while featuring numerous quotations from Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. He was also criticized for incorporating pop culture references deemed lacking enduring significance.

21st century

Kaplan’s 17th edition (2003) continued to attract critique for including modern figures such as J. K. Rowling, Jerry Seinfeld, and Larry David, while removing classics like eleven quotations by Alexander Pope. Although Kaplan increased Reagan quotes from three to six, he admitted to personal bias against him.

The 18th edition (2012), overseen by poet and critic Geoffrey O'Brien, editor-in-chief of the Library of America, represented a move toward harmonizing traditional content with contemporary additions. O'Brien remains at the helm as editor for the 19th edition (2022).

See also

References

Alongside the introductory notes from multiple Bartlett's editions, the following works contributed significant perspectives:

  • Aram Bakshian, Jr., "Bartlett's familiar quotas," National Review, vol. 45, no. 22, November 15, 1993, pp. 60–61.
  • "Bartlett's selective memory," Alberta Report, vol. 21, no. 3, January 3, 1994, p. 15.
  • Caroline Benham, "Cuts from 'Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'," USA Today, October 17, 2002.
  • James Gleick, "Bartlett Updated," The New York Times Book Review, August 8, 1993, p. 3.
  • Roger Kimball, "You Can Look It Up," The Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2002.
  • Douglas Martin, "Emily Morison Beck, 88, Dies, Edited Bartlett's Quotations," The New York Times, March 31, 2004, p. C13.
  • Adam Meyerson, "Editing History," Reader's Digest, vol. 144, issue 863, March 1994, p.104.
  • Adam Meyerson, "Mr. Kaplan, Tear Down This Wall," Policy Review, Fall 1993, Issue 66.
  • Robin Roger, "Up to the minute," Commentary, vol. 95, no. 5, May 1993, pp. 56–58.

External links

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