Nicky's review
A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works (Thrift Editions) by Jonathan Swift
Nicky's review
rating:
bookshelves: philosophy
recommended for: thinkers, people who appreciate humor
status: Read in December, 2007
rating:
bookshelves: philosophy
recommended for: thinkers, people who appreciate humor
status: Read in December, 2007
A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works contains five essays by Swift. A Modest Proposal focuses upon politics, Battle of the Books upon literature and philosophy, and the remaining three address religious belief and practice.
A Modest Proposal is easily the most famous of Swift's essays, and as such most people are aware of its premise. It is incredibly witty, brief, and poignant. A fine satire.
To appreciate Battle of the Books requires a fair amount of understanding regarding ancient and modern philosophy and literature. It casts writings (personified as their writers) in struggle against one another set in a library. But in a broader sense, it can be appreciated as expressing vanity, ingratitude, and disdain by some modern thinkers for ancient thinkers.
Meditation Upon a Broomstick is a very short work drawing analogy between broomstick and man, speaking of the nature and purposes...more
A Modest Proposal is easily the most famous of Swift's essays, and as such most people are aware of its premise. It is incredibly witty, brief, and poignant. A fine satire.
To appreciate Battle of the Books requires a fair amount of understanding regarding ancient and modern philosophy and literature. It casts writings (personified as their writers) in struggle against one another set in a library. But in a broader sense, it can be appreciated as expressing vanity, ingratitude, and disdain by some modern thinkers for ancient thinkers.
Meditation Upon a Broomstick is a very short work drawing analogy between broomstick and man, speaking of the nature and purposes...more
