A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works: iv (Thrift Editions)

If you like satire, jut read these pieces to see how well it can be done. The title piece is a wonderful reductio ad absurdum, how to make clear how irrational a position is by taking it to the (il-)logical conclusion.

This is so topical, the man is a very humorous genius - a must for anyone with any political interest.

Good

Love this book! Great service A***

The book A Modest Proposal, written in the first instance by Swift in pamphlet form, is a wonderful piece of social commentary. The reviewer "a reader" appears to have completely missed the point, however, in not recognising the desired effect of this pamplet on the citizens of London. Plagued by crime and poverty, London of Swift's time was a place run as an autocracy, with many politicians and other people with high and influential social standing of a mentality far removed from reality. Swift's intended readership was these people, of upper middle and higher status, and in offering them a "solution" to the problems involved with mass poverty and crime, was actually illuminating their own misconceptions and haughtiness concerning the issue. His "modest proposal" was designed to shock and cause a reconsideration of opinion, rather than to amuse in the same way a horror film does today. Indeed, it is in this fashion that Swift is one of the first employers of "shock tactics" in politics.

A highly satirical piece that is not to be accepted on face value, unless the idea of the poor eating their children in order to get themselves out of poverty is an idea that genuinely appeals to you

Good condition. Rather thin for the money

The proposal being that the poor Irish could solve a lot of problems by eating their children! This is the best (and funniest) work of the five essays in this volume. I can't say I was overwhelmed by this book, and probably wouldn't have picked it up if it hadn't been on the 1001 Books to Read list.

En fait, ce livre regroupe de nombreux essais satiriques de Swift et pour ceux qui aiment l'humour noir et le cynisme, vous serez servis. Par contre, je trouve l'édition pas terrible (papier cheap et texte trop dense).

Una satira davvero spassosa se non fosse tristissima. Jonathan Swift propone una (finta) storia per disfarsi dei bambini degli irlandesi poveri: arrivati a circa un anno vanno cotti e dati in pasto a personaggi abbienti in modo che si elimini la tristissima storia dei giovani indigenti affamati. Ai suoi tempi l'affare prese anche una strada sbagliata: molte persone protestarono violentemente tacciando il testo come un libello sbagliato e polemico senza capire che si trattava invece di una questione che Swift volle sollevare per risolvere diversamente un problema di fame e morte.

Jonathan Swift was a satirical genius! His writing style is difficult to read, and it took me a while to parse his sentences and understand what he was trying to say, but it was hilarious once I got it! I originally bought this collection just for his "Modest Proposal" but I enjoyed all of the other works in this short collection as well.

Good book

Very happy to receive this book quickly which was needed for University Class.