Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift’s classic essay A Modest Proposal is one of the most iconic essays ever written and is a perfect example of hyperbole and satire. A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, commonly referred to as A Modest Proposal, is a Juvenalian satirical essay written and published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729. Swift suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food for rich gentlemen and ladies. This satirical hyperbole mocks heartless attitudes towards the poor, who were predominantly Irish Catholic, as well as British policy towards the Irish in general.

A wickedly clever satire uses comic inversions to offer telling insights into the nature of man and society. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. Gulliver's Travels describes the four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship's surgeon. In Lilliput he discovers a world in miniature; towering over the people and their city, he is able to view their society from the viewpoint of a god. However, in Brobdingnag, a land of giants, tiny Gulliver himself comes under observation, exhibited as a curiosity at markets and fairs. In Laputa, a flying island, he encounters a society of speculators and projectors who have lost all grip on everyday reality; while they plan and calculate, their country lies in ruins. Gulliver's final voyage takes him to the land of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses whom he quickly comes to admire - in contrast to the Yahoos, filthy bestial creatures who bear a disturbing resemblance to humans. This text, based on the first edition of 1726, reproduces all the original illustrations and includes an introduction by Robert Demaria, Jr, which discusses the ways Gulliver's Travels has been interpreted since its first publication. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Dublin. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

«Сказка бочки» - памфлет Д. Свифта, направленный против современной ему церкви и человеческих пороков. Памфлет состоит из двух сюжетных линий. Одна — история троих братьев, вторая — отступления, имеющие конкретных адресатов: актеров, ораторов, чиновников, ученых и т. д. Три брата олицетворяют собой течения христианской церкви. Петр — католицизм, Джек — кальвинизм, Мартин — лютеранство и англиканскую церковь. В том, как они пытаются поделить отцовский кафтан, Свифт сатирически изображает разделение христианства и нещадно изобличает пороки всех церковных служителей. Читателя поразит остроумие автора и легкость слога его произведения.