Inspired by Boileau’s Lutrin and illustrating the debate within European intellectual circles between the “Ancients”, who argued that all essential knowledge was to be found in classical texts, and the “Moderns”, who claimed that contemporary learning superseded the old sources, The Battle of the Books shows Swift at his wittiest and most trenchant. In this early satire, various books in St James’s Library take on a life of their own and come into conflict with one another, in a pastiche of the heroic epic genre.
As well as providing humorous reflections on the nature of scholarship and education, Swift seizes the opportunity to take swipes at several authors and critics. The result is a timeless and entertaining parody by one of the most enduringly popular writers in the English language.
By:
Jonathan Swift Imprint: Alma Edizioni Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 150mm,
Width: 110mm,
Weight: 87g ISBN:9781847496799 ISBN 10: 1847496792 Series:Quirky Classics Pages: 112 Publication Date:01 February 2017 Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer of prose, poetry, essays and political pamphlets, and is probably the best-known satirist in the English language. His novel Gulliver's Travels is one of the landmarks of world literature.