A Modest Proposal

Firstly, the one star review by "smat" dated 11/10/11 can be safely ignored. He or she is clearly talking about a different book ("free" is hardly the same as "expensive", and there are no sections in the short text for which a contents page or index would be needed). "A Modest Proposal" was my first journey into Swift's particular brand of political satire, and I found his arguments for the consumption of children as compelling as they were entertaining. Given the current economic downturn one wonders why no party on the lunatic fringe has yet co-opted the work as their manifesto. This is a short read, fairly easy to stick with given the somewhat archaic mode of writing, and it's free. Kindle is the perfect platform for encouraging people such as myself to expand their literary horizons and this text has introduced me painlessly to an author I had not previously considered reading. Recommended!

classic satire

I'm currently rereading and revisiting some of the texts I studied at school and university to see how different my attitude is to them now I am at the age of the teachers rather than the pupils. Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal is one of the texts that I remember my English teachers raving about, for the elegance of its language and its perfect example of how to convey even the most outrageous arguments persuasively. I think I really "got" this one even as a teenager, and it came as no real surprise to discover that this essay by such a master of the English language (albeit Irish - Swift was Dean of Trinity College, Dublin) has stood up so well to the test of time. It continues to be the perfect model of the essayists, For the benefit of anyone reading this review who has not yet read it, I am reluctant to explain exactly what the proposal consists of, but I urge you to read of yourself to discover exactly what it is. Prepare to be surprised. And also astonished at how persuasive his argument is of something that should be entirely abhorrent. Of course, he was being entirely ironic, but this approach is a much more skilful way of drawing attention to his cause - the social deprivations and inequalities in the Ireland of his day - than if he had written a simple plea or description of those conditions. The power of his argument continues to resonate to this day and sadly is still relevant to the twenty-first century world. His easy rhetoric is a masterful and timely reminder of how easily we may be swept along by skilled politicians or even leaders of cults. I think this essay should be compulsory reading on both sides of the Atlantic, and I am grateful to my (American) English teacher in high school for introducing me to it. Whether or not you are interested in politics, if you love to read superbly composed and compelling essay, read this one, and be amazed by how readily its message would slot into a 21st century political comedy sketch show, or, god forbid, into the mouths of some of our current political leaders without the saving grace of irony.

An interesting short story or should I say evaluation on whether or not very young children should be killed for meat in a starving Ireland. It stays with you much after it has been read. The narrator gives many convincing points as to why it would be good to kill little children for meat in a starving Ireland but I just couldn't agree with the morality of it. Read it, it will challenge your thinking on human cannibalism

Did you ever consider politics is funny? Or economics? Or just dull? tedious? pretentious? Well, if you need to be persuaded, then just read this >> What happens when you take an idea to its logical(??) conclusion without considering its morality. It's satire at its absolutely brilliant best; it'll only take you minutes to read (tho' you might want to linger a while on some of the wonderful phrases) and it's free on Kindle. What's to lose?

I am studying utopian and dystopian literature and the lecturer mentioned Swift's Modest Proposal. It's a very short read (20 minutes maybe) and is truly bizarre in its premise - sell children for food?? However obscene a proposal, Swift detail both the social and the economic "advantages" of just such an idea. The premise is well laid out, and (if not so obscene) certainly makes one think...

A lot of people will write books thinking that they are being satirical, when in fact, all they are being is sarcastic. Jonathan Swift has to be the absolute master when it comes to the subject of satire. A Modest Proposal is not an 'easy read', nor should it be when you consider the topics it relates to. Approach this book with an open mind, try and avoid as much as possible, any academic views of it, (if you were studying this at university level, your tutor would be having you 'write a paper' on it that would be longer than the book itself), and prepare to have your opinions changed on many things. Given that it was written in the 1700's, it is going to be 'wordy'. Stick with it. It is an amazing piece of 'work'.

What is not to enjoy about this pungent pamphlet? In a mere 26 pages, Swift makes a simply stunning indictment against the callousness of the landed gentry and gives the reader a most interesting idea for a simple dietary solution to the woes of the poor! Brilliant, cruel and funny.

Swift bhai, I grew up reading you. My children are enjoying your writings now

Faltou o subtítulo, e há alguns problemas com a grafia (publick, por exemplo). Mas o texto de Swift é uma excelente reflexão crítica para os dias de hoje.

A classic that was easy to download and an easy read that I can tick off my list of 1001 books to read before I die list. Actually quite thought provoking given the time it was written and now. Not sure if it would be considered politically correct or on the school book list unless the content was used at a university or tertiary level for a thought provoking discussion about race, gender equality, social hierarchy and their historical significance in the given context.

Swift is known for his wit. His satirical writings are difficult to get without a firm historical background in the politics is his era. This essay, however, is comprehendible and will relate to most modern readers. Defiantly worth the five to ten minutes it takes to read.

No pude con él, la historia es demasiado truculenta para mi gusto. No es que el libro sea malo, simplemente es un relato demasiado gore.