The Battle of the Books

(Paperback)

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Inspired by Boileaus 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all essential knowledge was to be found in classical texts, and the Moderns, who claimed that contemporary learning superseded the old sources, The Battle of the Books shows Swift at his wittiest and most trenchant.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 Jamess 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.

Author Bio

Jonathan Swift (16671745) 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 Gullivers Travels is one of the landmarks of world literature.