Swift's satire is a remarkable concoction that depends on feigned credulity, multilayered innuendos, delicious conceits, trenchant parables, and the occasional burp.

This unique blend never fails to amuse the attentive reader. The faux-praises, coarse metaphors, and all-round silliness are enhanced tenfold by the malice that simmers beneath the surface.

True, he can be rather long-winded at times. However, one can rest assured that the alimentary matter will find its natural way out through the appropriate channels.

Like Juvenal, Swift's no-bullshit attitude truly shines through. He has a disdain for modern precocity and hypocrisy, yet he employs literary innovations to achieve his vituperative goals.

This, combined with his obvious talent for wry humor, makes him a worthy read, even though the topics he writes about can be deeply embroiled in the contemporary debates of his time and the characters within them.

Moreover, the fact that his quips are rich with allusions related to the Western intellectual tradition, religion, and alchemy ensures that Swift will not be easily dismissed as quickly as his name might seem to imply.

His work is a display of brilliant bombast from start to finish. My only regret is that I was slightly out of humor at certain points, causing me to finish the book faster than it might have otherwise warranted for a person with a relatively sufficient dose of common sense.

What I'll say about this one is that it is veeeery allegorical.

It seems to be filled with hidden meanings and symbols that require further exploration. I think I'll understand it more once I discuss it with other people. Their different perspectives and interpretations might shed new light on the story and help me uncover its deeper significance.

Generally speaking, I found it interesting. The allegorical nature of the piece makes it engaging and thought-provoking. It challenges the reader to look beyond the surface and think about the possible messages it might be传达.

For now, that'll be my commentary. I'm looking forward to having more discussions about this and delving deeper into its allegorical world.

Enjoying catching the literary and religious allusions this time - definitely missed most of them 20+ years ago! It's truly fascinating to rediscover these hidden gems within the text.

Also, I began to wonder if Kierkegaard was familiar with Swift. Their approaches to satirizing modernity, progress, and optimism in the search for the absolute bear a striking resemblance.

Both seem to be kindred spirits in their exploration of the human condition and the flaws within our society. It makes me eager to delve deeper into their works and understand the nuances of their critiques.

Perhaps there are more connections and parallels to be discovered, waiting to be unearthed by the curious reader.

This newfound awareness has opened up a whole new world of possibilities and interpretations, enriching my reading experience even further.

I look forward to continuing this journey of literary exploration and uncovering the many treasures that lie within the pages of these great works.

I read these at university and truly enjoyed them.

At university, the majority of the materials I read were those that required careful study and understanding, but not necessarily brought joy.

However, these particular tales were different. They had a certain charm and allure that made them a pleasure to read.

Perhaps it was the engaging storylines, the well-developed characters, or the unique writing styles that captured my attention and held it throughout.

Whatever the reason, I found myself looking forward to reading these tales and was sad when I reached the end.

They provided a welcome break from the more serious and academic reading that was a large part of my university experience.

Even now, years after graduating, I still remember these tales fondly and sometimes think back on them with a smile.

They will always hold a special place in my heart as some of the most enjoyable reading experiences of my university days.

This is a religious satirical allegory that is extremely challenging to follow.

It presents a complex and convoluted narrative that requires a great deal of attention and effort to understand.

The story likely contains hidden meanings and symbols that are meant to critique or comment on religious institutions, beliefs, or practices.

Readers may find themselves getting lost in the details or struggling to make sense of the overall message.

However, for those who are willing to invest the time and energy, this allegory may offer valuable insights and perspectives.

It forces us to question our own beliefs and assumptions and to look at religion from a different angle.

Despite its difficulty, it can be a rewarding and thought-provoking read for those who are interested in exploring the intersection of religion and satire.

"A Tale of a Tub" is indeed a rather strange work, and it's definitely not to the liking of everyone. At its core, it is a satirical religious allegory. It shows that among the three sons of the Father (God), Martin (representing the mainstream protestant Lutheran/Anglican tradition) is by far the most reasonable. His effort to carry out the Father's Will (the message of scripture) by trimming the absurdly extravagant alterations that his older brother Peter (Roman Catholicism) has made to the Coat the Father gave him (the liturgy and customs of the church), while avoiding the wholesale ripping and tearing of the fabric that his enthusiasm-possessed younger brother John (Calvinism and Wesleyanism) is guilty of, reveals Martin as the true conservative. He preserves what is best in tradition while using common sense to prune and modify the burdensome accretions of time.

What makes "Tub" so fascinating, however, is that this sober conservative religious stance is supported by a baroquely self-indulgent work that often seems to be a precursor of postmodernism. It is filled with numerous digressions, each one a parody in a slightly different voice, a deliberately obscure Latinate vocabulary, and allegorical details that are often extravagant and occasionally obscene. It can be difficult to read at times, but it is as intellectually dense and allusive as the best passages of Joyce and should be read by anyone interested in the development of English fiction.

"The Battle of the Books" is almost as good. In its championing of the "ancients" against the "moderns", it supports a very similar conservative position as "Tub" does, but this time in the realm of classical and literary studies. (If you don't want to read all of "The Battle", be sure to at least check out Swift's wonderful version of The Parable of the Spider and the Bee).

Eh? If I hadn't picked a copy with explanatory notes, I truly wouldn't have understood this at all. It's quite a complex piece.
I can somewhat make out what Swift is aiming for. I'm certain that during its time, it was uproariously hilarious.
The work is undeniably clever, but unfortunately, it just doesn't resonate with me. Maybe it's because of the differences in our perspectives or the era in which it was written. Nevertheless, I can still appreciate the ingenuity that went into creating it.
However, for me, it lacks that certain something that would make it a truly enjoyable read. It's like a puzzle that I can't quite solve or a joke that I don't quite get.
Perhaps with more study and a deeper understanding of the context, I might come to appreciate it more. But for now, it remains an interesting but somewhat inaccessible piece of literature.

Too smart for me haha. All jokes aside, it’s truly remarkable how Jonathan Swift's modern reputation is somewhat akin to that of Walt Disney with his "Gulliver's Travels". However, in real life, he was more like Abby Hoffman. Swift's works, especially "Gulliver's Travels", have had a profound impact on literature and popular culture. It's as if he created a magical world through his words, much like Disney does with his animations. But when we look beyond the fictional realm, Swift's real-life persona was perhaps more complex and radical, similar to that of Abby Hoffman. He was not just a writer but also a social critic, using his pen to expose the flaws and follies of society. His ideas and actions may have been ahead of his time, making him a truly fascinating figure.

In 1710, as we learn from Andrei Brezianu's introduction, Jonathan Swift was sent by the Irish Anglican episcopate to represent their interests in London. He then began a journal in the form of letters addressed to his confidante "Stella", who remained in Ireland. We put "Stella" in quotes because the name was never actually used by Swift, but is an invention of his posthumous editors. Unaffected by publication intentions, this epistolary journal is the ground on which the author's literary talent unfolds with ease. The result is an unfinished but expressive fresco of London society at that moment and an intimate and nostalgie description of the writer's relationship with his friend, who was physically absent, Esther Johnson. However, the London sojourn ends with a disappointment as Swift is not adequately rewarded for the services he provided to His Majesty's government.

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I do not understand.

This simple statement holds a world of confusion within it. It could be that the subject matter is too complex, or perhaps the language used is unfamiliar. Maybe there are concepts that are difficult to grasp or connections that are not immediately obvious.

Not understanding can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy, or even a sense of being lost. It can prevent us from moving forward, from learning, and from growing.

However, not understanding is also an opportunity. It is a chance to ask questions, to seek clarification, and to explore new ideas. It is a reminder that there is always more to learn and that our knowledge is constantly evolving.

By acknowledging our lack of understanding and taking the initiative to address it, we can expand our minds and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

So, the next time you find yourself saying "I do not understand," don't be discouraged. Instead, see it as a starting point for a journey of discovery and learning.

Men would be more cautious of losing their time in such an undertaking, if they did but consider that to answer a book effectually requires more pains and skill, more wit, learning and judgment than were employed in the writing it. -Jonathan Swift on critics

This is one of the books assigned to me during my English undergrad. Back then, I had a rather unconventional approach to my studies. I thought the best way to develop my intellectual soul was to get drunk in the afternoon, skip all my lectures, and read only the texts that suited me. I now regret not reading this book then. However, considering my general lack of control over my own being alive and the creeping dread that overshadowed that period, I don't think I would've had the patience to read it.

Swift is very funny, and not in that detached, historically-situated droll way. His humor is immediate and engaging. I was chuckling to myself throughout and even laughed aloud alone in my room. His subject might be firmly situated in his own time, but his comic timing resonates regardless of the era. If you've ever thought yourself funny for some reason, or worse still, consider yourself a 'comedy fan', I recommend Swift. Although you might have to put in a bit of work looking up his weird archaisms and subvocalize in a snooty RP English accent (which is actually quite fun).

I've heard it said that Comedy (well, American comedy but to most people that's just 'Comedy', isn't it? Disgusting.) has become more about being preachy and moralistic than being funny. Swift is interesting because he is kind of being preachy and moralistic. He attacks the corruption of Catholicism and any non-Lutheran Protestant branch. But he does so in such a way that seems to satirize that very intent. Some critics of his time thought his writing was downright atheistic, and I can honestly see that in the text. Despite whimsical elements involving fart jokes, A Tale of a Tub is a searing critique of Swift's England. There's a brutal anger to his style, yet he ironizes his own self-righteousness. When the book opens with a lengthy preface on how people that didn't like his writing just don't get it, and thirty pages into the book there's a digression on how too many writers put prefaces into their books, the didactic aspect of satire takes a backseat to the comic mischief of it all, as it likely should. It's a short, dense, and wonderfully weird book.

Jonathan Swift is truly disappointing.

Aside from the well-deserved fame he received for "Gulliver's Travels", he often comes across as a verbose and pompous blowhard.

This work, filled with numerous witticisms, seems to have the objective not only of hiding meaning within convoluted imagery but also of concealing the author's identity.

It is an ignorant screed against Catholicism, demeaning tradition without making any effort to understand it.

He appears to be one of those religious dogmatists who believe that their bible magically descended from on high in King James English and is embossed in gilt.

Councils and creeds are discarded if their pronouncements are not found within the pages of Scripture. But whose Scripture?

He rejects what he calls the Apocrypha, despite these books being part of the ancient Septuagint Bible. Instead, he embraces the truncated Masoretic text established 1000 years later by Jewish rabbis!

And, curiously, despite being an Anglican cleric, he seems not to be aware of the existence of either of these important texts.

Overall, Swift's actions and views in this regard are quite perplexing and raise questions about his true understanding and commitment to religious and literary traditions.