Author: James W. Swift

1Modest Proposal

By Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift almost defines satire in this biting and brutal pamphlet in which he suggests that poor (Catholic) Irish families should fatten up their children and sell them to the rich (Protestant) land owners, thus solving the twin problems of starving children and poverty in one blow. When the “Proposal” was published in 1729, Swift was quickly attacked, and even accused of barbarity – the exact state the “Proposal” was written to expose. (Summary by Hugh)

2Gulliver's Travels

By Jonathan Swift

<em>Gulliver's Travels</em> (1726, amended 1735), officially <em>Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World</em>, is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the "travelers' tales" literary sub-genre. It is widely considered Swift's magnum opus and is his most celebrated work, as well as one of the indisputable classics of English literature. (Summary from Wikipedia)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 different recordings of <em>Advice to the Grub Street Verse-writers</em> by Jonathan Swift. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of February 24th, 2008.

This is a children's version of Jonathan Swift's novel <i>Gulliver's Travels</i>, from the <i>Told to the Children Series</i> (published in 1910). The children's adventure story covers Gulliver's visits to the lands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden)

5Gulliver’s Reizen

By Jonathan Swift

Gulliver's reizen is een satirisch boek uit 1726 van de Ierse schrijver Jonathan Swift. Het oorspronkelijke boek bevatte vier reisbeschrijvingen, waarvan alleen de eerste, over het land Lilliput, nu nog grote bekendheid geniet. In deze uitgave zijn alleen de eerste twee delen van het oorspronkelijke werk opgenomen. Het tweede deel heet ‘Een reis naar Brobdingnag’. (Samenvatting door Wikipedia en Bart de Leeuw)<br /><br />Tijdens de productie schreef Marcel Coenders, die de tekstcontrole van dit boek verzorgde: "Een mooi boek. Uiteraard kennen we allemaal de een-regel-samenvatting van dit boek: Gulliver gaat op reis in Liliputterland en in Reuzenland. Goed om het verhaal nu eens in een vollere omvang te beluisteren. Zeker geen kinderboekje."

Denne udgivelse af Gullivers Rejser indeholder 1. bog - Rejse til Lilliput og 2. bog - Rejse til Brobdingnag kæmpernes land. Oprindeligt tæller Gullivers Rejser flere bøger, men det er kun de to første, der er udgivet på dansk. <br> Jonathan Swift beskriver i nøje detaljer sine rejser, dette som en parodi på rejsebeskrivelsen som genre. Skønt Gullivers Rejser i Danmark er udgivet som børnebog, er den ikke kun en fantasifuld fortælling, men også et samfundssatirisk spejlbillede af datidens England. (Summary by Lulularsen)

7Tale of a Tub

By Jonathan Swift

A Tale of a Tub was the first major work written by Jonathan Swift, composed between 1694 and 1697, that was eventually published in 1704. It is arguably his most difficult satire, and perhaps his most masterly. The Tale is a prose parody which is divided into sections of "digression" and a "tale" of three brothers, each representing one of the main branches of western Christianity. A Tale was long regarded as a satire on religion itself, and has famously been attacked for that, starting with William Wotton. The "tale" presents a consistent satire of religious excess, while the digressions are a series of parodies of contemporary writing in literature, politics, theology, Biblical exegesis, and medicine. The overarching parody is of enthusiasm, pride, and credulity. At the time it was written, politics and religion were still linked very closely in England, and the religious and political aspects of the satire can often hardly be separated. "The work made Swift notorious, and was widely misunderstood, especially by Queen Anne herself who mistook its purpose for profanity." "It effectively disbarred its author from proper preferment within the church," but is considered one of Swift's best allegories, even by himself. It was enormously popular, but Swift believed it damaged his prospect of advancement in the Church of England. (Summary by Wikipedia)

8On A Shadow In A Glass

By Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.<br /><br /> Swift is remembered for works such as Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, and others. He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and is less well known for his poetry. - Summary by Wikipedia

9Poems of Jonathan Swift, Volume One

By Jonathan Swift

Sit back and listen to these light-hearted witty rhymes and see the world Jonathan Swift saw -- and maybe recognize your own. Think there is such a thing as corrupt rich guys who pretend they're God's gift to the world? So did Swift. Think some of these types strut around as if calls of nature don't apply to them? So did Swift. In one hilarious poem, he even describes gold diggers fighting over the loaded gentleman's gaseous offerings! His poem On Poetry, A Rhapsody, censored for treasonous mocking of the royal family, is in its rare uncensored form here. As free as he himself is with his sharp tongue against the blackened rich and corrupt , he knows others might have to kiss up to eat. So he includes many verses of advice on how to go about lying for a living, for example, "Your interest lies to learn the knack Of whitening what before was black." Despite the decay and hypocrisy he sees all around him he stays upbeat throughout -- even making fun out of his own tragic onset of deafness. You already know this giant of English literature for the great feast of prose he left us. Think of these delicious poems here as your sinful dessert. - Summary by Arthur Krolman

10Poems of Jonathan Swift, Volume Two

By Jonathan Swift

He lived simply, loved his walks and craved the company of fellow poetical wits as they craved his company in return. With his pal Dr. Sheridan, for one, Jonathan Swift delighted in the 18th century equivalent of a rap off – going back and forth in dueling verse repartee. This second volume is a cornucopia of biting, iconoclastic humor and earnest criticism of injustice. Poems herein concerning Wood’s Halfpence are the companion to his famous Drapier’s Letters and trumpet his achievement in stirring up sufficient outcry to spare Ireland from damaging monetary debasement. He knew what real money was: “For in all the leases that ever we hold We must pay our rent in good silver and gold, And not in brass tokens of such a base mould.” And he didn’t think much of monetary debasement’s evil twin, fractional reserve banking, either: “We want our money on the nail The Banker’s ruin’d if he pays”. There’s a healthy smattering here of bums and urination references too – just so you know these are genuine Swift poems -- and all manner of other topics too. In Death and Daphne, written for a favorite grisette, we learn of Death’s sagging libido due to the skinniness of his human bride. And the last poem excoriating Sheridan for comparing base women to noble clouds is a heavenly coup de grâce for any challenger who would dare to top his politically incorrect and thunderous wit: <br />Some critic may object, perhaps, <br />That clouds are blamed for giving claps; <br />But what, alas! are claps ethereal, <br />Compared for mischief to venereal?<br /> - Summary by Arthur Krolman

11Gulliverin matkat kaukaisilla mailla

By Jonathan Swift

Tämä on Jonathan Swiftin kirjoittama ja Samuli Suomalaisen kääntämä versio kirjasta "Gulliverin matkat kaukaisilla mailla". Se on suunnattu nuorille ja sisältää vain kaksi ensimmäistä osaa, kun täydessä versiossa osia on neljä. Ensimmäisessä osassa Gulliver-niminen matkamies haaksirikkoutuu mini-ihmisten asuttamaan maahan, jonka nimi on Lilliput. Toisessa osassa hän puolestaan joutuu seikkailuihin jättiläisten valtakuntaan Brobdingnagiin. Etenkin ensimmäisistä osista tehtyjen lasten kuvakirjojen myötä Gulliverin retket mielletään usein lastensaduksi, mutta se on alun perin tarkoitettu satiiriksi hallitsijoista, politiikasta ja ihmisluonnosta. - Summary by Harri Tapani Ylilammi

Los Viajes de Gulliver pertenece al género fantástico y es unn serie de viajes imaginarios, que leídos en profundidad, constituye una de las mejores sátiras que se han escrito. Swift escribió los Viajes de Gulliver, desde la experiencia de Swift con los Tories y sus conflictos con los Whigs, estas disputas fueron la causa para escribir libros que burlando la opinión religiosa, gubernamental o popular, ponían en evidencia los diferentes puntos de vista entre ellos y con él mismo.<br><br>La obra relata los cuatro viajes por mar, realizados por un médico de abordo llamado Lemuel Gulliver. A través de Gullliver, J.Swift en sus cuatro viajes por diferentes países, representa cada uno, una parte corrupta de Inglaterra. Swift critica al gobierno, la sociedad, la ciencia y la religión. No solamente hace crítica de las costumbres de cada país, sino que además se burla del hombre ingenuo, quien tiene la incapacidad para figurarse el doble sentido de las cosas. Summary by Phileas Fogg

Einer der Klassiker der Weltliteratur, der seit Generationen Groß und Klein fesselt: Lemuel Gulliver bereist ferne Länder und erlebt dabei unerhörte Abenteuer, er trifft auf phantastische Einwohner unbekannter, ferner Gegenden, wobei alle diese skurrilen Erlebnisse immer wieder satirisch die damalige (und auch unsere heutige) Gesellschaft reflektieren. Eine ungemein phantasiereiches Buch, das überaus unterhaltsam ist, allerdings auch jede Menge Stoff zum Nachdenken bietet und über ein reines Kinderbuch weit hinausgeht. - Summary by Boris

14Battle of the Books

By Jonathan Swift

"The Battle of the Books" depicts a literal battle between books in the King's Library (housed in St James's Palace at the time of the writing), as ideas and authors struggle for supremacy. Because of the satire, "The Battle of the Books" has become a term for the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns. It is one of his earliest well-known works. (Wikipedia)

15Bettesworth's Exultation

By Jonathan Swift

LibriVox volunteers bring you 8 recordings of Bettesworth's Exultation Upon hearing that his name would be transmitted to posterity in Dr. Swift's works, by William Dunkin by Jonathan Swift.<br> This was the Weekly Poetry project for September 15, 2019. <br> ------<br> Jonathan Swift, satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language and is less well known for his poetry. - Summary by Wikipedia

LibriVox volunteers bring you 11 recordings of Market Women's Cries by Jonathan Swift.<br> This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for September 23, 2019. <br> ------<br> Here is another Jonathan Swift poem, this time he reflects on the old English Market and the cries of the merchants. - Summary by David Lawrence

LibriVox volunteers bring you 7 recordings of A Description Of A City Shower by Jonathan Swift.<br> This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for January 26, 2020. <br> ------<br> You don't find a weather forecast like this local media. - Summary by David Lawrence

18Gulliver's Travels (Version 2)

By Jonathan Swift

Join Gulliver in this classic story as he voyages all over the place. - Summary by Victoria Bell

19Gulliver's Travels (Version 3)

By Jonathan Swift

First published in 1726, Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" presents, as a mock travel tale, a series of thought experiments mixed with strong elements of social satire. A good part of the fun is seeing Swift work through the practical implications of each of his "what ifs?" — what if I was suddenly enormously magnified or diminished in size? for example - and delighting in the relish with which Swift indulges his great interest in matters scatalogical. As the tale progresses, Swift's skewering of English society becomes more and more pointed, reaching its ultimate ad absurdum as the author compares his contemporaries unfavourably with ... horses. (Summary by Peter Dann)