Swiftian Inspirations

Book excerpt: This book addresses key problems regarding Swiftian thought and satire, analyzing the inspirational cultural legacy which generations of writers, thinkers, and satirists have recurrently relied upon since the Enlightenment. Section One deals with the eighteenth century and the topics of truth, falsehood and madness. Section Two focuses on two film adaptations of Gulliver’s Travels as well as on allusions to Swiftian satire during the US Enlightenment and in post-racial America. Section Three looks at the politics of language, politeness, and satire within translation, and Section Four dwells upon the process of reading Swift in the age of post-truth and Brexit. It will be of interest to students and scholars of eighteenth-century literature and culture, modern-day politics as well as to those interested in satire, science fiction, and film adaptations of literary works.