Jonathan Swift

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Much has been written on Swift and his principal satires, yet surprisingly little attention has been paid to his imaginative approach. The satirical use of fiction in his work has not been systematically examined, despite being a key factor in his appeal to readers. This aspect is the focus of Jonathan Swift: The Fictions of the Satirist. J.-P. Forster challenges the prevailing emphasis on the connection between Swift's work and his life or era, instead exploring the parodic devices and fictional patterns that shape his incisive critique of humanity as a social and political being. Forster argues that these fictional devices allow Swift to create a remarkable satirical commentary on reality, producing effects unattainable through irony and rhetoric alone. The book showcases Swift's inventiveness and his ability to manipulate reader expectations, portraying him as a figure of the Age of Reason who harnesses imagination to bolster common sense. The revised edition provides an opportunity for the author to assess the current state of Swift studies after several years, incorporating insights from recent research on the satirist's fictions and interdisciplinary developments in the study of the eighteenth century, including its medicine and visual arts.