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The Battle of the Books
"The Battle of the Books" is the name of a short satire written by Jonathan Swift and published as part of the prolegomena to his A Tale of a Tub in 1704. It 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.
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First published January 1, 1697
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About the author
Jonathan Swift
4,823 books2,090 followersJonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift".
Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M.B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".
Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M.B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 1, 2019
Disjointed, dry, and very confusing. There was absolutely nothing about this short story that I enjoyed in the slightest. Bleh. :P
February 18, 2020
Swift truly is a master of satire. This was a creative and fun read...and I'm pretty sure at least half my students didn't actually read it once they realized it took some research to understand. And trust me, it does. But the hard-won chuckle is worth it.
February 14, 2020
18th Century Comment Trolling
15 February 2020 - Moonta
One of the reasons that books like this are interesting is because they show us that social media isn’t actually a new thing. Okay, these days, with computerisation and the second incarnation of the internet opens it up to so many more people, and also the fact that we are literate in a way that people in the past never were, but honestly, even before the internet as we currently know it, the letters pages of newspapers and magazines formed a core part of what Facebook and other sites do today (and I remember a number of letters of mine being published in the university newspaper, and how these letters would eventually form a back and forth dialogue that would be reminiscent of a Reddit comment thread).
So, what we have here is a discussion among learned intellectuals as to whether they have reached a position where they can say that the knowledge of the ancients had been superseded by their own knowledge. Of course, we have a group that would claim ‘rubbish, it is impossible to supersede the likes of Cicero, Homer, and of course Aristotle’. Others, though, point out that we certainly do know and understand a lot more, and others claim that because of the writings of the ancients we can see a lot further than otherwise.
In a way, it is probably interesting that this discussion has arisen at this point in time, namely because we have passed the renaissance and the Reformation, and are now in the midst of the Scientific Revolution (though we have not quite reached the Enlightenment yet). In a way the workings of some of the ancient scientists (such as Ptolemy) has been superseded, but yet the likes of Galen wasn’t to be challenged by at least another hundred years. Further, some works, while they were challenged, others were simply expanded upon, and not actually critiqued.
Swift is not so much making a mockery of the arguments, but rather how the writings of the various authors appear as a massive battle being waged across the pages of literature. As I have suggested, in part it certainly does feel like the battles that are regularly waged on the comment posts of various Facebook threads (that is if they aren’t deleted). Mind you, I suspect that the tone is a lot more civil than one finds on Facebook (though, I could certainly be wrong in that regard). In fact, if you have a look at the work you will notice that there are a number of prefaces, no doubt being added by the publisher, and the author, to respond to allegations make about this work (which, once again, certainly comes across like it would fit quite well in a modern context).
Another thing that stands out is how it appears to become a beast all of its own. Simply by producing this work, Swift has suddenly found himself caught up in the battle, and the collection includes numbers letters that Swift has now been forced to write defending his position in one way or another. In a way, it really does feel like some huge argument that has either developed on Facebook, or one of the many huge back and forth email threads that we used to have back in the early days of the internet. I also remember when one trys to wade into an argument, only to discover that one is aset on all sides by people who are rather annoyed that some third party has decided to throw in their own two cents worth.
The argument itself is sort of interesting, though Swift really doesn’t provide an answer, or join sides, but rather just writes a satire about how this battle comes across in his mind. Personally, looking back at this era, when we have the likes of Newton, Galileo and countless numbers of other scientists completely destroying the writings on Aristotle through observation and experimentation, would suggest that we have, in part, moved along. But only with regards to scientific exploration, and looking back over history there is still a very, very long way to go. In the realm of philosophy, I would argue that having the writings of the ancients is vitally important since it forms part of the cannon that we have to draw upon. However, I just wouldn’t recommend consulting Galen for medical advice.
15 February 2020 - Moonta
One of the reasons that books like this are interesting is because they show us that social media isn’t actually a new thing. Okay, these days, with computerisation and the second incarnation of the internet opens it up to so many more people, and also the fact that we are literate in a way that people in the past never were, but honestly, even before the internet as we currently know it, the letters pages of newspapers and magazines formed a core part of what Facebook and other sites do today (and I remember a number of letters of mine being published in the university newspaper, and how these letters would eventually form a back and forth dialogue that would be reminiscent of a Reddit comment thread).
So, what we have here is a discussion among learned intellectuals as to whether they have reached a position where they can say that the knowledge of the ancients had been superseded by their own knowledge. Of course, we have a group that would claim ‘rubbish, it is impossible to supersede the likes of Cicero, Homer, and of course Aristotle’. Others, though, point out that we certainly do know and understand a lot more, and others claim that because of the writings of the ancients we can see a lot further than otherwise.
In a way, it is probably interesting that this discussion has arisen at this point in time, namely because we have passed the renaissance and the Reformation, and are now in the midst of the Scientific Revolution (though we have not quite reached the Enlightenment yet). In a way the workings of some of the ancient scientists (such as Ptolemy) has been superseded, but yet the likes of Galen wasn’t to be challenged by at least another hundred years. Further, some works, while they were challenged, others were simply expanded upon, and not actually critiqued.
Swift is not so much making a mockery of the arguments, but rather how the writings of the various authors appear as a massive battle being waged across the pages of literature. As I have suggested, in part it certainly does feel like the battles that are regularly waged on the comment posts of various Facebook threads (that is if they aren’t deleted). Mind you, I suspect that the tone is a lot more civil than one finds on Facebook (though, I could certainly be wrong in that regard). In fact, if you have a look at the work you will notice that there are a number of prefaces, no doubt being added by the publisher, and the author, to respond to allegations make about this work (which, once again, certainly comes across like it would fit quite well in a modern context).
Another thing that stands out is how it appears to become a beast all of its own. Simply by producing this work, Swift has suddenly found himself caught up in the battle, and the collection includes numbers letters that Swift has now been forced to write defending his position in one way or another. In a way, it really does feel like some huge argument that has either developed on Facebook, or one of the many huge back and forth email threads that we used to have back in the early days of the internet. I also remember when one trys to wade into an argument, only to discover that one is aset on all sides by people who are rather annoyed that some third party has decided to throw in their own two cents worth.
The argument itself is sort of interesting, though Swift really doesn’t provide an answer, or join sides, but rather just writes a satire about how this battle comes across in his mind. Personally, looking back at this era, when we have the likes of Newton, Galileo and countless numbers of other scientists completely destroying the writings on Aristotle through observation and experimentation, would suggest that we have, in part, moved along. But only with regards to scientific exploration, and looking back over history there is still a very, very long way to go. In the realm of philosophy, I would argue that having the writings of the ancients is vitally important since it forms part of the cannon that we have to draw upon. However, I just wouldn’t recommend consulting Galen for medical advice.
August 15, 2021
The allegory of the bee and spider to describe the moderns vs. the ancients is brilliant. The battle scenes, parodies of Homer and Virgil, in this short work were hysterical.
January 22, 2015
As it happens with Swift, I'm lying on the floor with tears of laughter streaming down my face. It's a very short book and ends very abruptly, though. Gah, I can't even spoil it :/
I need to talk to someone who has read it!!!
I need to talk to someone who has read it!!!
November 7, 2023
Very short, very odd.
Interestingly enough my 13 yo who read it for school with me thought it hilarious. I was mostly confused, but Thank you Angelina Stanford for the very helpful insights into this and Gulliver. I would have been much more confused without that help.
Interestingly enough my 13 yo who read it for school with me thought it hilarious. I was mostly confused, but Thank you Angelina Stanford for the very helpful insights into this and Gulliver. I would have been much more confused without that help.
February 13, 2024
Swift has the delightfully unique skill of being profoundly beautiful and absurdly funny at once. This short story is a must read for everyone!
February 27, 2024
Humour is an obligatory element in all true satire. Unquestionably, in the hands of certain writers, satire often takes the form of abuse or invective. Swift himself resorts to denunciation in the past part of his satirical work, Gulliver's Travels.
But all honest satire must charm the readers by its use of humour, wit, irony, raillery, mockery, sarcasm, etc. Swift is one of the greatest humorists in the English language, and The Battle of the Books provides ample evidence of his humour. Indeed, satirical humour is the keynote of The Battle of the Books.
The representation of Bentley is an exceptional specimen of Swift's sardonic humour. This man is represented as light-headed and, though delightfully nimble in assumption, he has such a heavy back that he is unable to climb the rock where two of the ancient chiefs occupied a certain position. Bentley is designated as a man with a disordered mind, the muddle being due to the fact that he had swallowed a large number of worms from the books of some medieval philosophers and theologians. The interpretation of Dryden delivers another instance of Swift's ironic humour. Dryden's helmet is nine times too big for his head which was situated far in his hinder part, "like the lady in a lobster, or like a mouse under a canopy of state, or like a shrivelled beau from within the penthouse of a modern periwig". Then, of course, there is the spoof portrayal of the goddess of Criticism.
Let us take a closer look at the Characters in "The Battle of the Books". A very large number of ancient and modern writers figure in this tome. Among them, of course, are the leaders on the two sides of the debate about ancient and modern learning. The champions of ancient learning are Sir William Temple and Charles Boyle. The champions of the Moderns are Richard Bentley and William Wotton. Then there are the authors or the warriors who take part in the so-called battle. Those who represent the Ancients are: Homer; Pindar; Euclid; Plato and Aristotle; Herodotus and Livy; Hippocrates and Galen.
The list of the Moderns is much longer and includes the following: Paracelsus; Descartes; Davenant; Denham; Wesley; Perrault; Fontenelle;, Dryden; Blackmore; Creech; Oldham; Afra Behn; and Cowley. Then there are a few supernatural characters also as part of the epic frame-work. These deities include Jupiter or Jove, Apollo, Pallas, Momus, and Mercury.
As has been made plentifully clear above, Swift in this tome appears as a resilient supporter of ancient learning and ancient authors. His main argument supporting the Ancients is conveyed to us through the parable of the spider and the bee. The Moderns claim that they are original in their productions and that they have borrowed nothing from other sources. This claim, as said by Swift, only shows the lowliness, frivolity, and conceit of the Moderns.
Much of the work of the Moderns contain little more than squabbling and mockery, and is thus like the poison which the spider draws from its own inner self. The Moderns do possess "method and art", but they do not have "duration and matter". The Moderns are hide-bound, and the slaves of finicky rules. They are ostentatious in their learning and wish to make a parade of what little learning they possess. The Ancients, quite the reverse, have well-found in mankind with the two most gallant of things, which are sweetness and light.
Thus this tome becomes a satire on laboriousness, pretension, false sophistication and subjectivism. The encounters, in which the Moderns are effortlessly beaten by the Ancients, are so described as to glorify the Ancients and to degrade and ridicule the Moderns. The closing episode in the book portrays the victory of Charles Boyle (and Temple) over Wotton and Bentley in the debate about the relative claims of the Ancients and the Moderns to superiority.
A few words of censure to end this discussion.
1) Although The Battle of the Books is a masterpiece of satirical writing, its construction leaves much to be desired. There is a glaring absence of steadiness in the narration of events. Swift begins in a rather didactic vein by finding the source of wars in poverty and want, the insinuation being that the Moderns started a war against the Ancients because of their own intellectual poverty and the feeling of jealousy to which it gave rise.
2) He then gives us the source of the dispute between the Moderns and the Ancients by describing the two groups as tenants on Parnassus, the former occupying a lower summit than the one in the possession of the latter. Then there is a digression in which Swift makes a satirical attack on Richard Bentley (who had refuted Sir William Temple's views about the Epistles of Phalaris).
3) Next, Swift turns to the books of the Moderns who were taking stock of their strength and their resources and who were not at all convinced by one of the Ancients trying to assert the superiority of the Ancients. This is followed by the allegory of the spider and the bee. The commanders of the armies of the Moderns and the Ancients are then named.
4) There is another digression when a reference is made to the conference of gods and goddesses above in the heavens (on the Milky Way) and when several paragraphs are devoted to a portrayal of the goddess Criticism. All this takes a little more than half of Swift's book and it is only then that the battle, consisting of several successive encounters, begins.
5) The closing encounter is, again, unreasonably extended, obviously because Swift wanted to make Bentley and Wotton the principal targets of his satirical attack.
6) Another flaw in the construction is, the numerous gaps in the narration indicated by dots and a note in Latin that something is missing. What was Swift's purpose in making it seem that something was missing, nobody knows. Nor is it clear why Latin wording is used every time there is a gap. The gaps merely puzzle and irritate the reader.
However, all this criticism does objectively little, to rob us of the charm of this book.
Very recommended.
But all honest satire must charm the readers by its use of humour, wit, irony, raillery, mockery, sarcasm, etc. Swift is one of the greatest humorists in the English language, and The Battle of the Books provides ample evidence of his humour. Indeed, satirical humour is the keynote of The Battle of the Books.
The representation of Bentley is an exceptional specimen of Swift's sardonic humour. This man is represented as light-headed and, though delightfully nimble in assumption, he has such a heavy back that he is unable to climb the rock where two of the ancient chiefs occupied a certain position. Bentley is designated as a man with a disordered mind, the muddle being due to the fact that he had swallowed a large number of worms from the books of some medieval philosophers and theologians. The interpretation of Dryden delivers another instance of Swift's ironic humour. Dryden's helmet is nine times too big for his head which was situated far in his hinder part, "like the lady in a lobster, or like a mouse under a canopy of state, or like a shrivelled beau from within the penthouse of a modern periwig". Then, of course, there is the spoof portrayal of the goddess of Criticism.
Let us take a closer look at the Characters in "The Battle of the Books". A very large number of ancient and modern writers figure in this tome. Among them, of course, are the leaders on the two sides of the debate about ancient and modern learning. The champions of ancient learning are Sir William Temple and Charles Boyle. The champions of the Moderns are Richard Bentley and William Wotton. Then there are the authors or the warriors who take part in the so-called battle. Those who represent the Ancients are: Homer; Pindar; Euclid; Plato and Aristotle; Herodotus and Livy; Hippocrates and Galen.
The list of the Moderns is much longer and includes the following: Paracelsus; Descartes; Davenant; Denham; Wesley; Perrault; Fontenelle;, Dryden; Blackmore; Creech; Oldham; Afra Behn; and Cowley. Then there are a few supernatural characters also as part of the epic frame-work. These deities include Jupiter or Jove, Apollo, Pallas, Momus, and Mercury.
As has been made plentifully clear above, Swift in this tome appears as a resilient supporter of ancient learning and ancient authors. His main argument supporting the Ancients is conveyed to us through the parable of the spider and the bee. The Moderns claim that they are original in their productions and that they have borrowed nothing from other sources. This claim, as said by Swift, only shows the lowliness, frivolity, and conceit of the Moderns.
Much of the work of the Moderns contain little more than squabbling and mockery, and is thus like the poison which the spider draws from its own inner self. The Moderns do possess "method and art", but they do not have "duration and matter". The Moderns are hide-bound, and the slaves of finicky rules. They are ostentatious in their learning and wish to make a parade of what little learning they possess. The Ancients, quite the reverse, have well-found in mankind with the two most gallant of things, which are sweetness and light.
Thus this tome becomes a satire on laboriousness, pretension, false sophistication and subjectivism. The encounters, in which the Moderns are effortlessly beaten by the Ancients, are so described as to glorify the Ancients and to degrade and ridicule the Moderns. The closing episode in the book portrays the victory of Charles Boyle (and Temple) over Wotton and Bentley in the debate about the relative claims of the Ancients and the Moderns to superiority.
A few words of censure to end this discussion.
1) Although The Battle of the Books is a masterpiece of satirical writing, its construction leaves much to be desired. There is a glaring absence of steadiness in the narration of events. Swift begins in a rather didactic vein by finding the source of wars in poverty and want, the insinuation being that the Moderns started a war against the Ancients because of their own intellectual poverty and the feeling of jealousy to which it gave rise.
2) He then gives us the source of the dispute between the Moderns and the Ancients by describing the two groups as tenants on Parnassus, the former occupying a lower summit than the one in the possession of the latter. Then there is a digression in which Swift makes a satirical attack on Richard Bentley (who had refuted Sir William Temple's views about the Epistles of Phalaris).
3) Next, Swift turns to the books of the Moderns who were taking stock of their strength and their resources and who were not at all convinced by one of the Ancients trying to assert the superiority of the Ancients. This is followed by the allegory of the spider and the bee. The commanders of the armies of the Moderns and the Ancients are then named.
4) There is another digression when a reference is made to the conference of gods and goddesses above in the heavens (on the Milky Way) and when several paragraphs are devoted to a portrayal of the goddess Criticism. All this takes a little more than half of Swift's book and it is only then that the battle, consisting of several successive encounters, begins.
5) The closing encounter is, again, unreasonably extended, obviously because Swift wanted to make Bentley and Wotton the principal targets of his satirical attack.
6) Another flaw in the construction is, the numerous gaps in the narration indicated by dots and a note in Latin that something is missing. What was Swift's purpose in making it seem that something was missing, nobody knows. Nor is it clear why Latin wording is used every time there is a gap. The gaps merely puzzle and irritate the reader.
However, all this criticism does objectively little, to rob us of the charm of this book.
Very recommended.
August 1, 2014
Un pequeño libro que permite entender la actitud esquizofrénica del humano, siempre buscando dicotomías... Aunque quizá sea inevitable que en filosofía exista la división entre Antiguos y Modernos (acá los posmodernos no existen), no hay mejor manera de entender la postura de cada bando que con peras y manzanas, o mucho mejor dicho: con abejas y arañas. Es por esto último que el libro termina siendo una fábula filosófica (¿histórica?) en donde los humanos no son los protagonistas sino su encarnación en celulosa o papiros (dependiendo si eran modernos o antiguos), es decir, los libros que representan a cada autor.
March 27, 2015
Swift writes a short satire about the constant battle between past and present. He paints a far less flattering picture of Renaissance/Enlightenment authors than of ancients, despite living in an age now viewed as a major turning point in Western thought. There are some colorful moments, but in the end I was grateful that he chose not to extend it into a longer form.
February 15, 2019
shockingly first Swift I’ve ever read and smooth ride in comparison to Pope. Just far more vivid and exciting to read in context of epic
Read
November 13, 2023read for class; not too easy to comprehend but interesting to see the very beginning of the debate between the ancients and the moderns
December 29, 2024
“Η Σάτιρα είναι ένα είδος καθρέπτου, όπου όσοι κοιτάζουν ανακαλύπτουν γενικώς το πρόσωπον οιουδήποτε άλλου εκτός από το ιδικόν των”. - Από την Εισαγωγή του Συγγραφέα.
Ο συμβολισμός ξεχειλίζει σε αυτό το θαυμάσιο σατιρικό διήγημα - δοκίμιο (“δοκιμιακή ποίηση” θα το χαρακτήριζε ένας φίλος) του Jonathan Swift. Εκτός από τα διάσημα “Ταξίδια του Γκιούλιβερ”, ο Swift εξάσκησε τη σατιρική του πένα και σε μια πληθώρα θεμάτων της πνευματικής ζωής της εποχής του και με το διήγημα αυτό πήρε θέση στην “αιώνια” διαμάχη μεταξύ παλαιάς και νέας σκέψης, που συνεχίζεται και έχει ενταθεί στις μέρες μας. Χρησιμοποιώντας το εύρημα μιας “κυριολεκτικής” μάχης μεταξύ ανθρωποποιημένων βιβλίων μεγάλων στοχαστών στη Βιβλιοθήκη του Αγίου Ιακώβου, και μέσα σε ελάχιστες σελίδες, ο Αγγλοιρλανδος σατιρίζει τις "πνευματικές" μάχες λογίων με άρθρα και βιβλία που είναι απάντηση το ένα στο άλλο για την αξία της παλαιάς και της νεότερης σκέψης, πάρα πολλούς σύγχρονούς του ή λίγο παλαιότερους συγγραφείς, λόγιους και μελετητές που είχαν επιχειρηματολογήσει επί του θέματος, αλλά ακόμα και τον τρόπο γραφής της εποχής του με τις “παραβολές”, τις παρομοιώσεις, τους λατινικούς όρους, τα θεατρικά πομπώδη σχήματα και ένα σωρό άλλα.
Ειδικά στις πρώτες σελίδες κάθε λέξη κρύβει και έναν συμβολισμό, καθώς ο συγγραφέας δίνει τους λόγους της εχθρότητας των δυο πλευρών, αλλά και στη συνέχεια κάθε λεπτομέρεια αποδίδει και σατιρίζει κάποιο χαρακτηριστικό σε κάθε αντιμαχόμενο. Δεν διστάζει να χρησιμοποιήσει ως “πολεμιστές” αρχαίους και σύγχρονούς του συγγραφείς, ακόμα και τον Όμηρο (οι περιγραφές για την πολεμική ανδρεία του είναι σαφώς παρωδία των περιγραφών μάχης της Ιλιάδας), τον Πίνδαρο, τον Αίσωπο, τον Ντεκάρτ, τον Χόμπς μα και συγγραφείς όπως τον αγαπημένο του δάσκαλο Ουίλλιαμ Τέμπλ ή τον μακρινό θείο του, τον ποιητή Ντράιντεν, βάζοντας μάλιστα να “μονομαχούν” στο πεδίο της μάχης ακριβώς οι συγγραφείς που “μονομάχησαν" και στο πνευματικό πεδίο με αντιμαχόμενα κείμενα και ανταπαντήσεις. Τέλος, όλο το επεισόδιο με το διάλογο αράχνης και μέλισσας εγκιβωτίζει την ουσία της συζήτησης και αποδεικνύει ότι ο συγγραφέας τάσσεται ξεκάθαρα με τους αρχαίους σοφούς που θεωρεί ότι έχτισαν τα θεμέλια για ό,τι ακολούθησε και γονιμοποίησαν τη σκέψη των μεταγενέστερων, ξέροντας ότι θα τύχουν αποδόμησης στο μέλλον, από “πνευματικά εργαλεία” που οι ίδιοι κατασκεύασαν.
Ο τόμος έχει δύο εισαγωγές. Η εισαγωγή της μεταφράστριας όχι μόνο δίνει το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της φιλολογικής διαμάχης, αλλά επιβεβαιώνει και ότι η διαμάχη μεταξύ παλαιότερης και νεότερης σκέψης είναι και θα είναι αιώνια, δεν είναι σημάδι του δικού μας καιρού ή του καιρού του Swift, αλλά υπήρχε και υπάρχει πάντα όσο υπάρχει και θα υπάρχει ανθρώπινη σκέψη. Η Εισαγωγή του Συγγραφέα είναι ένα εξυπνότατο, πολύ μικρό δοκίμιο περί Σάτιρας, που την παρομοιάζει με καθρέπτη μέσα στον οποίο ο καθένας βλέπει πάντα όλους τους άλλους και ποτέ τον εαυτό του.
Τέλος, η μετάφραση της Χριστίνας Μπάμπου - Παγκουρέλλη, που ξεκάθαρα δηλώνει ότι δεν προσπάθησε να αποδώσει το κείμενο λέξη προς λέξη, αλλά να μεταδώσει τη ζωντάνια και τη σπιρτάδα του, είναι πολύ χορταστική, στο πολυτονικό σύστημα για να διατηρεί την ψευδαίσθηση του “εγγράφου της εποχής”, ενώ συνοδεύεται και από πολλές σημειώσεις για τους διάφορους λόγιους - “πρωταγωνιστές” του έργου, που σαφώς δεν γίνεται οι νεότεροι να γνωρίζουμε.
Ο συμβολισμός ξεχειλίζει σε αυτό το θαυμάσιο σατιρικό διήγημα - δοκίμιο (“δοκιμιακή ποίηση” θα το χαρακτήριζε ένας φίλος) του Jonathan Swift. Εκτός από τα διάσημα “Ταξίδια του Γκιούλιβερ”, ο Swift εξάσκησε τη σατιρική του πένα και σε μια πληθώρα θεμάτων της πνευματικής ζωής της εποχής του και με το διήγημα αυτό πήρε θέση στην “αιώνια” διαμάχη μεταξύ παλαιάς και νέας σκέψης, που συνεχίζεται και έχει ενταθεί στις μέρες μας. Χρησιμοποιώντας το εύρημα μιας “κυριολεκτικής” μάχης μεταξύ ανθρωποποιημένων βιβλίων μεγάλων στοχαστών στη Βιβλιοθήκη του Αγίου Ιακώβου, και μέσα σε ελάχιστες σελίδες, ο Αγγλοιρλανδος σατιρίζει τις "πνευματικές" μάχες λογίων με άρθρα και βιβλία που είναι απάντηση το ένα στο άλλο για την αξία της παλαιάς και της νεότερης σκέψης, πάρα πολλούς σύγχρονούς του ή λίγο παλαιότερους συγγραφείς, λόγιους και μελετητές που είχαν επιχειρηματολογήσει επί του θέματος, αλλά ακόμα και τον τρόπο γραφής της εποχής του με τις “παραβολές”, τις παρομοιώσεις, τους λατινικούς όρους, τα θεατρικά πομπώδη σχήματα και ένα σωρό άλλα.
Ειδικά στις πρώτες σελίδες κάθε λέξη κρύβει και έναν συμβολισμό, καθώς ο συγγραφέας δίνει τους λόγους της εχθρότητας των δυο πλευρών, αλλά και στη συνέχεια κάθε λεπτομέρεια αποδίδει και σατιρίζει κάποιο χαρακτηριστικό σε κάθε αντιμαχόμενο. Δεν διστάζει να χρησιμοποιήσει ως “πολεμιστές” αρχαίους και σύγχρονούς του συγγραφείς, ακόμα και τον Όμηρο (οι περιγραφές για την πολεμική ανδρεία του είναι σαφώς παρωδία των περιγραφών μάχης της Ιλιάδας), τον Πίνδαρο, τον Αίσωπο, τον Ντεκάρτ, τον Χόμπς μα και συγγραφείς όπως τον αγαπημένο του δάσκαλο Ουίλλιαμ Τέμπλ ή τον μακρινό θείο του, τον ποιητή Ντράιντεν, βάζοντας μάλιστα να “μονομαχούν” στο πεδίο της μάχης ακριβώς οι συγγραφείς που “μονομάχησαν" και στο πνευματικό πεδίο με αντιμαχόμενα κείμενα και ανταπαντήσεις. Τέλος, όλο το επεισόδιο με το διάλογο αράχνης και μέλισσας εγκιβωτίζει την ουσία της συζήτησης και αποδεικνύει ότι ο συγγραφέας τάσσεται ξεκάθαρα με τους αρχαίους σοφούς που θεωρεί ότι έχτισαν τα θεμέλια για ό,τι ακολούθησε και γονιμοποίησαν τη σκέψη των μεταγενέστερων, ξέροντας ότι θα τύχουν αποδόμησης στο μέλλον, από “πνευματικά εργαλεία” που οι ίδιοι κατασκεύασαν.
Ο τόμος έχει δύο εισαγωγές. Η εισαγωγή της μεταφράστριας όχι μόνο δίνει το ιστορικό πλαίσιο της φιλολογικής διαμάχης, αλλά επιβεβαιώνει και ότι η διαμάχη μεταξύ παλαιότερης και νεότερης σκέψης είναι και θα είναι αιώνια, δεν είναι σημάδι του δικού μας καιρού ή του καιρού του Swift, αλλά υπήρχε και υπάρχει πάντα όσο υπάρχει και θα υπάρχει ανθρώπινη σκέψη. Η Εισαγωγή του Συγγραφέα είναι ένα εξυπνότατο, πολύ μικρό δοκίμιο περί Σάτιρας, που την παρομοιάζει με καθρέπτη μέσα στον οποίο ο καθένας βλέπει πάντα όλους τους άλλους και ποτέ τον εαυτό του.
Τέλος, η μετάφραση της Χριστίνας Μπάμπου - Παγκουρέλλη, που ξεκάθαρα δηλώνει ότι δεν προσπάθησε να αποδώσει το κείμενο λέξη προς λέξη, αλλά να μεταδώσει τη ζωντάνια και τη σπιρτάδα του, είναι πολύ χορταστική, στο πολυτονικό σύστημα για να διατηρεί την ψευδαίσθηση του “εγγράφου της εποχής”, ενώ συνοδεύεται και από πολλές σημειώσεις για τους διάφορους λόγιους - “πρωταγωνιστές” του έργου, που σαφώς δεν γίνεται οι νεότεροι να γνωρίζουμε.
July 13, 2022
Doesn't quite reach the heights that Pope managed to reach with the mock-epic, but still manages to be entertaining and interesting. One could argue that it was slightly too far stuck in its surrounding argument (ancient vs modern writers), but this argument is the whole basis upon which the work rests, so it can only be blamed so far for adhering to it. Still, a more experienced Swift could potentially have elevated this to the timeless heights of imagery and plot that the Dunciad, Rape of the Lock or even the Battle of Frogs and Mice were able to reach.
December 19, 2024
L'edizione Coppola della biblioteca lillipuziana è carinissima. Il carattere è piccolino ma l'interlinea è spaziosa. Non ci sono problemi di lettura, per chi non abbia particolari problemi di vista. La storia è carina ma niente di che. Un approccio di satira, qualche critica, ma il racconto non è molto coeso e la cosa non è compensata da un lirismo particolare. Piacevole da leggere ma non essenziale.
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October 12, 2024This is by far the most difficult book I’ve ever attempted. I understood MAYBE 1/10 of it, and that’s being generous. However, I’ll definitely attempt it again when my next kid gets to AO year 9, and I’ll schedule extra time to deep dive into research. I did really enjoy the tiny portions I understood.
August 5, 2024
Imagine turning all this written grandeur into a glorious visual format; YES, VIDEO GAMES. I MEAN IT!
May all of us be learning some lessons of humanity in an age when no one gives a goddamn fuckin shit about such noble ideas through the medium of good prose.
May all of us be learning some lessons of humanity in an age when no one gives a goddamn fuckin shit about such noble ideas through the medium of good prose.
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January 5, 2021Probably a 5 if I lived in the time period, still he had us, my daughter and I, chuckling. So, I won’t rate, because it is my understanding that is lacking.
November 16, 2021
Interesting and funny...though absolutely impossible to read without footnotes!
July 7, 2022
Entertaining and riveting- an allegory of the old and new of everything. Also, how the modern gets canonized through martyrdom.
September 21, 2022
I was only meant to read till the spider and the bee but i guess i went too far but thats okay.
December 29, 2022
You can "feel the gap" with the author's age, but a hilarious read for people into literature
August 18, 2023
2.0/2.5
February 25, 2024
A discussion between ancients and modern is as old as Dryden trying to make Crites and Eugenius have a chat. Done beautifully by Swift, it is a book where the books of the King's Library come alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2025
Um livro curtinho ao melhor estilo Swift. Impressiona como ele consegue formular sátiras de forma tão excitante e recheada de referências.
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September 30, 2020The Battle of the Books represents Swift's view on the popular debate at the time between the Ancients and Moderns, where contemporary writers in Europe discussed whether the Moderns have surpassed the Ancients in knowledge and skill or whether the Ancients will never be surpassed. In this allegory, there is a clash of books written by classical and modern writers, in which Swift compares their achievements and legacy, all the while creating a mythical atmosphere. Swift leaves the matter of the winner open, alluding to the futility of debating which period has the supremacy. It also includes a clash between a bee, that represents the writers in general, and a spider, that represents critics and readers, whom he criticised, as well as their interpretations of works.
August 19, 2018
Siamo nell'anno del Signore 1697. Di fronte abbiamo un campo di battaglia che è una biblioteca di grande prestigio nel Palazzo di St James, a Londra. I contendenti sono gli Autori Antichi e gli Autori Moderni. Si contendono la vetta del Parnaso che, per chi non lo sapesse, era il monte sede delle Muse ispiratrici di ogni opera. Abbiamo un reporter di eccezione: Jonathan Swift, il mio scrittore preferito. Il libro ha chiaramente un intento satirico. La guerra scoppiò. Omero contro Perrault, Aristotele fa fuori Cartesio, ma aveva mancato Bacone, Tasso e Milton si contendono il comando della cavalleria. Esopo cerca la morale della favola. Io la trovai una cinquantina di anni fa quando dovetti studiare alcuni brani per il primo esame di inglese all'università. Una morale che continuo a rincorrere oggi quando scopro che i moderni non potrebbero esistere se non ci fossero stati gli antichi. Mi pare una cosa ovvia. Eppure ci sono tanti che si mettono a scrivere, si credono scrittori soltanto per questo e non si rendono conto che ripetono cose che sono state già pensate, dette e scritte secoli e millenni fa. Battaglia continua quindi. Senza vincitori. Siamo tutti sconfitti. Dopo tutto, facciamo tutti la stessa fine. Da antichi diventiamo moderni, per poi ritornare antichi. Cinque stelle. E' Jonathan Swift, il geniale decano irlandese.
November 19, 2020
A marvelous satire by Swift of the Ancients against the Moderns. The copy I have is among a collection of 15, and I was taken by the next to last "Hints towards an Essay on Conversation" taking jut 23 pages. I enjoyed his CONVERSATION essay as much as I did the more famous lead article in my book.
THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS is the lead article of 35 pages in my copy from Cassell about 1910. The famous Swift story first published in 1697 as the prefatory tale to Swift's THE TALE OF A TUB.
Here is the Wikipedia background to the Swift two-part book. "This literary contest was re-enacted in miniature in England when Sir William Temple published an answer to Fontenelle entitled Of Ancient and Modern Learning in 1690. His essay introduced two metaphors to the debate that would be reused by later authors. First, he proposed that modern man was just a dwarf standing upon the "shoulders of giants" (that modern man saw farther because he begins with the observations and learning of the ancients). They possessed a clear view of nature, and modern man only reflected/refined their vision. These metaphors, of the dwarf/giant and the reflecting/emanative light, would show up in Swift's satire and others." STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS -- This quote SURE DOES LIVE ON!
THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS is the lead article of 35 pages in my copy from Cassell about 1910. The famous Swift story first published in 1697 as the prefatory tale to Swift's THE TALE OF A TUB.
Here is the Wikipedia background to the Swift two-part book. "This literary contest was re-enacted in miniature in England when Sir William Temple published an answer to Fontenelle entitled Of Ancient and Modern Learning in 1690. His essay introduced two metaphors to the debate that would be reused by later authors. First, he proposed that modern man was just a dwarf standing upon the "shoulders of giants" (that modern man saw farther because he begins with the observations and learning of the ancients). They possessed a clear view of nature, and modern man only reflected/refined their vision. These metaphors, of the dwarf/giant and the reflecting/emanative light, would show up in Swift's satire and others." STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS -- This quote SURE DOES LIVE ON!
October 3, 2022
È un libricino talmente piccolo che riassumere quello che contiene farebbe perdere tutta la bellezza che risiede nella lettura. Come anticipa il titolo viene affrontata una disputa legata ai libri, i cui principali contendenti sono autori Antichi e Moderni. Una particolare allegoria viene rappresentata da Esopo, che paragona le api ai primi e i ragni ai secondi. Il quesito è: “quale sia l’essere più nobile dei due: colui che, immerso in un pigro ozio tra quattro pollici di terra, presuntuoso e orgoglioso, mangiando e rotolandosi su se stesso, trasforma tutto in escrementi è veleno, producendo nient’altro che dell’ insetticida e una ragnatela; o colui che, percorrendo immense distanze, dopo gran ricerca e infaticabile studio, saldi giudizi, e facoltà di discernimento, porta a casa miele e cera”.
Chi vincerà?
Al di là della lettura impegnativa, smorzata dalla brevità del testo, mi soffermerei su quest’edizione carinissima e curata nei minimi dettagli (reca anche illustrazioni all’interno 😍).
Tra l’altro il formato casca proprio a pennello: sembra un libro adatto agli abitanti swiftiani di Lilliput!
Adoro!
Chi vincerà?
Al di là della lettura impegnativa, smorzata dalla brevità del testo, mi soffermerei su quest’edizione carinissima e curata nei minimi dettagli (reca anche illustrazioni all’interno 😍).
Tra l’altro il formato casca proprio a pennello: sembra un libro adatto agli abitanti swiftiani di Lilliput!
Adoro!
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