Publisher's Synopsis
The Bickerstaff Partridge Papers is a satirical work by Jonathan Swift, a celebrated Irish writer, and clergyman. The book is a collection of humorous essays that were originally published in 1708 under the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff. The essays parody the popular almanacs of the time and contain predictions for the coming year that are intended to be absurd and ridiculous.Swift's essays are full of wit and irony, and they poke fun at the superstitious beliefs and practices of his contemporaries. In one essay, he predicts the death of a famous astrologer, only to have the astrologer respond by publishing a pamphlet claiming that he was not dead. Swift then writes a follow-up essay in which he claims that the astrologer is actually a ghost.The Bickerstaff Partridge Papers are a prime example of Swift's skill as a satirist. His essays are clever, funny, and insightful, and they provide a window into the social and cultural norms of early 18th-century England. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of satire or the works of Jonathan Swift.I intend in a short time to publish a large and rational defence of this art, and therefore shall say no more in its justification at present, than that it hath been in all ages defended by many learned men, and among the rest by Socrates himself, whom I look upon as undoubtedly the wisest of uninspir'd mortals.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
