A Modest ProposalA Modest Proposal
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1729, Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, published a short pamphlet offering a solution to poverty in Ireland, where landlords squeezed the poor and children starved in the streets. His proposal, laid out with calm, reasonable figures and arguments, is that poor Irish families should sell their babies to the rich as food.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is the most famous piece of satire in English. Its deadpan horror is still shocking.
You'll love it if you liked
Breakfast of Champions
Catch-22
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyGood to know
It's only a few pages long. It's satire: Swift's real target is the cruelty of the English and the landlords.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Funny, Uplifting
More by Jonathan Swift
If you like this, read next
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Portnoy's Complaint
A Confederacy of Dunces
If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries—What Am I Doing in the Pits?
Tales of the City
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Quick answers
Is A Modest Proposal worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time and is the most famous piece of satire in English. It ranks #1,417 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Modest Proposal about?
In 1729, Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, published a short pamphlet offering a solution to poverty in Ireland, where landlords squeezed the poor and children starved in the streets. His proposal, laid out with calm, reasonable figures and arguments, is that poor Irish families should sell their babies to the rich as food.
How long does it take to read A Modest Proposal?
About 1 hours (48 pages), or about 2 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Modest Proposal?
If you liked it, try Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.