This collection of twenty-nine original essays, surveys satire from its emergence in Western literature to the present.
Tracks satire from its first appearances in the prophetic books of the Old Testament through the Renaissance and the English tradition in satire to Michael Moore's satirical movie Fahrenheit 9/11.
Highlights the important influence of the Bible in the literary and cultural development of Western satire.
Focused mainly on major classical and European influences on and works of English satire, but also explores the complex and fertile cultural cross-semination within the tradition of literary satire.
"This book forms a substantial contribution to literary studies and is likely to be the standard work on the subject for a decade or two .The chapters are densely detailed, the vocabulary elevated." (
Reference Reviews , Issue 4 2008)
The long eighteenth century is well represented in Blackwell′s A Companion to Satire: Ancient and Modern, edited by Ruben Quintero,which contains nine full essays and parts of several others devoted to the period .This sturdy volume should be of use to a variety of readers from advanced undergraduates to scholars seeking refresher (or crash) courses on either major satirists or less familiar topics and subtopics. ( Studies in English Literature 1500–1900 , Summer 2008)
"Offering a valuable contribution to the critical study of satire, Quintero has assembled insightful essays by an impressive roster of scholars...This book serves as a cogent, instructive overview of satire." ( Choice )
This book obviously brings to readers a dazzling variety of topics relating to satire. There is a rich abundance of material here, surely something for everyone. Indeed, the quality of these essays is uniformly high. All are well–written, well–researched, thoughtful, and insightful examinations of an assortment of satiric expressions. The array of subject matter is compelling. Primarily, we are given thorough, informative overviews of the major players, issues, eras, and types of satire. This book makes an invaluable contribution to the study of that form. ( Notes and Queries )
22 Verse Satire in the Twentieth Century 434 Timothy Steele
23 Satire in Modern and Contemporary Theater 460 Christopher J. Herr
24 Irish Satire 476 Jose Lanters
Part IV The Practice of Satire493
25 Modes of Mockery: The Significance of Mock–poetic Forms in the Enlightenment 495 Blanford Parker
26 Irony and Satire 510 Zoja Pavlovskis–Petit
27 Mock–biblical Satire from Medieval to Modern 525 Michael F. Suarez
28 The Satiric Character Sketch 550 David F. Venturo
29 The Secret Life of Satire 568 Melinda Alliker Rabb
Index 585
Ruben Quintero is Professor of English at California State University, Los Angeles, and teaches Restoration and eighteenth–century literature. His book
Literate Culture: Pope s Rhetorical Art (1992) received a University of Delaware Press Manuscript Award.
This collection of twenty–nine original essays surveys satire from its emergence in Western literature to the present.
The Companion is extraordinary in its historical scope, tracking satire from its first appearances in the prophetic books of the Old Testament through the Renaissance and the English tradition in satire to Michael Moore s satirical movie Fahrenheit 9/11. While many essays explore literary developments in satire from an historical view, other essays reflect directly on topics such as irony and satire, modes of satirical mockery, the mock–biblical, and the character sketch.
All of the contributors are experts published in their field, and all are experienced teachers who can treat complex and rich subjects with insight and clarity.