Swift

Stephen, Leslie, 1832-1904Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.5

Word count: 374K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Swift by Leslie StephenAuthor: Stephen, Leslie, 1832-1904,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2012

Editor's review

This is Swift by Leslie Stephen, a literary-critical biography of Jonathan Swift. Stephen was a British critic and biographer known for clear analysis and restrained judgment. The book is not a simple chronological account of Swift's life; it combines his life experiences with appraisal of his works, discussing his satirical gifts, political stance, and contradictory character. For readers who want to understand Swift as man and writer, this biography offers a systematic interpretation from the perspective of late nineteenth-century British criticism. It is in English and moderate in length, suitable as a supplementary aid for entering Swift studies. Readers may note how the author evaluates works such as Gulliver's Travels, and the critical tastes reflected in the biography itself. It should be noted that this is a critical biography rather than a modern academic monograph; some views bear the marks of their era and are best read alongside contemporary scholarship.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who want to understand Jonathan Swift's life and works
Readers interested in British literary biography and the history of criticism
Students who have read Gulliver's Travels and want deeper background
Literature lovers who enjoy clear, analytical writing

Not a good fit for

Beginners with no English reading ability at all
Professional researchers expecting modern scholarly verification and the latest research views
Readers who only want Swift's original works and do not care about critical biography

Reading tips

Read Swift's representative works first, then read this book to compare critical views.
While reading, note Stephen's criteria of judgment and the limitations of his era, and make brief annotations.
Read it chapter by chapter, reviewing the corresponding stage of Swift's life after each chapter.
Read it alongside a modern biography of Swift to compare evaluations from different eras.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book an original work by Swift?

No. This book is a critical biography of Swift written by Leslie Stephen, discussing his life and works; it belongs to literary criticism and biography. If you want to read Swift's original works, look for Gulliver's Travels and other works instead.

Who was Leslie Stephen?

Leslie Stephen was a British critic and biographer known for literary criticism and biographical writing. This book reflects his clear, restrained analytical style, but its views carry the background of the late nineteenth century, so readers should read it alongside modern scholarship.

Can I read it without having read Swift's works?

You can, but your understanding will be limited. The book discusses Swift's works and writing background extensively; if you first read representative works such as Gulliver's Travels, you will better grasp the analysis and judgments in the biography. It is advisable to know at least the basic facts of Swift's life before starting this book.

Is this book suitable for academic citation?

As an earlier critical biography, it can be used to understand the critical perspective of a particular era, but it should not be the sole academic basis. Modern research has updated sources and views, so it is advisable to use this book alongside contemporary scholarship and to note its historical context.

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About the author

Stephen, Leslie, 1832-1904 Author

Leslie Stephen (1832–1904) was a Victorian-era English author and literary critic; details of his life and education are limited in publicly available sources. Twelve of his works are held here, spanning literary criticism and intellectual history. The three volumes of Hours in a Library discuss books and reading in an essayistic style that is unhurried yet incisive, while his biographical studies Samuel Johnson and Alexander Pope combine accounts of the subjects' lives with analysis of their writings. The two volumes of The English Utilitarians trace the development of British utilitarian thought in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and English Literature and Society in the Eighteenth Century examines changes in literary taste and fashion against their social background. His writing is known for solid scholarship and clear prose, and is often grouped among inspirational and personal-growth titles; it has had some influence on later English literary criticism and intellectual history.