The person who comes to mind that exemplifies satire is Anglo-Irish author Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels. In “A Modest Proposal,” he argued that the best way to solve the Irish famine was to eat children. It was a biting satire against England’s abuse of Ireland. However, some people have taken the essay at face value and were aghast (or even worse, in favor) of its argument. That’s the problem with satire — sometimes people think you are serious about what you are saying, instead of being serious about what you are ridiculing. Here’s my list of ten of the best satire books. Like anything, the idea of “best” is subjective. I included works that I wanted to highlight and excluded some of the best known, including Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller. They are masters on their own right.
Classic Satire Books
Modern Satire Books (Published After 1960)
These are just ten of the best satire books, both new and old, that use exaggeration, irony and more to ridicule and criticize our lives. Looking for more satire? Check out these satiric novels and this essay about understanding satire.
