Jonathan swift:

the Reluctant REBEL The man who made Gulliver

Jonathan Swift was, allegedly, kidnapped by his wet nurse and spirited away from Ireland to England. He was, shockingly, once confronted with a bomb hidden inside a band-box. And he was, famously, the man who made Gulliver. The life of this Anglo-irish satirist was as complicated as it was extraordinary, and the period in which he lived was turbulent and fraught with tension. The Reluctant Rebel captures this, creating an extensive biography of a remarkable man and a detailed history of the world he inhabited. Swift’s life — his family history, childhood, education and career — are all meticulously covered. The tangled relationships he formed with Esther Johnson and Esther Vanhomrigh, whom he styled ‘Stella’ and ‘Vanessa’ respectively, particularly stand out. These relationships are woven, or perhaps knotted, through the book and were central to Swift’s complex life.

But a further central aspect of Swift’s life was, of course, his writing. His pen scorned, rebuked and critiqued. His writings created challenging, disturbing images. In particular, Gulliver’s Travels, is one distinctly prominent piece of work. But in making Gulliver, Swift not only made a famous literary character — he made his readers look at the world through a different pair of eyes. Swift’s work marked him as a rebel, however reluctant he have been to accept the moniker.

In this tome, John Stubbs carefully explores Swift’s life, written work, aforementioned rebellion and its corresponding reluctance. Stubbs paints a detailed and intricate portrait with the lightest of brush strokes. The narrative remains clear and engaging and its scope is wide-ranging.

Naturally, this authoritative account is a must-read for those already interested in

Swift’s life and work. However, Swift emerges from The Reluctant Rebel as a man at odds, perhaps at loggerheads, with the world. He is an intriguing figure and it is likely that this biography will have a broad appeal.

Author John Stubbs Publisher Viking Books Price £11 Released Out now