Satire Books

The Age of Reason

Thomas Paine

If Thomas Paine were alive today he'd probably be a blogger. As a pamphleteer, he could spread his dissident ideas so cheaply and quickly that they caught on like proverbial wildfire. As with Common S..

Socrates

Voltaire

Franois-Marie Arouet, aka Voltaire, was arguably the 18th century's greatest philosopher, but he was also a great novelist and playwright. In his play Socrates, Voltaire embodies the ancient philosoph..

Candide

Voltaire

This is a gold nugget of literature. Although I do not especially like Voltaire's mentality in general, however, this book: Candide, is pure philosophy... in action, as well as in vivid colours! ..

Vanity Fair

William Makepeace Thackeray

Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero, was a published as a serial during 1847- 48 by William Makepeace Thackeray. An English journalist and novelist who specialized in satire, Thackeray also published ..

Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry

John Dryden

"Discourses on Satire and on Epic Poetry" from John Dryden. English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made Poet Laureate in 1668 (1631-1700). Dryden’s discourses upon Sati..

Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven

Mark Twain

"Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven" is a short story written by American writer Mark Twain. It first appeared in print in Harper's Magazine in December 1907 and January 1908, and was published in b..

Those Extraordinary Twins

Mark Twain

A man who is not born with the novel-writing gift has a troublesome time of it when he tries to build a novel. I know this from experience. He has no clear idea of his story; in fact he has no story. ..

Pudd'n'head Wilson

Mark Twain

Pudd'nhead Wilson is a novel by American writer Mark Twain. Its central intrigue revolves around two boys—one, born into slavery, with 1/32 black ancestry; the other, white, born to be the master of t..