Anatomy of Satire

by Gilbert Highet

Literary satire assumes three main forms: monologue, parody, and narrative (some fictional, some dramatic). This book by Gilbert Highet is a study of these forms, their meaning, their variation, their powers. Its scope is the range of satirical literature--from ancient Greece to modern America, from Aristophanes to Ionesco, from the parodists of Homer to the parodists of Eisenhower. It shows how satire originated in Greece and Rome, what its initial purposes and methods were, and how it revived in the Renaissance, to continue into our own era.

Contents: Preface. I. Introduction. II. Diatribe. III. Parody. IV. The Distorting Mirror. V. Conclusion. Notes. Brief Bibliography. Index.

Originally published in 1962.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Literature, Nonfiction

338 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 1973

About the author

Critic and classical scholar, Gilbert Highet was born in Scotland, educated at Oxford, and taught at Oxford and Columbia for forty years. Married to novelist Helen MacInnes. Best known for teaching in the humanities in the UK and USA.

Reviews

[Elliot A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A resource I used for my term paper, I was glad I stumbled upon this in my local reference library. It provides useful information on the genre of satire; what it is and how it’s constructed.
There isn’t much more to say without providing a thorough summary of the book, but I would recommend it to gain an understanding of the genre.

[Louise Pascual · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-built book if you're interested in or studying the history of satire and satirical pieces from the romans to the second world war. Some remarks from the author on contemporary events are a tad dated and even surprising for a 2013 reader, but the analysis and interpretation of texts remains clear and I found a good third of the book to be quote material.
The range of texts under study is wide enough to cover most of western satirical writing, with some chapters containing clear definitions and differenciation of concepts, giving the opportunity to follow or challenge them in further work. Also, useful shelling out of the mechanisms of satire, not too complicated or too theoretical.
A good way to start on the subject before delving deeper into the intricacies of satire and irony.