5 Satires Worth Reading

It’s back to books this week. Here are five satires worth reading. They are presented in chronological order. Click on the links to read my reviews

Candide by Voltaire (1759)

Candide is an eighteenth-century satirical classic that evaluates optimism; the prevailing philosophical ideology of The Enlightenment. 

My Review: Brought up in the household of a German baron, cheerful protagonist Candide has been instilled with the philosophy of Leibniz, notably – That all is for the best in this, the best of …(more)

Subjects Satirised: The Church & The Enlightenment.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

This satirical book’s motif is a warning about the threat posed by state censorship.

My Review: Books are banned in this dystopian world, where firemen are employed to burn them. Guy Montag is a fireman, who lives an unfulfilling existence with Mildred, his sedentary, parlour-consuming …(more)

Subjects Satirised: Social Problems.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

American Psycho is a satire of the yuppies culture of the 1980s. It has become a cult classic.

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its young author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame.  The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier, Patrick Bateman …(more)

Subjects Satirised: 1980s yuppies culture.

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk (2001)

Choke is in essence a social commentary about our innate craving for attention and the fundamental nature of addiction.

My Review: The protagonist, Victor Mancini, is a sex addict employed at an eighteenth-century historical re-enactment park. Victor attends various sexual addiction support groups, where he …(more)

Subjects Satirised: Sex addition & dependence.

I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (2004)

This is a humorous satire about campus life. Themes include materialism, social class, race and America’s obsession with college sport.

My Review: Appalachian wunderkind Charlotte Simmons has been awarded a scholarship to Dupont, an elite fictional university, steeped in tradition. Living amongst the cream of America’s youth is …(more)

Subjects Satirised: Campus life & society.