A Tale of a Tub is certainly Swift's least classifiable work. He's best known, of course, for Gulliver's Travels. This work was mostly written at the very start of his career, when he hadn't yet totally hardened into his later misanthropy, and it has all the demented exuberance of a great writer in his mid-20s finding a voice.

It defies description. The kernel of it is a satire on religious controversies, but that makes up about a third of the actual text. The rest is a series of prologues, forewords, dedications, prefaces, afterwords, epilogues and appendices, the sheer profusion of which suggest very much that Swift is poking dire fun at the idea of writing itself. In that respect, it goes further than any 20th century French golden boy of artistic revolt; Artaud looks like a stamped-in-tin romantic poet when set against Swift's manic nihilism. A Tale of a Tub is the closest anyone has ever got to writing a book that tackles head-on the futility of writing books, but that's only one interpretation of it. It exhausts interpretation by being as near as possible about nothing at all - and hence about everything. Plus it's not even 200 pages long. Swift never wrote as irresponsibly ever again, although the Travels, 'A Modest Proposal', the Bickerstaffe Papers, the 'Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift' and the Drapier's Letters are all admirable enough. A Tale of a Tub is as comprehensive a piece of literary terrorism as was ever attempted.

Swift, the greatest English satirist, is of course best known for Gulliver's Travels, but the Tale of a Tub is more complex, more vicious, and funnier. In some of the best prose of the 18th century, he ridicules all sorts of conventions, religious, literary, rhetorical, and otherwise. He makes full use of the capacity that prose has for being deliriously irrelevant and digressive. It is similar in some ways to Tristram Shandy and the novels of postmodernism. It'll give you fits.

A book that i dont mind having to read everynight 5 times!!! Very cleverly written to charm adults and children!
Highly recomend

We collect fun cat books and entertaining children's books, and this one is a keeper in both categories. The story is funny, the illustrations are adorable and there was the added bonus of adding some new phrases to our vocabulary --- we now point out the "swagmen" we see and sit down to "have a cup of tea and a bit of a chin-wag."

This is one of the CUTEST preschool books I've ever read! 10 Little Mosters is an exceptional read for little ones--with amazing pictures and cute lyrics, it completely keeps the child's attention all the way through... I definitely think this short book is a keeper for any preschooler! :)

Fantastic! Madeleine L'Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time, is a great writer.The characters are Mrs. Whatsit Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Mr. Murry, Meg ,Charles Wallace Calvin ,It, and Aunt Beast. The characters were interesting because each of them are so different than the other. Meg Calvin, and Charles Wallace go on a journey through space to the planet Camotz were Meg's father is trapped. I would recommend this book for 3rd grade and up.

My mohter-in-law just bought this book for my 3 year old, who loves any and all books. She prefers story time over playtime and would love if someone could read to her all the time. I would say every book was her favorite, until now. Jezabel Jones, Jezabel Jones, Jezabel Jones is all we hear now. I think we have read this book 3-4 times a day for the past 3 months. This is one of the best gifts WE could have ever received. This funny, ryming and clever book just seems to stay with you, I still laugh even after the 500th time! This one will be around our house for many years to come and look forward to reading more from Bill Grossman.

Sam Appleby doesn't appreciate the fact that his father won't let him have guns and swords like his friends, so when a thief comes to town, the two of them use a wide array of items from a sunflower to a chocolate cake to successfully stop him. This book is very funny and will be enjoyed by every child that ever waved a stick as a weapon, and by every parent that tried to explain why this isn't always the best of ideas.

Found this book used in a bookstore. Must admit the cover attracted me...but what a treasure it has been.

This was my very first book cover 10 years ago. Today the book roles are reversed. I'm the single parent not the kid! I still love to go to the library to see the book on the shelf and my 6 yr old loves when I read him "Mommy's Book". Mark is a wonderful author and he did a beautiful job. This is a wholesome, genuine, down to earth great pre-teen book. A must for all aspiring young actors/actresses.

Dinosaurs Destroy Detroit

Dinosaurs Destroy Detroit is a great book! It's the story of dinosaurs destroying Detroit. Mike and Summer travel through the window through time and leave it open. I learned that the T-Rex is hatched from an egg. The main characters are Summer and Mike. I like the part where Summer and Mike go through the window through time. I like it when the dinosaurs are destroying Detroit!...