Author Description
In The History And Adventures Of An Atom, A London Haberdasher Relates Extraordinary Tales Of Ancient Japan As Dictated To Him By An Omniscient Atom That Has Lived Within The Bodies Of Great Figures Of State. Intended For The Instruction Of British Ministers, The Work Is A Savage Allegory Of England During The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), Draping Kings And Politicians, Domestic And Foreign Affairs In An Intricately Detailed, Endlessly Allusive Veil Of Satire. Lacing His Commentary With Vitriol, Tobias Smollett Gives Fantastic Expression In The Atom To Many Of The Concerns Voiced In His Historical And Political Writings. He Creates From The Details Of Japanese History An Ingenious Catalog Of English Places And Personalities-from The Up-start Ruler Taycho, Whose Graspings For Power Resemble William Pitt's, To A God Of War Called Fatzman Who Suggests The Grotesquely Obese Duke Of Cumberland. Smollett Also Draws On The Imagery Of The Period's Scurrilous Political Cartoons And Injects Into His Satire A Rabelaisian Humor That Makes This Work Perhaps The Most Scatological In English Literature. Edited And Introduced By Robert Adams Day, This Edition Of The Atom Is The First To Appear Since 1926 And The First Ever To Provide A Carefully Prepared Text, A Full Apparatus Of Historical Annotations, And An Accurate Key To Personages And Places. Day Establishes The Authorship And The Long-disputed Work, Placing It Within The Context Of Smollett's Writings And Opinions, His Times And Literary World.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
An omniscient atom recounts the political machinations of ancient Japan to a London haberdasher, serving as a conduit for a scathing critique of British governance. The protagonist, a sentient atom, navigates the physical forms of various historical figures to observe the corruption and incompetence of state leaders. Through this unique perspective, the narrative exposes the logical failures of political systems, utilizing a frame story that distances the author from the direct accusations leveled at contemporary English politicians. The work operates as a complex, multi-layered allegory where the constraints of the Japanese setting mirror the specific political climate of the Seven Years' War.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- First-person frame narrative involving a haberdasher and an atom
- Extensive use of political allegory to mask contemporary figures
- Rabelaisian humor and scatological elements
- Detailed mapping of Japanese historical figures to English politicians
- Satirical commentary on domestic and foreign policy
- Episodic structure reflecting the atom's movement between hosts
- Critical engagement with the power dynamics of the 18th century
- Inclusion of scholarly apparatus to decode historical references
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently identify this work as one of the most aggressive examples of political satire in the English canon. Discussion often centers on the density of the allusions, which require significant historical knowledge to fully decode the parallels between the Japanese setting and the British political landscape. Many observers highlight the author's use of Rabelaisian humor, noting that the scatological tone serves to heighten the absurdity of the political figures depicted. The work is often studied for its stylistic departure from the author's more conventional novels, as it prioritizes biting social commentary over traditional character development.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1900-01-01
Publisher:
University Of Georgia Press, Project Muse,
ISBN-10:
0191861723
ISBN-13:
9780191861727
Satire
Political fiction
18th century
Politics & Government
Classic Literature
Allegory