A Modest Proposal

I’ll admit, I approached *A Modest Proposal* expecting a quaint historical curiosity—something to nod along to before moving on. Instead, I found myself pausing the audiobook every few minutes to stare into the middle distance, equal parts horrified and impressed. Swift’s essay is a trap, and Blumenfeld’s narration is the perfect bait. His voice is smooth, almost soothing, as he outlines the “benefits” of infant cannibalism with the detachment of a TED Talk on supply-chain optimization. The contrast between his calm tone and the escalating absurdity of the argument is what makes this audiobook so devastatingly funny (and, frankly, a little nauseating). That said, this isn’t a flawless production. The supplementary material, while informative, feels tacked on—some of Swift’s lesser-known satires drag when read aloud, lacking the tight, escalating tension of the title essay. And at times, Blumenfeld’s pacing verges on *too* deliberate; the pauses between clauses can make Swift’s already dense prose feel like a slog if you’re not in the right headspace. But these are minor quibbles. The core experience—hearing one of history’s greatest trolls dismantle hypocrisy with a straight face—is worth the price of admission. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a thinkpiece or a tone-deaf policy proposal, this audiobook will feel like vindication. Just don’t listen to it while eating.