The consolidator

Description

By 1705 already an established and tempestuous pamphleteer and journalist, this is a wonderful example of Defoe's direct and inventive style. Acknowledging its debt to prior works by Godwin and Wilkins, The Consolidator uses 'the lunar world to satirize England's political and economic abuses and to anticipate scientific inventions' (Gibson). Although most critics are content to analyse it as a prototype Gulliveriad, it is also a fascinating document in itself. Most of the work is dedicated to lengthy descriptions of the world in the Moon, given veracity through the claim that all of this information has been accrued during the narrator's lengthy sojourn in China, a land which has 'many sorts of Learning which these Parts of the World never heard of'. Defoe's unusual sleight of hand here is to say that in fact, Chinese innovation is due almost exclusively to the writings of Mira-cho-cho-lasmo, an ancient visitor from the moon who instructed them in the 'most exquisite Accomplishments of those Lunar Regions'. According to Gove, after a handful of editions in the first decade of the eighteenth century, this work was not republished except in pamphlet and extract editions until a Tegg version in 1840. Scarce on the market, this is a wonderful work and testament to Defoe's enduring importance to the imaginary voyage.

Subjects

Genres

• Fiction

Other Editions

• The consolidatorAMS Press2000-01-01
• A journey to the world in the moon, & c[S.n.] Printed in the year1705-01-01
• A journey to the world in the moon, &cMicroformPrinted at London, and re-printed at Edinburgh by James Watson1705-01-01
• The consolidatorMicroformprinted, and are to be sold by Benj. Bragg1705-01-01
• The consolidatorPrinted, and are to be Sold by Benj. Bragg at the Blue Ball in Ave-mary-lane1705-01-01
• The consolidatorPrinted by B. Bragg1705-01-01