The Voyage of Captain Popanilla is the second novel by Benjamin Disraeli, who became a prime minister of the United Kingdom. Its allegory of a fantastic voyage is a satire on contemporary society. Popanilla is…
The Voyage of Captain Popanilla is the second novel by Benjamin Disraeli, who became a prime minister of the United Kingdom. Its allegory of a fantastic voyage is a satire on contemporary society. Popanilla is a star attraction of Vraibleusia and is proclaimed as the Ambassador for Fantaisie. He is invited to meet an ancient patched-up statue which can speak no wrong and is the ultimate power on the island, his decrees causing the stock market to ebb and flow. A massive fleet full of goods is prepared to set sail for Fantaisie. Vast quantities of pink shells are issued to finance the fleet, leading to a massive stock boom which creates a nouveau riche strata sadly lacking in manners. Many of the characters and geographies in Popanilla represent people and places in Disraeli's contemporary society.
