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    Gulliver's Travels
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    Gulliver's Travels
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    Gulliver's Travels
    Ebook379 pages6 hours

    Gulliver's Travels

    By Jonathan Swift

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    To this day, the classic Gulliver's Travels places Jonathan Swift as the master of both parody and satire. Fifteen years in the making, his book was published anonymously due to fear of prosecution. And rightfully so, as it basically made fun of everyone: the State, the Church, Big Science and the Aristocracy. It was an immediate smash hit. If Swift were alive today he'd probably be writing for Southpark. 


    This tale in four parts depicts shipwrecked castaway Lemuel Gulliver, who encounters the diminutive Lilliputians, the giants of Brobdingnag, the impractical scientists of Laputa, the philosophical horselike Houyhnhnms, and the base humaneseque Yahoos. Besides generating a few unwieldy SAT words (Lilliputian, Brogdingnagian), Gulliver's Travels delves fantastically into the nature of man: exploring good vs. evil, optimism vs. misanthropy, and whether human corruption is innate or learned over time.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSheba Blake Publishing
    Release dateMay 18, 2015
    ISBN9781304132529
    Author

    Jonathan Swift

    Born in 1667, Jonathan Swift was an Irish writer and cleric, best known for his works Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal, and A Journal to Stella, amongst many others. Educated at Trinity College in Dublin, Swift received his Doctor of Divinity in February 1702, and eventually became Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. Publishing under the names of Lemeul Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, and M. B. Drapier, Swift was a prolific writer who, in addition to his prose works, composed poetry, essays, and political pamphlets for both the Whigs and the Tories, and is considered to be one of the foremost English-language satirists, mastering both the Horatian and Juvenalian styles. Swift died in 1745, leaving the bulk of his fortune to found St. Patrick’s Hospital for Imbeciles, a hospital for the mentally ill, which continues to operate as a psychiatric hospital today.

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    Reviews for Gulliver's Travels

    3.5/5

    2,851 ratings84 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Jonathan Swift must have been smoking opium when he wrote this because it is wackadoodle. It is also weird to have a female read the book when the main character is a man. I don't think I would have read the physical book.
    • 2/5
      Far more interesting than I'd hoped, given how old it is. I see both why it has historically been praised, and why I'm glad to say I've read it and now never pick it up again.
    • 3/5
      Got around to read this classic. Book is essentially a collection of author's imaginations on what people will do and act in different strange societies. Author imagines well on social culture and actions based on people but doesn't think through a lot on social and technological environment. All socieities - small people, monsterous people, floating people, horse people - have pretty much that distinction but rest of world - animals, plants, things and inventions - are similar to rest of normal world. Transition from one society to another, through multiple sea voyages, is fast and not dwelt much upon. Lots of people found this work of Swift to be satire on modern world, and it kind of is, but very peripheral one. For instance religion and politicians can be arbitary and foolish and that's mentioned as such without really understanding depth of things. In the end, excitement of new world goes away from readers and long monologues of narrator's experiences and discourse within those society becomes boring. It's readable but forgettable book.
    • 5/5
      Swift's ideas about human nature and government are timeless. Gulliver's Travels is a must read!
    • 4/5
      The last book of the four, about the utopian society of the horses I liked the best by far. In the first two the author is obsessed with the sizes of all things, these being extremely small (Lilliput) or extremely large (land of the giants). The third book is a bit chaotic with all the different countries visited by Gulliver. The last book is a real and complete satirical story with a melancholy undertone.
    • 3/5
      Written nearly 300 years ago, at it's time it must have been a groundbreaking satire. To be fair it is still current in many ways especially regarding the justiciary, the establishment and western mankind in general. However, I found it very dull to read. He goes away, has an adventure and comes back. He does this four times. Heaven knows he wasn't much of a family man and we don't hear much of what his wife thought of it all. I found it quite boring and this was heading for two stars until the final episode with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. The former representing a superior being which mankind may believe he is and the latter being a mirror to how Swift believes they really are. This part was both insightful and humorous and rescued this book for me.
    • 3/5
      A fictional novel about a man called Gulliver that gives up on his profession as a surgeon and travels the seas. Among his adventure Gulliver runs into some trouble as well as stumbling upon many shocking lands. Gulliver comes across tiny people, giants, naive scientists, and some talking horses. A fairly funny and entertaining read that is a good story and worth reading.
    • 4/5
      Written about 300 years ago this story has aged very well and Gulliver's adventures are event today very entertaining. Gulliver's Travels was meant to mock the hordes of books about adventurous travels released at the time which often exaggerated the dangers faced and the belitteled the intellect of the natives encountered. And so Gulliver meets giants, tiny people, horses which rule over men and people living on a floating island. In addition to the entertainment value these episodes hold it is also very interesting to see how critical Jonathan Swift was of English society and values. This criticism is never voiced by the main character directly, but surface through the discussions Gulliver has with the people he meets.The Audiobook version published by Alcazar AudioWorks features a terrific Narrator which makes the story a joy to listen to.
    • 4/5
      Apparently, one must know their history very well to understand satire. This was an entertaining work -- creative, subtle, and poignant, though slow in parts (somewhat due to the length of time required to "read" the proper nouns properly). The horse kingdom was my favorite of the four, due to what it said about the advantages and disadvantages of a society based purely on reason.
    • 5/5
      The writing is beautiful, the riffs on law, politics and general intellectual attitudes are hilarious, and the structure was great. The third part's a bit tough to get in to, but otherwise, first class. Easy to read, too.
    • 5/5
      Swift's ideas about human nature and government are timeless. Gulliver's Travels is a must read!
    • 5/5
      I must say that this is the first book that I KNOW I'm going to re-read at the turn of the year. I love social satire and this was right up my alley...although the critique of the human condition was very sad indeed. Especially when noticing that things haven't changed as much as they should have with concern to human behavior over the millenia. The story was humorous, informative, entertaining and philosophical all at once, and at all times. It was also much more vile and nasty than any of the childrens cartoons or movies based on the story we may have seen while growing up. The themes of social strength, human ego, the limits of human understanding, and the individual versus society were explored at length and at every angle possible (almost). A great read; but make sure you read the un-edited, unabridged version....that's the way Swift wanted it. You won't be able to look at the world, or your own beliefs through the same lens again.
    • 4/5
      Sure,the story of the big man washed up on the shore surrounded by little people is a cute story we've all seen Mickey Mouse do. But reading this book as an adult was an eye-opener. Swift's tongue is firmly planted in his cheek through the whole book and this is a great one to read aloud.
    • 4/5
      When this book was first written, it became famous for its biting satire and disdain for 'modern' politics and politicians. In the near-300 years that have passed since then, the satirical edges have softened, leaving a great adventure story.
    • 3/5
      That was interesting. Just finished. I would say it was written for someone at with a middle school level of reading. Fun easy read. I think I was missing some important info regarding the countries being made fun of to really 'get it'. Swift enjoyed a little too much, the making up of strange names and words to emphasize the differences in the other lands and cultures the charactor 'visited'. One of the points that could be taken from it, are peoples problems and worries are all relative to their perspective.
    • 2/5
      Not really a review as such. I gave up in reading this book after 80 pages as i simply couldn't get into it. Yes i can see how it was a satire on politics at that time, but quite simpy it bored me.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be a difficult read. It is a satire of travel literature (the preeminent form of literature in the early 18th century, like the novel is today) which recounts impossibly fantastic stories in a matter-of-fact manner that are uncomfortably obviously untrue (like many of the travel stories it is satirizing). It takes a dark and negative view of human nature that is disturbing, and is a fundamentally pessimistic book told in a witty and humorous way. Probably among the sickest of children-literature if it is read as such, but it has created a mythology that is a part of western culture. As protest literature it is way ahead of its time about colonialism and the idea of European might makes right. As satire it is one of the best. Some of the concepts can be found in later literature: the Yahoo's are like the wild-humans on "Planet of the Apes". Many of the fantasy ideas are very rich indeed. Overall - glad to be done with it! But if your going to read/write satire, it should be as biting and uncomfortable as this.
    • 5/5
      satire on the political word atthe time can be applyed today
    • 1/5
      would not wish upon my worst enemy

      also made me feel really uncomfortable about horses
    • 4/5
      A good read, I did not always understand all of the historical satire (luckily I read an annotated version that explained most of it)it was a fun adventure that is ironic and humorous and sometimes absurd.Gulliver leaves home by ship on various voyages, all of which leave him stranded in new, strange places. One is a country of small people and all of their surroundings are accordingly small. The next is a land of giants, and all of the surroundings are equally as large. Thirdly is a floating island in the sky populated by wacky scientists and astronomers. And lastly, is an island where horses are the intelligent race, having their own language, and the human like creatures of this land are savage and disgusting. All through his travels Gulliver learns the language and customs of the new lands' inhabitants making it difficult to merge back into his actual life.I'm glad I read this book.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely fun read. first time to read the book since college....40 years ago! Bought the book in Myanmar, but read it in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, finishing it on the Thai train up the Malay Peninsula to Bangkok. Had forgotten that Gulliver's islands seem to be in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. For a traveller, this is a necessary and a fun read....
    • 5/5
      Gulliver’s Travels is absolutely my favorite piece of literature of all time. I was required to read Gulliver’s Travels my senior year of high school and was one of the few people in my class that truly enjoyed Swift’s sense of satire and wit. The book has excellent footnotes for all of the obscure references that Swift makes and it places the content into the context for which it was written. Of the various versions I own of this classic this is my favorite.
    • 4/5
      I had mixed feelings about this classic book, first published back in 1726. In case you missed in in your high school literature class, Gulliver's Travels is a tale about Captain Lemuel Gulliver, an Englishman who manages to get stranded in not one but four amazing lands. But this extraordinary travel tale is really a vehicle for Mr. Swift's social commentary and the lands Capt. Gulliver visits are but reflections of 18th Century England and her neighbors. Not being up on my English history, I'm sure I missed the significance of most of the barbs. But a lot of Mr. Swift's message is clear enough, and the story itself is rather entertaining. However I found the book to grow less appealing as it progressed. The last two lands in which Gulliver sojourns seem less fantastic than the first two and so are less entertaining. I don't know if Mr. Swift just runs out of steam or if my ignorance of his society makes me miss out on the subtilties of his satire. Either way, I found this to be only very good waiting room material.--J.
    • 3/5
      Swift's Gulliver's Travels was next. This book was a self narrated account of various travels by a man named Gulliver. Whether it be his first voyage and being ship wrecked to wake up in the world of tiny people (Lilliput) where the people had to give up a LOT of food to feed him, or how some of them wanted to kill him but didn't know what to do with his body if they did, to the world of GIANTS in the land of Brobdingnag where he was carried about in a box, how eagles fought to take him for food, how his owner, the farmer initially used him to make money by showing him off then he was owned by the queen, or when he was attacked by pirates and ending up in Laputa and Balnibarbi, or when he talked to all the historical figures in Glubbdubdrib just to find out they had lied to build themselves up, or when he went to Luggnaggians and Struldbrugs or Japan it was interesting how he used social commentary in this book. I guess that was the best part and the faciful ideas of other cultures, languages, and magnifying various aspects and governmental and occupational characteristics of people and character flaws that he saw in life. It was also interesting how he was driven to continue to travel and not stay with his family/wife so he continued to travel. He often worked as a doc aboard ship since his business failed. Overall, I would not rate this book very highly. I'd like to hear your ideas about it though and find out the things you found interesting in it. I’m sorry for being unclear in my last reply. I reread it and am embarrassed at the laziness in my writing. Basically what I was referring to was Swift’s juxtaposition of the two people groups, the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms. The Houyhnhnms were obviously Gulliver preferred people. He seemed, at least to me, to be content with their way of life, the stability and way of going about things. He put them on a pedestal for their intelligence, ability to reason, “ethics,” etc in spite of their problems. It was clear that Gulliver did not like the Yahoo’s way of life even though he resembled them most. He was repulsed by their characteristics and behaviors even though he was criticizing humanity. I did like the concept of “Not being a people that tell things that are not” and being truthful. I really took that whole section as Swift’s own self-deception of finding a group of people being above reproach. I too think that we are smart enough to not do horrible things yet we still do. I rated it lower because it was not the childhood book I thought it was but it was fun nontheless (as an adult).
    • 4/5
      I actually don't like many of the classics, but this is one of my favorites. It can be a little tedious to start, but once you're into it, it's a great story.
    • 3/5
      Well, to make it short: I was disappointed. Somehow I expected some kind of "great literature". But it's definitively not. The writing style is much too simple, when the story starts to get "deeper" it mostly says something like "I don't want to talk about this anymore, because the reader could be bored". What the...? I'm not enjoying this one. 2,5 stars just because the story itself is interesting - but could be better written.I know it's world literature, but I really don't know why. Maybe this is because of my edition (or translation).
    • 3/5
      PART I. A REVIEW OF THE BOOK.[The author gives some account of the book, Gulliver’s Travels. Her first memories of Gulliver. She reads the first couple of chapters and enjoys the satire immensely. Gets to the third chapter; is surprised at the science fictional, dystopian tone, is thoroughly hit over the head with Swift’s criticism of politics and humanity, and finishes the book knowing that there is no way she has ever before been exposed to the last two voyages Gulliver undertakes.:]I have always thought of Gulliver’s Travels as primarily a story for children. This is probably due to the number of “Gulliver” cartoons and picture books I have seen over the years. However, I’m sure that what I’ve seen only deals with a simple telling of the first two of Gulliver’s voyages described in the book and that those depictions were not nearly as full of sharp, biting criticism and satire as the unabridged version of the book itself, as Gulliver’s Travels is really not a children’s story at all. I also understand why the cartoons do not delve into the third and fourth journeys described in the book as I found them to be quite dark. Lemuel Gulliver, a ship’s surgeon, tells an amusing story of traveling the world in the early 18th century and the strange lands and peoples he comes in contact with. Gulliver’s accounts are given in a matter-of-fact way and are quite detailed while lacking in emotion. Gulliver is quite gullible and humorless himself, which just adds to the satirical effect of the book. During one voyage, Gulliver is shipwrecked and awakes on the island of Lilliput, where the inhabitants are all roughly six inches tall. His time in that kingdom satirizes the ridiculousness of feuds, wars, and royal pomp and show. Likewise, on Gulliver’s second voyage he is again an oddity due to his size as he winds up in the land of the giants in Brobdingnag, where he now stands a relative six inches tall compared to the sixty foot tall inhabitants there. During his time in Brobdingnag, Gulliver explains European systems of law and government to the prince who cannot believe that such a political system could even function. On his next journey, Gulliver’s ship is overtaken by pirates and he is rescued by the people on the floating island of Laputa, peopled by philosophers and scientists who are “floating on the clouds” like the island, as they are so lost in thought they lose all sight of practicality. Gulliver travels between islands in this land and is able to meet and question great historical figures who have gone before. He also comes in contact with Struldbergs, immortal people who become miserable the longer they live. On his last expedition Gulliver washes ashore at Houyhnhnm, a land where wise and gentle but emotionless species resembles horses and wild human-like beasts are referred to as Yahoos. Gulliver is very taken with the Houyhnhnm although he sees himself as a Yahoo, whom he despises. Gulliver returns home against his will and the story ends on a very bleak note. I much prefer the amusing way in which Swift pokes fun at the inane and ridiculous elements of English society in the first two voyages to the odd, depressing images left by the last two excursions and his trip home. Well, that’s just the opinion of this Yahoo. Read the book yourself and see what you think.
    • 4/5
      The last time that I read this book, I must have been about nine years old. I would be fascinated to turn up that copy because it must have been heavily edited. This book is full of biting criticism of the failings of the human race and much too grown up for the average child.A further point of interest is that whilst most people will know of Gulliver, they will talk of his trip to Lilliput and, just possibly to a land of giants: very few people speak of the other two lands visited - a city in the sky and a land where horse-like creatures rule. It is, however, to these two that I would imagine Swift would attribute the kernel of his tale. The horse people are very close to being the first si-fi book because it is clear that Swift is creating a race totally at variance with human beings.Considering its age, the book has some remarkably prescient forecasts of modern living. I was struck by Laputa where Swift talks of language being cut and mauled in much the way that 'Text speak' does. I was also surprised by his decision to laud the Houyhnhnms to the extent whereby Gulliver is unable to settle back amongst his own kind: even today, I find myself bridling at such an attitude.If your child has some bastardised version of this tale upon his or her bookshelf, then rip it away and wait until they reach maturity: it is a crime that this book has been reduced to kiddie fodder.
    • 5/5
      Gulliver’s Travels is a recount by Lumeul Gulliver of how he travels to different islands that are by no means ordinary. He begins by telling about himself. Gulliver is actually a man who, after losing his business on the mainland, becomes a surgeon for different ships, sometimes even being the captain of some ships. The first adventure takes place in Lilliput, an island inhabited by tiny human-like creatures. Gulliver arrives on the island through a shipwreck and wakes up bound to the ground. This is due to the people of Lilliput binding him to the ground. At first, they attack him when Gulliver seems to threaten them. After realizing that Gulliver won’t cause them harm, the Lilliput people bring food and drink to Gulliver. Taken to the capital city, he is introduced to the emperor, while Gulliver is flattered, who is entertained by Gulliver. As time follows, Gulliver is used as someone to help the Lilliput people fight against the Blefuscu people. The two have gone into a war due to the way the Blefuscu crack their eggs. While the Lilliput people were nice to Gulliver at first, he is convicted for treason after he puts out a fire in the royal palace. This leads to his punishments being shot in the eyes and then starved. Luckily, Gulliver is able to escape to Blefuscu and repair a boat, therefore being able to sail to the mainland. Gulliver arrives home and stays with his family for a bit before leaving again. This time he arrives on the island of Brobdingnag, a place where giants rule. At first kept as a pet, Gulliver is eventually taken to the queen. This results in Gulliver being an entertainer for the court and, though social life is easy, disgust for how large the people of Brobdingnag are. This enlarges pores and other physical flaws. With ignorance ruling the Brobdingnag people, Gulliver eventually leaves the island after a bird picks up his cage before dropping him into the ocean. This leads Gulliver to be picked up by pirates and staying on the floating island, Laputa. The people, though, are too out of touch with reality. With a small trip to places which have people such as Julius Caesar and immortals that prove that wisdom does not come with age, Gulliver ends up back in England. The final journey that Gulliver tells about is one in which he meets a group of intelligent horse people who, while beings friends with Gulliver, served by the human Yahoos. Unintelligent and causing distortions of humans for Gulliver, the Yahoos are a group of people that Gulliver would rather not be with. Though he wishes to stay on the island, Gulliver is forced to leave after the Houyhnhnms realize how Yahoo like he is. Regretful to leave, Gulliver is picked up by a Portuguese ship and taken back to the mainland. I believe that the book was quite a good one. I think that though it had some good points and some bad points, it was overall a good book. I love the first person perspective that Jonathan Swift used. I think that the book would not be as good if it weren’t for this. I love how the book gives a good time perspective and has great description. The way the Gulliver is describing what is around him is very realistic and gives me a good idea of what it would be like to be there myself. The book is something I would certainly recommend to other people. Gulliver’s Travels is definitely a five star book.
    • 4/5
      Or to give it its full and proper title, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships. Like many children, I had an abridged version with just the Lilliput section (probably bowdlerised), and I'd also read excerpts from the other sections. I have very fond memories, and since the complete text is available on public domain ebook sites, I decided that it was time to read the whole thing from start to finish.I don't have the background in history to know exactly who and what Swift was lampooning without having to look it up on Wikipedia, but it doesn't matter. His biting satire is just as relevant to today's politics, even if the exact targets have changed. There are places where the modern reader will probably cringe at Swift's own prejudices, but by and large this is a hilarious take-down of bigotry, prejudice and hypocrisy that rings just as true now as it must have in 1726. The parody of the traveller's tales books popular at the time isn't quite as accessible, but it doesn't require very much effort to draw a parallel with modern writing. I found the fourth section dragged a bit, but that's partly because Swift had quite thoroughly made his point by then, and was repeating himself to some extent. But this book is a classic for good reason.