Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

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the_book_nerd_1997
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Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Post by the_book_nerd_1997 »

This was the first book I kept from my mini Amoeba Music haul. Here are my thoughts.

It is a classic fictional book absolutely filled with satire. Swift has quite a gift of making all the adventures seem both real and completely ridiculous. The languages he created for each voyage can be difficult to understand because they are so bizarre (I'm not sure if they are derived from any real languages). Gulliver goes on four voyages to different lands and countries. The first is the land of Liliput, where all the residents are only a few inches tall. Then his second voyage takes Gulliver to the land of Brobdingnag, where the residents tower over Gulliver. The third voyage leads leads him to an island in the clouds, and the fourth takes him to the land of the Houhynms (sp?) All in all, it was a fascinating book that most people may consider fiction and others consider satire.

In the Signet Classics copy that I own, the introduction and afterword give insight onto Jonathan Swift's life and writing, especially on the way he wrote Gulliver's Travels.
Wreade1872
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Post by Wreade1872 »

I gave it a 3/5 on goodreads, its decent but the aspect i found most interesting was actually the characterization of Gulliver rather than the satire. Especially by the end when you get to see what other people must think of him and he comes across as completely insane :mrgreen: .

Fans of this might also like
A Voyage to Cacklogallinia by Samuel Brunt (1727) Said to have been a direct inspiration for Gulliver's Travels.
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16202

The Journey of Niels Klim to the World Underground by Ludvig Holberg (1741) Very interesting views on gender equality
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27884

Riallaro : the archipelago of exiles by Godfrey Sweven (1901)
https://archive.org/details/riallaroarchipel00swev
JudyM5
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Post by JudyM5 »

I found Gulliver's travels a difficult read as a child but as an adult I think it says a lot about intolerance and the way we view and stereotype others.
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Sc00terman
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Post by Sc00terman »

Anyone a fan of this piece? Started it a couple days ago and nearly complete. I remember reading bits of it in High School but for the first time I'm completing the entire book.
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Post by Atabon Della »

No reviews for Gulliver's Travel? This is rather strange. I have known this book since from my secondary school days, but have never read it again since then. But I would like to read it this time.
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SimonLedama
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Post by SimonLedama »

Truly love the book, it's amazingly done. Who knew giants would be trapped by us! Definitely worthwhile read.
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Post by Naval Aulakh »

I read this book when I was a teenager and I loved it. I have even watched the movie. It is worth watching :)
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Naval Aulakh
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Post by Naval Aulakh »

I enjoyed reading this book. I too liked the character of Gulliver. I rated it 3 out of 4 stars.
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Post by Anirudh Badri »

The book was extremely interesting and was especially a snide way of pointing out that neither extreme is great as far as size goes.
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Post by Reuben 92 »

I really enjoy Swift's satire, and his misanthropy. Having Gulliver unable to reintegrate to human society after enjoying the society of noble horse-like creatures is such an interesting idea.
"Every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument which he offers to the reader to enable him to discern what...he would perhaps never have perceived in himself."
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Post by Bluecobia »

I have started reading this book several times but have never been able get through to the end.
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panaginip
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Post by panaginip »

I just bought a secondhand book with Jonathan Swift's essays and the whole Gulliver's Travels. I have read this in ebook format and it became a favorite so I bought a paperback edition.
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Post by onixpam »

I grow up reading Gulliver's Travels and his adventures made me dream so many times. I think the book is better when you are already an Adult and you really can appreciate the meaning that the author wants to place on it
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Post by Jeyasivananth »

Like most people i first read this book as a kid and took it for its face value.It was only later that i learnt that it was a huge allegory and satire of his times. I think the book is a remarkable feat and makes an interesting read.
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Post by Elizabeth Pass »

the_book_nerd_1997 wrote: 10 Mar 2016, 23:04 Swift has quite a gift of making all the adventures seem both real and completely ridiculous.
I felt the same way! I enjoyed this book while in college. I had, of course, heard of the book but had never attempted to read it in it's entirety before. What a treat it was!
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