Literature is truly a remarkable art form, and when it reaches a certain level of excellence, it becomes something truly extraordinary. There is no doubt that when we encounter a piece of literature that is so masterfully crafted, it leaves us in awe. It has the power to transport us to different worlds, make us feel a wide range of emotions, and expand our understanding of the human experience. Whether it's a classic novel, a beautiful poem, or a thought-provoking short story, great literature has the ability to touch our hearts and minds in ways that nothing else can. It is a source of inspiration, a means of escape, and a window into the souls of others. Literature doesn't get any better than this, and we should cherish and celebrate the works that have the power to move us and make us think.

And he gave it for his opinion,

"that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together."

I don't think there will ever be a time when Gulliver's Travels doesn't feel like a perfect mirror of humankind.

I remember the first time I read it, as a child.

I was immeasurably impressed with the sudden insight that things are small or great depending on comparison with other things, and that there are no absolute values.

That knowledge, combined with the idea that you learn to understand yourself by seeing your peculiarities through the eyes of people who do not share your social and cultural background, helped me navigate my globetrotting childhood.

When I reread the Travels as a grown-up, I focused more on the political satire, finding pleasure in discovering that the typical idiocies of my own time apparently had their correspondences centuries ago.

Somehow, that made life easier to bear.

But now I am beginning to wonder.

Are the yahoos degenerating further?

When will they hit rock bottom?

And could we maybe ship off some of our worst yahoos to Lilliput, where they can claim they are great without lying?

Thank Goodness there are authors like Swift, who are capable of making humanists in despair laugh on dark November nights after reading the never-ending misery called news.

Oh Lordy, I wish they were fake.

But they are likely to mirror the world - without the wit and irony that Swift added to make life endurable, enjoyable even!

That is a quality in an author that is always needed, now more than ever!

Yahooooooooooooooooo!

Imagine if you lived in the 1700s. Back then, this might have been considered the most exciting book available. But it would have come with a lot of screaming and crying.

Thankfully, we now live in a time where the only reason I read this book is because its cover is appealing, not because I endure a life of hardship, without running water, and with this being my idea of a great time.

Phew! What a relief.

The bottom line is that this book was just fine. There's nothing more to it. It's not a masterpiece, but it's also not a complete disaster. It's simply an average read that serves its purpose. Maybe it'll provide a bit of entertainment or pass the time. But it won't change your life or leave a lasting impression. That's all there is to it.

Swift is Savage!!!!!!!!

In a scathing indictment of the world, he sets ablaze the European ruling class and humanity as a whole in the first ever political satire. This work is a precursor to a very popular modern genre. It's important to note that this version is not intended for children. In fact, children may be bored to tears in some parts. I suggest reading the abridged versions in youth, highlighting the Lilliput's and Brobdingnag. Then, later, when able to understand the satire of Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, and of course the Houyhnhyms. This will combine nostalgia with new discoveries to enhance the experience. That's what I did, and I have a new revelation every time I read the book.

Published in 1726 in secret, it's about colonial Europe and human nature as a whole at a time when it could have been considered treason and heresy. Being a satire of a different time period and written in the travel journal style, a no longer written genre popular of the day, with a very dry "I did this then I did that" style of writing. It's fair to say the novel is obsolete to modern listeners. However, I propose a different conjecture. If you're like me and a little disillusioned by the current state of politics in America, I think you will enjoy this book. It made me feel a lot better about the way we run our nation. As for the outdated style, I found it similar to modern science fiction, like Star Trek where new civilizations are encountered and compared to our own. Audible should have William Shatner read a version. Maybe next time I read it, I will imagine Captain Kirk as the narrator.

Gulliver is not a likeable character. He's cowardly, prideful, and misogynistic. I found myself disliking him by the end of the book. But I believe Gulliver himself is the biggest joke of all. Swift, being an Irish clergyman, the ideological opposite of an English surgeon, meant to be ridiculed.

I'm not going to tell you my conjectures of the views in the book because I hate being told what to think. Swift is not subtle, and there are several study guides online. This book has been dissected, reviewed, and debated for centuries by greater minds than mine. I'm just a Butcher from Georgia. I will tell you not to expect any profound answers as Swift confessed the purpose of the story is to vex the world.

Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745) was a remarkable author. Towards the end of his book, he wrote a statement that shows his confidence in his work. He believed that he was a perfectly blameless author, against whom the tribe of critics would never be able to find matter for exercising their talents.

Had Swift known about GR, he might have included “reviewers” in that sentence. This thought makes me hesitate to continue with my review.

However, “The Travels of Gulliver” (1726) has made me laugh like no other book in a long time. I want to share this wonderful experience with you.

The introduction in my edition by Michael Foot was almost as funny as the book itself. Foot surveys the history of the reaction to Swift’s book, from its immediate success during the Enlightenment to the deprecating opinion in Victorian times. Some Victorians were affronted by what they thought was indecency in Swift’s lines.

Some of the quotes from Victorian responses are quite hilarious. For example, one described Swift as “a monster, gibbering shrieks and gnashing imprecations against mankind.”

Swift’s rehabilitation started during WW1. His attacks on war and nationalism were well-received in Cambridge in 1917. However, some rejection still lingered, and even George Orwell and Aldous Huxley were critical of him.

Nowadays, many aspects of this book appeal to our cynical age. It has been filtered through Disney Cartoons and has influenced the naming of companies like Yahoo.

This book is a journey into acerbity. Each part becomes more acidic than the previous one. Swift is stripping human nature, revealing our presumptuousness and the relativity of our beliefs.

The fantastic and utopian character of the book is disguised by Swift's use of exact dates. This specificity made some of his contemporaries check their Atlases.

Apart from children, mathematicians have also been delighted by Gulliver’s adventures. The third trip to Laputa is a humorous diatribe against mathematicians and academics.

The fourth and final trip is the most controversial, as it is a direct blow at the arrogance of human nature. It is also an excellent exposition of Swift’s thinking and his aversion to brutality and despotism.

Swift’s language is another aspect that I greatly enjoyed. In spite of the irony and satire, his writing reads as if it comes directly from the pen of Mister Common Sense. He was known for his conviction on the appropriate use of language and would read aloud to his servants to ensure understanding.

Swift kept his humour until the end, as seen in his epitaph. He gave his wealth to build a house for fools and mad, and showed by one satyric touch that no nation needed it so much.

I close this book with a great respect for the smart and polite Houyhnhnms, who possess a level of wisdom and common sense that we should all envy.

It is so nice to finally be able to enjoy Gulliver's Travels in its entirety. This is all thanks to my library book club. We had a really lively discussion. When we dissected and dug below the surface, I was truly amazed at how much I learned. I had no idea what I was missing before. And having the members of the book club, whose ages ranged from the early 20s to 90+, to discuss and share ideas with, taught me far more than reading by myself ever could. Each person brought their own unique perspective and insights, which made the whole experience even more enriching. It was wonderful to hear different interpretations of the story and to learn from one another. I'm so glad I joined this book club and look forward to many more discussions and discoveries in the future.

A mordant, satirical, and rebellious classic novel. It is a devastating and venomous critique of the society of that era, which, surprisingly (?), fits ours perfectly. The ending makes one think for a while and invites each "yahoo" to draw their own conclusions...

This novel is not just a work of fiction; it is a mirror that reflects the vices and follies of society. Through its vivid characters and engaging plot, it exposes the hypocrisy, greed, and corruption that exist beneath the surface. The author's sharp wit and incisive commentary make this a thought-provoking read that will leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Despite being set in a different time and place, the themes explored in this novel are still relevant today. It serves as a reminder that the problems we face as a society are not new and that we must continue to strive for change. Whether you are a lover of classic literature or simply looking for a good read, this novel is sure to satisfy.

Gulliver’s Travels was an instant best seller upon its publication in 1726, riding the wave of excitement generated by Robinson Crusoe. It serves as a satire on contemporary travel narratives, but Swift ingeniously used this framework to unleash his spleen on practically every facet of the world he inhabited. While it functions admirably as a children’s book, some parts might have bored them to tears.

This edition comprises only half of the work, encompassing Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput (the land of the little people) and Brobdingnag (the land of the giants). It is a children’s edition, complete with a glossary at the end of each chapter that elucidates ‘difficult’ words. I found this extremely helpful, as the meanings of numerous words have changed so significantly over the centuries that the essence of some sentences would have eluded me without it. For instance, ‘an unlucky schoolboy’ actually means a mischievous schoolboy, and ‘I made a shift’ is equivalent to ‘I managed’.

Jonathan Swift’s life (1667-1745) is perhaps best encapsulated in his epitaph, which reads ubi saeva indignatio ulterius cor lacerare nequit - ‘where fierce indignation can no further tear apart his heart’.

Assigning it a star rating seems a rather futile exercise. What else could I possibly award it but 5 stars when it is regarded as one of the most crucial books ever penned in the English language? However, my personal enjoyment of it is probably around 3 stars.

With gratitude to my grandfather (Papa), Alexander Allan, for a complimentary review copy! He received this edition in 1908 for his attendance. Thanks, Papa, for instilling in my Mum a love of reading, which she, in turn, passed on to me.

My opinion about this particular book, as I imagine many others also had, was that it was a children's story.

However, this specific book is deeply political and criticizes all the wrongly written aspects of the era in which it was set.

It delves into the social and political issues of that time, shining a light on the injustices and inequalities that prevailed.

The author uses the medium of a story to convey powerful messages and make the readers think about the consequences of certain actions and policies.

It is not just a simple tale for children but a thought-provoking work that has the potential to make a significant impact on the readers, regardless of their age.

Overall, this book challenges the traditional perception of what a children's book should be and offers a unique perspective on history and society.

It has been quite some time since a work managed to be both so thought-provoking and deep while also being uproariously funny. Of course, this is only for those who truly understand satire.

Let us meet Lemuel Gulliver, a British surgeon. He is the protagonist and narrator of this remarkable book, which is divided into 4 parts. Most people are only familiar with the first part, and perhaps the second, but are completely unaware of the latter two. He recounts his fantastical voyages and the extraordinary experiences he endured, much like any excellent travel literature. ;)

Part 1 details a voyage that took place from 4 May 1699 to 13 April 1702. During this time, Gulliver boards a ship but unfortunately遭遇海难and is washed ashore on a South-Indian island. There, he is taken prisoner by the inhabitants of the infamous country of Lilliput. At first, he is the favorite curiosity of the little people's royal court. However, this does not last long. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, even though Gulliver does his utmost to assist these strange miniature beings who love to argue about the most trivial of matters.

Part 2 begins on 20 June 1702, soon after his return from Lilliput, and lasts until 3 June 1706. This time, his ship is blown off course, and the crew is forced to go ashore in search of drinkable water. Gulliver is abandoned by his crewmates on a peninsula called Brobdingnag, which is supposedly on the western shore of the US. Here, the people are as tall as trees, and for a change, Gulliver is the unusually small one. Once again, he is taken in, but this time he is displayed as a curiosity and eventually sold to the queen, who has a tiny house built for him. The problem, however, is that not only are the people huge, but so is the wildlife, which soon becomes a major issue.

In part 3, after his safe return to England, Gulliver wastes no time in setting off on his next voyage, which occurs from 5 August 1706 to 16 April 1710. During this journey, he is attacked by pirates and then marooned on an island close to India. He is rescued by the flying island of Laputa. The people there have an intense love for music, mathematics, and astronomy, but they never seem to know what to do with their knowledge. As it turns out, Laputa is the ruling body of Balnibarbi, where Gulliver visits a rather ridiculous "academy". The people attempt to help him reach Japan so that he can make his way home, but on the way, he makes a detour to Glubbdubdrib, another island where he engages in philosophical discussions with long-dead historical figures, and Luggnagg, an island populated by immortal but not eternally young people, with all the implications that come with that.

Part 4 finds Gulliver boarding a ship for a voyage from 7 September 1710 until 5 December 1715, despite having sworn never to go traveling again. This time, he is not the ship's surgeon but the captain. However, his crew is poorly chosen, and they mutiny, leaving him on the first piece of land they encounter. There, he meets some rather deformed fellow humans called Yahoos (yes, that is where the company got its name from) and Houyhnhnms, which are talking horses and also the slave masters of the Yahoos. Gulliver practically falls in love with the Houyhnhnms and their way of life. However, the Houyhnhnms view him as a threat and send him away.

Once back in England, Gulliver is forever changed. He becomes a recluse and despises humanity.

Why do I go into such detail? Because what I have described so far is only the setup of each part and does not truly reveal what Gulliver encounters in each of those lands. The book is actually about much more than just his adventures. It delves into human stupidity, bureaucracy, slavery, and so much more.

The word satire does not do justice to Jonathan Swift's writing. It truly doesn't. Perhaps that is why his unique brand of satire, which is utterly deadpan and ironic, has been coined "Swiftian". Seriously, I have a great love for dark humor and have read quite a few examples, but I have never come across anything quite like this. It was truly marvelous!

Interestingly, although Swift claimed that he did not intend to entertain with this book but rather to offend in order to make people confront all the issues portrayed within it, the book was generally well-received and loved! One must assume that all 4 parts were enjoyed! And yet, over time, despite the book never going out of print, parts 3 and 4 are often unknown and are rarely represented in any movie adaptation, as far as I know. Worse still, there are book editions that specifically leave out part 4.

It is entirely possible that one of the modern-day problems is not only that people refuse to admit that Swift was and is right, but also that many simply do not understand him. He did not simply write a dry comedy; he was erudite and eloquent, challenging readers to use their brains. This seems to be out of fashion these days.

As with his later work, which I read yesterday, the amazing (and somewhat creepy) thing is that this could be a contemporary piece. Travel literature is still highly popular, people are still prone to stupidity, politics continue to be maddening, science is often still pursued in the "we can, so we do" spirit (just look at the invention of AI without fully understanding the consequences), slavery still exists in various forms, often in disguise, we desire the wrong things, and generally just don't "get it". *lol*

So yes, there is a very good reason why this is a classic, and it truly made me cackle. Not just smile or chuckle, but actually cackle out loud!

**Biting Political Satire**

On September 9, 2015, I reflected on the well-known tale of the English sailor who, after a shipwreck, finds himself bound to the beach of an unknown island, surrounded by a race of much smaller people. Many of us are familiar with this story, and some may even remember the Jack Black film adaptation. However, it wasn't until I reached university that I discovered the true nature of this tale as biting political satire.

The original intention of the book often takes a back seat as time passes, and the story acquires a new meaning. This is similar to the book of Revelation, whose meaning has also changed over the ages. Gulliver's Travels is a complex work that cannot be fully appreciated with a simple review on Goodreads. I have decided to add it to my "read again and write a detailed blog post" pile, along with Plato's Symposium.

Before delving into each of Gulliver's journeys, it's important to note that this book is not the first travel narrative. It has, however, influenced the science-fiction/fantasy genre. Gulliver heads off into the unknown and discovers societies that are completely alien to our own, much like the crew of the Enterprise in Star Trek.
The story of Gulliver's Travels is one of contrasts. In Lilliput, he is the big man, while in Brobdingnag, he is tiny. The political situations also differ, with Lilliput being a farcical representation of English politics and Brobdingnag having innocent rulers. In Laputa, Swift criticizes the modern scientific community, and in the land of the Houyhnhnms, we see a form of idyllic utopia, but one that is also racist.
Overall, Gulliver's Travels is a thought-provoking work that challenges our perceptions of society, politics, and science. It makes us question our own beliefs and actions, and reminds us that even the most seemingly perfect societies have their flaws.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Gulliver's Travels is a classic work of literature that continues to be relevant today. Its biting political satire, exploration of different societies, and criticism of the scientific community make it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the human condition. While it may have been written centuries ago, its messages still resonate with us today, and it serves as a reminder that we should always be critical of the world around us and strive to make it a better place.

There are several important things to mention. Firstly, I'm very happy that after a long time, a complete translation of this book has come out. The others are either abridged or for young people. Secondly, the travelogue that was specifically about Lilliput dedicates two-thirds of the first chapter to itself, not all the travels that Gulliver mentions. Thirdly, on Wikipedia, this book has all the travels misrepresented in a bad way, so if you haven't read the book, don't rely on its Wikipedia page. Fourthly, in my opinion, the third chapter of this book is written very ingeniously. That is, when you see that the book was written several hundred years ago and the author has used everything that is far and wide in the most ingenious form, you are amazed. Fifthly, don't miss reading this book. It's a first-class classic that unfortunately has been used a lot from its first part. There are also other things that come later in the book for the first time and I don't think they have been mentioned in previous books, such as the flying island and animals with reason. In conclusion, I liked the book and benefited from reading it. I recommend that you don't miss it. That's all.