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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
I didn't like this book the first time I read it in high school. I appreciated more when I read it again in college. It's a good story, but not good enough for me to really remember a whole lot about it.
I loved this book. Swift's story of an English ship surgeon who finds himself lost on several strange off-the-map places, meeting different types of human beings, is fascinating. He discovers tiny Lilliputians, giants in Brobdingnag, floating islands, isolated scholars, necromancers, and best of all, real rational animals: the speaking horses of Houyhnhnmland. It's a scathing satire on human nature, with its criticisms on the violence, overwrought legal system, political contradictions, and religious wars of the human race. Swift's debate over whether humans really are rational animals, or more like animals capable of reason, plays out well in this ironic 18th century tale.
I had to read this as an English undergrad, and I hated it. However, I suspect this had more to do with the poor instruction than the quality of the book. What I do remember was how political it was and how difficult it was to understand the book without understanding the context.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I guess it's time to do some New Year's housecleaning by admitting that I'm not going to get around to finishing this. I re=picked it up a couple of weeks ago and, well, it's not awful or anything, just not really very interesting. it takes too many footnotes to explain what current British political struggles Swift was satirizing. To me, a novel that just hasn't stood the test of time.
I actually ended up liking this satire more than I thought I would at first! The first and second parts I was familiar with, as they are the most commonly recreated in film, etc. So I was really interested to read the second half.
Satire that's as sharp and relevant today as the day it was written.
Not perfect, not always likeable and not suggesting ways out of aspects of the human condition. But that is the satirist's role.
Not perfect, not always likeable and not suggesting ways out of aspects of the human condition. But that is the satirist's role.
So it turns out that the Jack Black movie is only loosely based on this book. Shocker. :) Like Don Quixote, most of what people think of when they think [b:Gulliver's Travels|7733|Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427829692s/7733.jpg|2394716] is all covered in the first part of the book. Yes, the protagonist finds himself tied down by a society of miniature people. He stays there for a while, learns their language, and becomes friendly with them. But then he goes on to visit other mysterious worlds full of giants or that are ruled by a different species. What luck he has in finding all these undiscovered curiosities!
I know that this book was written as satire, not as a children's book as it is often positioned. I read it for fun and didn't put a lot of deep thought into it. Considering that it was written in 1726, it is an excellent and very creative book.
I know that this book was written as satire, not as a children's book as it is often positioned. I read it for fun and didn't put a lot of deep thought into it. Considering that it was written in 1726, it is an excellent and very creative book.
I loved parts 1, 2, and 4. However, part 3 was a bit of a struggle to get through.
Best thing he wrote was A Modest Proposal-
Fuck this book it’s just so shit. It’s a satire on British superiority, but if you didn’t know that it’s was a satire you’d think this dude was an ass and an idiot. This book doesn’t come off as a satire, and just like of no one laughs at your joke then it’s a bad joke - if your reader can’t tell it’s a satire within the first third at least ITS A BAD SATIRE.
I know he’s dead and a review doesn’t matter - it’s just so bad. I have never hated anything this much.
Watch the Jack Black movie.
Fuck this book it’s just so shit. It’s a satire on British superiority, but if you didn’t know that it’s was a satire you’d think this dude was an ass and an idiot. This book doesn’t come off as a satire, and just like of no one laughs at your joke then it’s a bad joke - if your reader can’t tell it’s a satire within the first third at least ITS A BAD SATIRE.
I know he’s dead and a review doesn’t matter - it’s just so bad. I have never hated anything this much.
Watch the Jack Black movie.