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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
I have wanted to read this book for a really long time. It's a major classic and felt that I was missing out on something but having never read it. I love audiobooks and when I saw that this one was only 10 hours long I was thrilled. (It's quite short for an audiobook). Plus, I have read some of Swift's other works and am a fan of his satire.
I was delighted to find out that a lot of modern pop culture references have ties to Gulliver's Travels. I think the most recent I've seen was a car commercial.
While I did like the book overall, I couldn't help thinking "Dude! STOP GOING TO SEA!!!" Seriously, nothing good comes of him going to sea. He kept saying that he couldn't wait to get home to his wife and children, but a day or so after finally returning to them he'd leave again. I understand wanderlust, but what the what?
I really liked the middle section (or his second trip to sea) where he finds himself on an Island with giants and is taken care of by a little girl. That section was so endearing. And I loved how adaptable he was. He could learn languages like woah. I'm jealous of that particular skill.
I can see why this is a children's classic. There's a lot of adventure and far away lands. There's even a royal family. While there were some moments that I enjoyed poking a little fun at, it was an enjoyable book. The narrator also had an English accent which is always a plus for me. I listened to it a few nights right before bed and it lulled me right to sleep. That's what I enjoy the most about audiobooks.
I was delighted to find out that a lot of modern pop culture references have ties to Gulliver's Travels. I think the most recent I've seen was a car commercial.
While I did like the book overall, I couldn't help thinking "Dude! STOP GOING TO SEA!!!" Seriously, nothing good comes of him going to sea. He kept saying that he couldn't wait to get home to his wife and children, but a day or so after finally returning to them he'd leave again. I understand wanderlust, but what the what?
I really liked the middle section (or his second trip to sea) where he finds himself on an Island with giants and is taken care of by a little girl. That section was so endearing. And I loved how adaptable he was. He could learn languages like woah. I'm jealous of that particular skill.
I can see why this is a children's classic. There's a lot of adventure and far away lands. There's even a royal family. While there were some moments that I enjoyed poking a little fun at, it was an enjoyable book. The narrator also had an English accent which is always a plus for me. I listened to it a few nights right before bed and it lulled me right to sleep. That's what I enjoy the most about audiobooks.
Este libro era uno de mis más grandes pendientes. Recuerdo en mi niñez haber leído una versión resumida y adaptada, por supuesto, para niños; por lo que la historia de navegante Gulliver conociendo la isla de los habitantes tan diminutos de Liliput y a los gigantes de Brobdingnag.
Por muchos años ese fue todo el referente que yo tenía en relación con la historia de Gulliver. Hace unas semanas me di a la tarea de leer este libro debido a que mis alumnos debían trabajar una actividad relacionada a él y necesitaba yo tener un contexto amplio de este libro.
A pesar de ya conocer los dos primeros viajes de Gulliver, releerlos a esta edad me hizo repensar mucho sobre porqué este libro es considerado infantil; cuando su clasificación es muy diferente a la que se le ha querido adjudicar.
Más allá de mi lectura, me empapé de algunos artículos relacionados a la obra para comprender mejor qué es lo que Jonathan Swift crítica y cómo lo representa con cada uno de los viajes que realizó. Eso hizo que mi lectura fue mucho más placentera.
De los cuatro viajes que hizo, mi favorito fue el tercero, en la isla de Laputa; esto porque es lo que Miyasaki tomó como inspiración para realizar la película "Castillo en el cielo"; además de eso, esta parte me gustó por como es mostrada la adquisición del conocimiento.
Después de esta lectura puedo decir que NO es de mis clásicos favoritos, pero fue una lectura que disfruté a momentos. Y me quedo con eso.
Por muchos años ese fue todo el referente que yo tenía en relación con la historia de Gulliver. Hace unas semanas me di a la tarea de leer este libro debido a que mis alumnos debían trabajar una actividad relacionada a él y necesitaba yo tener un contexto amplio de este libro.
A pesar de ya conocer los dos primeros viajes de Gulliver, releerlos a esta edad me hizo repensar mucho sobre porqué este libro es considerado infantil; cuando su clasificación es muy diferente a la que se le ha querido adjudicar.
Más allá de mi lectura, me empapé de algunos artículos relacionados a la obra para comprender mejor qué es lo que Jonathan Swift crítica y cómo lo representa con cada uno de los viajes que realizó. Eso hizo que mi lectura fue mucho más placentera.
De los cuatro viajes que hizo, mi favorito fue el tercero, en la isla de Laputa; esto porque es lo que Miyasaki tomó como inspiración para realizar la película "Castillo en el cielo"; además de eso, esta parte me gustó por como es mostrada la adquisición del conocimiento.
Después de esta lectura puedo decir que NO es de mis clásicos favoritos, pero fue una lectura que disfruté a momentos. Y me quedo con eso.
adventurous
medium-paced
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Gullivers rejser er underholdende og relativt let læselige. Det bliver dog undervejs lidt meget gentagelser og forfatterens lange opremsninger giver halve sider, der bare skal overståes.
Bogen er (efter sigende) skrevet som en satire over Swifts samtid. I så fald tror jeg trygt man kan konkludere, at han ikke var super imponeret over sine medborgere og i særdeleshed ikke af advokater.
Satiren er mest elegant i de første par historier, og bliver... skal vi sige mindre subtil i de to sidste historier - der er virkelig ikke lagt fingre imellem i beskrivelsen af advokater i den fjerde fortælling.
For så gammel en fortælling var den meget let at læse. Det må være en cadeau til senere oversættere, der har formået at opdatere sproget uden at det virker kunstigt. Og for så gammel en fortælling er der overraskende meget om afføring.
Bogen er (efter sigende) skrevet som en satire over Swifts samtid. I så fald tror jeg trygt man kan konkludere, at han ikke var super imponeret over sine medborgere og i særdeleshed ikke af advokater.
Satiren er mest elegant i de første par historier, og bliver... skal vi sige mindre subtil i de to sidste historier - der er virkelig ikke lagt fingre imellem i beskrivelsen af advokater i den fjerde fortælling.
For så gammel en fortælling var den meget let at læse. Det må være en cadeau til senere oversættere, der har formået at opdatere sproget uden at det virker kunstigt. Og for så gammel en fortælling er der overraskende meget om afføring.
I picked this up on a whim (mostly to avoid starting the next book in the Dark Tower series) and was pleasantly surprised.
The book is a harsh satire of the people and institutions of its time but most of the criticisms still feel relevant today.
Here’s a great quote from the book regarding lawyers:
“They were usually the most ignorant and stupid generation among us, the most despicable in common conversation, avowed enemies to all knowledge and learning, and equally disposed to pervert the general reason of mankind in every other subject of discourse as in that of their own profession.”
The book is a harsh satire of the people and institutions of its time but most of the criticisms still feel relevant today.
Here’s a great quote from the book regarding lawyers:
“They were usually the most ignorant and stupid generation among us, the most despicable in common conversation, avowed enemies to all knowledge and learning, and equally disposed to pervert the general reason of mankind in every other subject of discourse as in that of their own profession.”
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was going to read this in the library at school when I was a child but when it was my turn unfortunately the teacher called us to come back to the classroom. Then this book got lost and I forgot about it. It was just recently that I went to a second hand bookstore and found this 30 years later. I took my sweet time reading this. Again. Totally worth it. Could be nostalgia but I loved it nonetheless.
"a first or chief minister of state [...] makes use of no other passions, but a violent desire of wealth, power, and titles; that he applies his words to all uses, except to the indication of his mind; that he never tells a truth but with an intent that you should take it for a lie; nor a lie, but with a design that you should take it for a truth; that those he speaks worst of behind their backs are in the surest way of preferment"
Easy to read and pretty engaging - I definitely get why it's usually posited as a kid's book. It was much more political than I was expecting though, and depressingly relevant in some ways. Still - it didn't quite do it for me. Not a Swifty.
Easy to read and pretty engaging - I definitely get why it's usually posited as a kid's book. It was much more political than I was expecting though, and depressingly relevant in some ways. Still - it didn't quite do it for me. Not a Swifty.
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation
Read this about five maybe six times for school now, the amount of shit and piss jokes will never not take me by surprise