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alleseter 's review for:
Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan Swift
Gulliver's Travels of course is world famous for Gulliver's travel to Lilliput, which sprouted e.g. several films, but the journey to Lilliput is only the first of four travels, and not even the best. with this particularly land Swift satirizes his own government during the reign Queen Anne, and most of the allusions have been lost. Most interesting is Gulliver's way of extinguishing a fire in Chapter 5, and its consequences, and the Liliputians' view on Gulliver's watch as a sort of God in Chapter 2.
Gulliver's next journey, 'A Voyage to Brobdingnag', is the inverse of Lilliput: a land of giants. This story lacks most of the satire that invaded 'A Voyage to Lilliput' and this in fact makes it much more enjoyable. Note how Gulliver reacts to an enormous breast in the first chapter.
The third voyage, to no less than four fantasylands, is by far the weakest of the lot. The inhabitants of the floating island Laputa are more bizarre than anything else, and their science, as described in Chapter 5, nonsensical. But these chapters are at least enjoyable, the book hits boredom when Gulliver talks to the dead in Glubbubdrib (Chapter 7 & 8). Highlight may be the unfortunate immortals of Luggnagg (Chapter 10), but in all this part is too directionless and too inconsequent to have a lasting impression.
Much better is the last voyage, to the Country of the Hyouhnhnms, a land of intelligent horses. Swift makes Gulliver compare the noble Hyouhnhnms to the imperfect nature of mankind, and this book contains the most vile satire of all parts. In chapter 5 Swift describes the folly of war, and places a vicious attacks on lawyers and judges. He continues in chapter 6 with British politics and the nobility, with words drenched in vitriol. In the last chapter we even find a critical view on colonialism, even if its followed by a (hollow?) praise of the British version of it.
With this last book Swift shows himself to be a great satirist, and this finale is certainly the most satisfying part of the book, which is enjoyable almost throughout, anyhow, especially because Swift also satirizes the travel writing of its time, and the book also gives a look into the European world view in an age of discovery.
Gulliver's next journey, 'A Voyage to Brobdingnag', is the inverse of Lilliput: a land of giants. This story lacks most of the satire that invaded 'A Voyage to Lilliput' and this in fact makes it much more enjoyable. Note how Gulliver reacts to an enormous breast in the first chapter.
The third voyage, to no less than four fantasylands, is by far the weakest of the lot. The inhabitants of the floating island Laputa are more bizarre than anything else, and their science, as described in Chapter 5, nonsensical. But these chapters are at least enjoyable, the book hits boredom when Gulliver talks to the dead in Glubbubdrib (Chapter 7 & 8). Highlight may be the unfortunate immortals of Luggnagg (Chapter 10), but in all this part is too directionless and too inconsequent to have a lasting impression.
Much better is the last voyage, to the Country of the Hyouhnhnms, a land of intelligent horses. Swift makes Gulliver compare the noble Hyouhnhnms to the imperfect nature of mankind, and this book contains the most vile satire of all parts. In chapter 5 Swift describes the folly of war, and places a vicious attacks on lawyers and judges. He continues in chapter 6 with British politics and the nobility, with words drenched in vitriol. In the last chapter we even find a critical view on colonialism, even if its followed by a (hollow?) praise of the British version of it.
With this last book Swift shows himself to be a great satirist, and this finale is certainly the most satisfying part of the book, which is enjoyable almost throughout, anyhow, especially because Swift also satirizes the travel writing of its time, and the book also gives a look into the European world view in an age of discovery.