Book Review: Gulliver's Travels

     

Book Review: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

    I intentionally chose this timeless classic of English literature to be the subject of my first review because I intend for this blog to be similarily pleasant ❤! 

P.S: 

     Not that I read enough books by Irish writers, but do they ever fail in writing? Gulliver's Travels is a compendious account by the celebrated Anglo-Irish essayist, Jonathan Swift and I think that any reader who's already familiar with classics can easily go through this book. It is told from the first-person perspective by Lemuel Gulliver, which perfectly serves the satirical tone of this distinct adventure tale. However, his journey is quite altered from the usual adventure journeys other travelers have. Swift intends to discredit those esoteric travel accounts and their implausible writers for they often include untrue events and adventures. Thus, he introduces a totally changed setting, primarily England and the imaginary countries of Lilliput, Blefuscu, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the land of the Houyhnhnms through his brave tenacious protagonist . 

     The latter is a curious surgeon who is determined to see the world, his willingness to hit the roads aiming at discovery and traveling is prevailing. Throughout his journey in the several strange lands, Gulliver undergoes continuous misfortunes that are nonetheless entertaining to the reader. He examines the societies' respective unusual inhabitants, their distinct societal and economic compositions as well as the various political orientations. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Hence, he utilizes his witty language to expose his people's narrow-mindedness, prejudice, and superficiality by expressing his derision to the English systems and lifestyle sardonically. 

     Probably his implied denouncement of the human race generally and the English specifically is pervasive in the last chapter. Since his acquaintance with Houyhnhnms, Gulliver utterly changes to a ferocious misanthrope that renders him humans-intolerant by the time he has come back home. His unhappy return to England emphasized his alienation which would last for a while before his reimmersion in social life.
One cannot but appreciate such a clear and crisp novel, its manifested sardonic tone, implicit mockery, and eloquent writing contribute to the appealing legacy of Jonathan Swift.

P.S: the movie adaptation has to be one of the greatest injustices ever done to such a compelling story.

Quotes:

“My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory.”

    “Here commences a new dominion acquired with a title by divine right.   Ships are sent with the first opportunity; the natives driven out or destroyed; their princes tortured to discover their gold; a free license given to all acts of inhumanity and lust, the earth reeking with the blood of its inhabitants: and this execrable crew of butchers, employed in so pious an expedition, is a modern colony, sent to convert and civilize an idolatrous and barbarous people!”

 

“As soon as I entered the house, my wife took me in her arms, and kissed me; at which, having not been used to the touch of that odious animal for so many years, I fell into a swoon for almost an hour. At the time I am writing, it is five years since my last return to England. During the first year, I could not endure my wife or children in my presence; the very smell of them was intolerable; much less could I suffer them to eat in the same room. To this hour they dare not presume to touch my bread, or drink out of the same cup, neither was I ever able to let one of them take me by the hand. The first money I laid out was to buy two young stone-horses, which I keep in a good stable; and next to them, the groom is my greatest favourite, for I feel my spirits revived by the smell he contracts in the stable. My horses understand me tolerably well; I converse with them at least four hours every day. They are strangers to bridle or saddle; they live in great amity with me and friendship to each other.”