Reviews with content warning for War - Gulliver's Travels

Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," often lauded as a satirical masterpiece, may simply not have been for me. While it undeniably offers a rich tapestry of political and social commentary, the novel suffers from several flaws that render it, at best, mediocre in my opinion.

Firstly, the book's episodic structure, which takes the reader through four distinct voyages, lacks cohesion. Each part — Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, and the land of the Houyhnhnms — functions almost as a standalone narrative with little to tie them together beyond the protagonist's presence. This fragmented storytelling can make the novel feel disjointed and uneven, diminishing the overall impact.

I think that character development is another weak point. Gulliver, the protagonist, is less a fully fleshed-out character and more a vessel for Swift's satirical observations. His personality and motivations are underdeveloped, making it difficult for readers to form a meaningful connection with him. This lack of depth in the central character reduces the emotional engagement and investment in the story.

Additionally, the book's pacing is inconsistent. Certain sections, such as the detailed descriptions of the Houyhnhnms' society, drag on excessively and disrupt the narrative flow. These slow segments can test the reader's patience and diminish the overall reading experience.

Finally, the language and style, while reflective of Swift's time, can be cumbersome for modern readers. The archaic prose and dense passages may pose a barrier to accessibility and enjoyment, particularly for those not accustomed to 18th-century literature.

I usually really enjoy if an author‘s writing style is very descriptive and includes lots of details. Swift definitely has a way of writing very detailed, maybe though to a fault. To some extent, I sometimes really wished that Swift would have decided to include some less details in certain sections of the book since the reading experience could have been really improved at times.

In conclusion, while "Gulliver's Travels" has its merits as a work of satire and social critiques which in my opinion especially came through in the fourth and, in m opinion, most interesting part of this book, its structural flaws, underdeveloped characters, inconsistent pacing and dated language collectively contribute to its mediocrity. Nevertheless, it remains a significant historical work which I am happy to finally have read.

I am certain that during Swift‘s lifetime this book was ground-breaking and can definitely see the appeal it might have head for people at that time. In total, I cannot say that this book was bad in any way, but I definitely felt more exhausted than with many other books I have read so far. If you have got time to spare and are in for a challenging reading experience, „Gulliver‘s Travels“ might just be the boo for you!

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sorkka's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed this audio book adaptation of Gulliver’s travels. It’s amazing how contemporary a book from 300 years ago sounds today. I loved the surprise cameo of my favourite Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) in part 3! I still think that I must read the original book in order to feel that I can truthfully claim to have read Gulliver’s travels because I think this version cuts a lot out. (All 362 pages crammed into under 3hrs - unlikely!) It was pretty funny too!

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