Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - 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!

Content Warnings

water_and_shade's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Gulliver's Travels is almost 300 years old, but Swifts satirical commentary on humankind still reigns alarmingly true. I laughed out loud at some passages and screenshotted innumerable sections which were particularly pertinent to today's political climate. I agree with other readers that the 4th part definitely descended into fairly brutal cynicism, but I still enjoyed it. Really liked the whimsy of the first two parts, something very enjoyable about hearing a comb described by someone who has never seen one. And the ridiculous experiments in part 3 were a fun imaginative touch. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think it has aged well for a classic - I think Jonathan Swift would've been an interesting dinner party guest!

Content Warnings

m4rtt4's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Surprisingly good and funny, though at times it was very difficult to differentiate between satire and Swift's/Gulliver's own opinions, e.g. the sexist and racist stuff. Definitely not a children's book, but one to be read and enjoyed by adults — it really made me think about the concept of humanity, and how so little has changed since the 1700s — some things have even become worse. I really love to read fake scientific texts, with this one being no exception, though Swift could have taken it easy with all the precise numbers and other measurements. So many unnecessarily complicated details along with the old-ish language made the story boring at times, but all in all, it definitely was not a bad read.

Content Warnings

hughesie's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

Content Warnings

jessgreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous slow-paced

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

1.0

Rating: ⭐⬜⬜⬜⬜

Title: Gulliver's Travels

Author: Jonathan Swift

Genre: Classics / Fiction

Setting: Lilliput / Brobdingnag / England

Month Read: April 2022

Book Type: Paperback

Publication: Original: 1726

Publisher: Barnes and Noble Classics

Pages: 317

*PBS Great American Reads Pick

TRIGGER WARNING-

Abandonement / Sexual Content / Violence / Outdated References / Maybe Bestiality?

"Every man desires to live long, but no man wishes to be old."

No Spoiler Summary:

Gulliver's Travels is a book about a Doctor and Sailor, and his adventures to several places. He writes detailed entries about the locations, people, and his life while on his travels.

Review:

I did a buddy read with @Reading_and_Wrighting and we did not have as good of a time as we did with Gone with the Wind. Most of our back and forth was about how we haven't read the book in a few days, or can this be over with, or how there were a few good things about the book, but it gets so old so fast.

This entire book is like being in a conversation of jokes that you don't get the references to. I just absolutely hated it. I'm also fine saying I just didn't understand the book, or the purpose of the book. At the end of the day I read it, and it can go be retired to a bookshelf now. I am surprised, that 4 books into the 'classics' I'm doing off the Great American Reads list, this was the first one that I really didn't like at all. I've been pretty lucky, and hoping my next few reads are great.

"Of so little weight are the greatest services to princes, when put into the balance with a refusal to gratify their passions."

See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com

Content Warnings

More...