Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

"What at first starts out as amusing and interesting soon devolves into a tiresome, non-sensical description of Gulliver and his many adventures."

1 Star

Pros: At first, Gulliver's adventures are fun and intriguing. But once we reach the Third Book it devolves into nonsensical linguistics etc.

Cons: The third and fourth book (especially) are basically Gulliver always trying to get across how amazing England is and never quite succeeding in convincing his audience of his beliefs. The third and fourth books were painful to get through.

Full Review:

Gulliver, who is often commissioned as a surgeon aboard ships, has had his share of adventures. And he decides it prudent to share some of his more outlandish escapades with us, his captive audience. Broken down into four books that detail his travels to different parts of the world, we see Gulliver as he is taken captive by the Lilliputians (an entire race of people no taller than 4 centimeters), taken captive by the Brobdingnags (a race of giants, quite the opposite of the Lilliputians) and his other adventures to other lands, such as the floating island and a country that is governed entirely by eloquent and intelligent horses.

At first, his adventures are kind of entertaining and his detailed descriptions of how he goes about functioning in such odd worlds is amusing. But as the third book starts, it just goes downhill. It devolves into a non-sensical, tiresome, painful read where Gulliver seems always to be trying to explain how England is truly a good place, but the more he talks about it, the less the people he addresses are impressed. By the end of the fourth book, I just wanted it to be over. I wasn't left impressed or inspired to go on an adventure. In fact, it was quite the opposite, Gulliver and his adventurous travels left me quite content to stay in my room and be done with the book.

It's a classic, I read it, I can check it off my list. I really have to start working on that New Years Resolution where I put a book down if I'm not completely hooked by the first 100 pages.

Comments

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