Gulliver's Travels

FROM OUR EDITORS

First published in 1726, this classic work of satire presents a world gone haywire, where humans, despite their pomposity and grandiose illusions, are no better than weak and helpless fools. Lemuel Gulliver's journeys take him to Lilliput, a country whose inhabitants are no more than six inches tall; to Brobdingnag, a land of giants; to Laputa, a flying island inhabited by absent-minded people; and to the land of Houyhnhnms, where horselike creatures rule with intelligence and courtesy over repulsive humanlike Yahoos. One of literature's lasting legacies, Swift's trenchant cautionary tale is a witty, allegorical depiction of people at their worst; yet it may also be read as an enchanting, playful children's story with universal appeal.

ANNOTATION

The voyages of an Englishman carry him to such strange places as Lilliput, where people are six inches tall; Brobdingnag, a land of giants; an island of sorcerers; and a country ruled by horses.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Gulliver sets sail for adventure and finds a country beyond his wildest dreams. He's certainly never met anyone like the people of Lilliput. But then the people of Lilliput have never met anyone quite like Gulliver...

SYNOPSIS

This work includes the complete authoritative text with biographical & historical contexts, critical history and essays from five contemporary critical perspectives.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Peg Glisson

This easy reader condenses Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels into 62 pages. On a voyage in the South Seas, an Englishman finds himself shipwrecked in Lilliput, a land of people only six inches high. Originally held as a prisoner, he eventually is allowed to roam freely and helps the Lilliputians in their war with Blefescu. When he is warned that the Lilliputians are turning on him, Gulliver escapes to Blefescu where he seeks refuge until he is able to embark on his journey home. The text's brevity causes large gaps in the story as well as diminishes the wit and satire of Swift's work. Language is awkward and stilted. Illustrations are likewise stiff and often seem stuck on the page with text below and sometimes above the drawings. This is not a piece of literature that translates well into an easy-to-read, controlled vocabulary text. Why ruin this great story by diluting it? 2003, Usborne, Ages 6 to 8.

Children's Literature - Childrens Literature

As noted in the introduction to this adaptation which features the basic story plus background facts and photographs, the story of Lemuel Gulliver and his fascinating world travels has been engaging readers since Jonathan Swift wrote it in 1726. Far from being written as a children's story, the original Gulliver's Travels was a satire of the political leadership and social customs of the time. To help modern readers of all ages understand the satirical side of the story, the DK publishers have produced this version which retells the story in the main text, and, in the margins, explains many story references in notes, pictures, photographs, and diagrams. The technique works, and the explanations embellish rather than intrude on enjoyment of the story. Readers will get to know Gulliver as the braggart he is, while also hanging onto his every word. For those readers who have only met Gulliver through his relationship with the little Lilliputians, there are big surprises here; as he travels to many lands and encounters many cultures and people who are as fanciful as they are memorable. 2000, Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Ages 10 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Judy Katsh—Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Jonathan Swift's satirical novel was first published in 1726, yet it is still valid today. Gulliver's Travels describes the four fantastic voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a kindly ship's surgeon. Swift portrays him as an observer, a reporter, and a victim of circumstance. His travels take him to Lilliput where he is a giant observing tiny people. In Brobdingnag, the tables are reversed and he is the tiny person in a land of giants where he is exhibited as a curiosity at markets and fairs. The flying island of Laputa is the scene of his next voyage. The people plan and plot as their country lies in ruins. It is a world of illusion and distorted values. The fourth and final voyage takes him to the home of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses who rule the land. He also encounters Yahoos, filthy bestial creatures who resemble humans. The story is read by British actor Martin Shaw with impeccable diction and clarity and great inflection. If broken into short listening segments, the tapes are an excellent tool for presenting an abridged version of Gulliver's Travels.-Jean Deck, Lambuth University, Jackson, TN Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

Presents the complete text of Gulliver's Travels, with five critical essays from theoretical perspectives such as feminism, the new historicism, deconstructionism, and psychoanalytic criticism. Features an introduction providing biographical and historical contexts for Swift's novel, and introductions to the history, principles, and practice of each critical perspective represented. Includes a survey of critical responses to the novel, and a glossary of critical and theoretical terms. No index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

AudioFile - Don Wismer

Naxos follows its usual practice of punctuating the narrative with carefully chosen classical music segments appropriate to the mood of the particular part of the story. Neville Jason reads this classic satire, supposedly a travelogue to remote islands with bizarre inhabitants, with an intense British voice that is crisp and effective. This is a heavy abridgment of the original, with some choppiness in continuity. Everyone will recognize the Lilliputians and the giants of Brogdingnag; the airborne islanders and intelligent horses are less familiar. Abridger Daniel Eilon retains the story�s essential core, and Jason captures the tone well. D.W. �AudioFile, Portland, Maine Read all 7 "From The Critics" >

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