Gulliver’s Travels (Collins Classics)

Gulliver is far from being only a children's book, as it is commonly misperceived by those who have not read the unabridged version - but a complex and subtle tale that can bring immense enjoyment to adults. Swift was a genius the rank of Shakespeare.*NOTE: IF YOU ARE A CHILD, OR A READER WITH LIMITED VOCABULARY OR PATIENCE, I RECOMMEND GETTING THE AUDIO BOOK FOR ONLY $1.99 FROM AUDIBLE DOT COM, AND DOING "IMMERSIVE READING" - READ AND LISTEN AT THE SAME TIME. IT GOES MUCH FASTER THIS WAY, WITH NO LOSS OF THE FUN.*I haven't enjoyed a book like this one for a long time, and i doubt there is another one quite like it.Very rarely one finds a book that:1 - deals with themes that are important, universal and relevant even today - science, government, corruption, greed, integrity, upbringing, the role of feelings vs intellect.2 - embeds these themes in a highly entertaining plot that fleshes out fantasies common to all of us (e.g., What if I discovered a different civilization and, as the first representative of mankind, needed to describe my own to them?; What would it be if I suddenly became much smaller (or much larger) than others?; What if I were immortal?). Everything the reader has ever dreamt to read about will be found in this book!3 - presents this plot with a narrative mastery of such caliber that the reader enjoys every second to the brim, and is brought extreme reading satisfaction at every juncture.4 - combines great imagination with great rationality - for even the most fantastical suppositions an explanation and context have been designed, the "juiciest" bits and most interesting and impossible questions are not omitted as in other authors, but have been well thought out and articulated to the full satisfaction of the reader.This is a MUST READ!I am becoming a big Swift fan and can't wait to read his other works!

There will be two parts to this review. The first, a review of this edition. The second, a review of the book.First, this edition: I cannot easily express how impressed I am with the Sterling Unabridged Classics that I have received thus far. The books are all hardbound, a must for any serious reader. Additionally, the print is large enough for easy reading without being overly large. Perhaps the nicest feature of these books is that each comes with a satin bookmark ribbon bound into the volume. The high quality of the paper and hard covers along with the above mentioned features makes each of the volumes published by Sterling a required addition to the library of any serious reader of classic literature. My only criticism is that the books could use more illustrations. The illustrations that are there are amazing but they are too few. All-in-all I would recommend any serious reader add these attractive and modestly priced editions to their own library.Second the book: I had never read Gulliver's Travels before. While I found all four of the stories that make up his travels to be enjoyable reads I must say that in writing these stories Swift simply recycles the same story over again with different supporting characters. Even the order in which events occur really does not change from story to story. In effect, each story follows the format 1. Gulliver is tired of being at home so he sets off on an adventure. 2. Gulliver is shipwrecked and stranded in a previously undiscovered land. 3. Gulliver is at first suspect among the inhabitants. 4. Gulliver wins over the inhabitants. 5. Gulliver becomes a hero to the inhabitants. 6. Gulliver is forced to leave because of some rule or law he inadvertently broke. 7. Gulliver reluctantly leaves. 8. Gulliver is rescued and returned home. Once you read the first story there is really little new to uncover in the remaining stories. Additionally, I was not aware that the book is actually a thinly veiled commentary on politics and life in Swift's era. If you are not aware of what was going on in the world and in politics during Swift's lifetime much of the symbolism will be lost on you. Overall, while an enjoyable read overall I found the repetition tedious and near the end I found myself anxious for the end. I would recommend that each story be read with a break in between where other titles are read to relieve the stale feeling one gets by reading the same story repeatedly.

I collect this brand of classic books. This one arrived from a used book seller. The book was in good condition. It did have some smudges from what looked like food on the slip cover, but I was able to wipe it off with a damp cloth. Otherwise really good condition for what I was wanting.

What great read!!

A historia te faz refletir sobre sua posição na sociedade/natureza abordando diferentes óticas.Não é tão emocionante, mas reflexiva.Livro em ótimo estado.

super. danke.

I liked it so much I am still on the search for books from Jonathan Swift. Best ever book in the world

Gulliver's travelsGulliver's travels is about a man called Gulliver, who was a surgeon in England but became a sailor. His adventures and voyages were to 4 different islands, encountering different species and people very different to humankind.His first voyage was to Lilliput, where the book starts. It was an island where everyone was tiny and he was a giant. He spent a while there and learnt the language whilst being accommodated by the king and visiting him regularly. The tiny people (Lilliputians) thought to use him as a weapon to fight off their enemies, the Blefuscu army. He was given a set of rules to follow. Eventually, Gulliver left this island.His second voyage was to Brobdingnag when he was pushed off-course trying to return to England. This island was a land of giants, where he was tiny. He was taken in by a family of farmers and looked after and once again visited the king and queen as he was something they had never seen before. The farmer's daughter, who he called Glumdalclitch - little nurse - looked after him and put him in a box as his home. One day an eagle picked up his box and flew him to the sea, then dropped him in the sea inside his box, left to float.He then is picked up by an English ship who found his floating box in the sea. He goes back to his wife and children for a while then sets out for sea again. Whilst out at sea, he is approached by a pirate ship and is forced off his boat by himself on a rowboat to an island.In the third voyage, he goes to a floating island called Laputa. In this island, the people there excelled in astronomy, and based all things off of shapes, maths and music. The people here have tails and an odd appearance. He then through Glubbdubdrib, a place of sorcerers on his way to Japan, to return back home to England.In the fourth and final voyage, he goes to an island of horses, called Houyhnhnms, and human-like apes - called Yahoos. These Houyhnhnms are very different to humans, they are kind and lack evil and have wisdom that humans do not. They live very differently with no lying or arguments. The Yahoos are very violent and savage beasts with claws who they stay away from and despise. Even Yahoos despise other Yahoos, they are a very weird race. The Houyhnhnms think Gulliver is a Yahoo, from a similar appearance but realise he is different in nature. He stays at this island for years, learning to live like them and talk like them, and grows a hatred for humans/yahoos. He wants to stay but one day he is forced to leave as he is similar to a yahoo but he tries hard to stay there. He leaves and goes to a small island near it where there are a portuguese-speaking tribe, who take him back to England, even though he hates them and doesn’t want to go back.He returns to his wife and children after 5 years, who are happy to see him. Gulliver, on the other hand, is disgusted by them and sees them as Yahoos, not being able to stand their smell. He takes years to get back to living with humans and distances himself from his family and friends, and bought horses to take care of and spend most of his time with, as they were like Houyhnhnms. He seems to have learnt some wisdom and a valuable lesson from this wiser species and closes the book by hoping the yahoos (humans) around him would go to different virtue lands like him.