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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.
leigonj: Kafka had Swift's book in his library and there are definite commonalities between their two writings; I'd be surprised if one had not influenced the other. (Also The Trial).
“I cannot but conclude that the Bulk of your Natives, to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth.”
Gulliver’s Travels was published in 1726 by Irish author Jonathan Swift. It is the story of the travels of ship's surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver to various fantastical lands.
Gulliver first travels to Lilliput, a land of tiny people caught up with political rivalries between the High Heels and the Low Heels and religious disputes between the “Big Endians” and the “Small Endians” in reference to where they cut their eggs.
Next he travels to Brobdingnag, a land of giants where he has the reverse experience of being the small and vulnerable one. Thirdly he travels to Laputa, a land where the focus is so much on science and experiments that the whole country has fallen into a dysfunctional state. Lastly he lives in the Land of the Houyhnhnms, where he finally realises he is the same as the despised and vulgar Yahoos and begins to idolize his wise horsey overlords.
I began this book feeling that the narrator was an over-intrusive pompous colonialistic ass. Gradually I realised that there were strong elements of satire to the story and there was indeed some self-awareness about the follies and evils of colonialism. Some of the countries he visited were horrified at his descriptions of the bloodthirsty wars of the British and forced Gulliver to reevaluate his own sense of superiority. However, despite the clever political satire, I couldn’t get past my perception of Gulliver being a boring pompous white guy who I didn’t really like. And although I realise you can’t judge an 18th century book by 21st century moral values, I found his sexism, racism and homophobia trying to read. 3 stars for imagination and cleverness. ( )
I chose this as a book to read with a student that I tutor. It was torturous. So although Swift is obviously making snarky social commentary, this didn't connect with my eleventh-grade student. It was a poor choice for a teaching tool. I enjoyed the chapters on the Lilliputians and the Houyhnhnms better than the other chapters. The satire was more accessible. Oh! The Yahoos! Very funny. "I should never have attempted so absurd a project as that of reforming the Yahoo race in this kingdom: But I have now done with all such visionary schemes forever." ( )
Guliver odlazi u potragu za pustolovinama i nalazi zemlju o kakvoj nije ni sanjao. A sigurno nikada nije ni sreo ljude poput stanovnika Liliputa. Međutim, ni stanovnici Liliputa nikada nisu sreli čoveka nalik Guliveru...
Korak po korak je serijal namenjen deci koja stupaju u čarobni svet knjiga. Korak 2. donosi najpoznatija dela najboljih pisaca prilagođena deci i njihovim čitalačkim veštinama.
This is a great book about a man named Gulliver who shipwrecks into a town called Lilliput after his business fails. This book takes you along the long and crazy journey that Gulliver encounters during his time in Lilliput. This is a great book to read when talking about fantasy books/fairy tale books! You could use this book to give students inspiration, and you could turn this into a writer's workshop! The students can write about their own fantasy journey and share them with the class! ( )
My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.
Quotations
And he gave it for his opinion, "that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.”
I said there was a society of men among us, bred up from their youth in the art of proving by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white, according as they are paid. […] It is a maxim among these lawyers, that whatever hath been done before may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind. These, under the name of precedents, they produce as authorities, to justify the most iniquitous opinions; and the judges never fail of decreeing accordingly.
Last words
I dwell the longer upon this subject, from the desire I have to make the society of an English yahoo by any means not insupportable; and therefore I here entreat those who have any tincture of this absurd vice, that they will not presume to come in my sight.
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.
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Wikipedia in English (2)
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Gulliver’s Travels was published in 1726 by Irish author Jonathan Swift. It is the story of the travels of ship's surgeon, Lemuel Gulliver to various fantastical lands.
Gulliver first travels to Lilliput, a land of tiny people caught up with political rivalries between the High Heels and the Low Heels and religious disputes between the “Big Endians” and the “Small Endians” in reference to where they cut their eggs.
Next he travels to Brobdingnag, a land of giants where he has the reverse experience of being the small and vulnerable one. Thirdly he travels to Laputa, a land where the focus is so much on science and experiments that the whole country has fallen into a dysfunctional state. Lastly he lives in the Land of the Houyhnhnms, where he finally realises he is the same as the despised and vulgar Yahoos and begins to idolize his wise horsey overlords.
I began this book feeling that the narrator was an over-intrusive pompous colonialistic ass. Gradually I realised that there were strong elements of satire to the story and there was indeed some self-awareness about the follies and evils of colonialism. Some of the countries he visited were horrified at his descriptions of the bloodthirsty wars of the British and forced Gulliver to reevaluate his own sense of superiority. However, despite the clever political satire, I couldn’t get past my perception of Gulliver being a boring pompous white guy who I didn’t really like. And although I realise you can’t judge an 18th century book by 21st century moral values, I found his sexism, racism and homophobia trying to read. 3 stars for imagination and cleverness. (