Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels - 1882

"Gulliver's Travels: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World" by Jonathan Swift - J.C. Nimmo, London - 1882 first thus UK edition - 18cmx15cm - condition: very good, in original binding, frontispiece of Swift present, and all in text etchings by Ad Lalauze

Gulliver's Travels, originally titled Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, is a 1726 satirical prose novel by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift.[1][2] The novel satirises human nature and the imaginary "travellers' tales" literary subgenre. Gulliver's Travels is one of the most famous classics of both English and world literature, and popularised the fictional island of Lilliput. The poet John Gay remarked of the work, "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery."[3] Although the novel is popularly classified under children's literature, Swift had originally written it as a political satire. The book has been adapted for theatrical performances, films, television, and radio over the centuries.

The story is about Lemuel Gulliver, an adventurous Englishman who travels to a series of strange and distant lands, each inhabited by unusual beings that reflect different aspects of human nature and society. In Lilliput, he encounters tiny people engaged in petty political disputes; in Brobdingnag, he is a small man among giants who criticise European customs; in Laputa, he meets impractical intellectuals disconnected from reality; and in the land of the Houyhnhnms, he finds rational horses living peacefully alongside savage human-like creatures called Yahoos. Through these journeys, the novel satirises the flaws of various civilisations.

It is uncertain when Swift began writing the novel, but it is considered to have been an attempt at satirising popular literary genres. By mid 1725, the book was finished and as the work was a political satire, it is very likely that Swift had the manuscript copied by another writer so that his writing could not be used as evidence if a legal case should arise. The novel also has numerous made-up words, referred to as Liliputian language, which critics say might have been inspired by Hebrew. On its publication, the book was an immediate success, and Swift claimed that he wrote Gulliver's Travels "to vex the world rather than divert it". Initial public opinions were overwhelming positive, with most readers lauding the clever satire, realistic depictions of travel to distant lands, and the political dangers that travelers often face as visitors. However, some critics accused Swift of excessive misanthropy. The English novelist William Thackeray, in particular, described the work as being "blasphemous", saying it was overly harsh in its depiction of human societies.

Gulliver's Travels remains popular in modern times due to its insightful social commentary and themes. The novel's satire, particularly its elaborate critique of human nature, societal flaws and norms, and personal relations, continues to be studied in literary circles. Since his death, Swift has emerged as the most widely read and translated Irish author, and Gulliver's Travels has retained its position as the most printed book by an Irish writer in libraries and bookstores worldwide.