Jonathan Swift Books

What can a bilingual teacher do when s/he notices that students look bored during read aloud? If they are in grades 2 or above, whip out Cuentos de la selva, a collection of stories about animals in the jungles of South America. Start with "El loro pelado". That will captivate them completely. After that, they will enjoy all other stories. Any student with a 5th grade reading level can read and enjoy the stories independently. I would like to thank Amazon.com for finding this book for me. I tried several other publishers, and they were unable to find me this gem.

There is a wisdom to these stories, they convey humor and
delicate insight, they are captivating. The Blind Doe, the Lazy Bee,
The Flamencos with Hosiery, The Bald Parrot, and so on.
They could be on any Essential Literature list. Classic, enduring,
charming. Nature is anthropomorphized but not made sacharin.

It's a must read for people interested in latin american folklore, mythology and man's battle with nature.

Excelente, lo lei cuando nina, en Chile. Es un libro que transporta, que hace sonar. Personifica animales, les da vida... es muy lindo.

AS a grandmother, I often feel a sense of dismay at the lack of exposure modern day children are being afforded of the classics of literature. Books like this one with wild illustrations designed to grab the eye of the reader and keep it with a text more understandable to the twenty first century child are a gift to be shared. This is a book that will attract readers. I can't think of anything more important. With vocabularies being drawn from television, movies and video games that often fall very short of expressive ideals, it is so nice to see some one tackle Swift and make him palatable to young readers. Anyone up for Dickens, Kipling and Stevenson? What about good old Mark Twain? Kudos to Jenkins and Riddell.
My soon to be six year old grandson will love this book. I consider it my job to make sure he keeps getting treasures like this one.

When most of us hear the name "Gulliver," a picture probably comes to mind. A giant. A strong, brawny fellow? Leave it to consummate illustrator Chris Riddell to give us a smile provoking Gulliver with knobby knees, a bump in his nose, and shirt askew. Gulliver is still prone to many adventures, just as Jonathan Swift intended when he wrote "Gulliver's Travels," but he's also a tad clumsy with a tendency to wind up in comical positions.

There he is in Lilliput on the first of his voyages skewered into the sand by all those little people. In this double-page full-color spread every bony finger is pinioned, his waistcoat is tacked to the ground, and one big toe pops through a hole in his sock. Next, we find tiny spear bearing soldiers marching across the length of his body.

Consider Gulliver's voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubrib, and Japan. If you recall, the ship he was aboard is taken over by not one but two pirate ships. Such ferocious buccaneers you've never seen. Thankfully the Dutch pirate captain showed our hero a little sympathy, and we find him tucked into a small canoe and set afloat.

Each of Riddell's illustrations is a gem, and will surely be enjoyed over and over again. He is a political cartoonist for the Observer, thus the perfect choice to bring Swift's political satire to life.

Martin Jenkins has done a yeoman's job of retelling this classic. His adaptation is true to Swift's original story yet it is more easily understood by young readers. While this Gulliver will hold appeal for all ages, it is certainly a choice introduction to what is considered to be one of the finest stories ever written. Kudos to both Martin Jenkins and Chris Riddell with, of course, a deep bow to the memory of the incomparable Jonathan Swift

- Gail Cooke

Gulliver's adventures to imaginary lands are used to illustrate the foibles and pettiness of mankind. In his first adventure, he finds that the tiny Lilliputians are forever at war with their island neighbors over how to crack open an egg, and they are therefore suspicious and manipulative. By contrast, the giants of Brobdingnag live by "common sense, reason, justice and fair play," but Gulliver is often in danger by being so tiny in their country. In other lands, Gulliver meets all kinds of characters - constant worriers, crazed inventors, preposterous rulers, and some chatty ghosts who give him a history lesson. With each adventure, Gulliver becomes increasingly aware that the beliefs he holds about mankind's achievements may be the opposite of what he had thought. Finally, he meets the horse-like Houyhnhnms (sounds like a horse neighing), "noble creatures ruled entirely by reason," who have no idea of evil. Their country is also inhabited by Yahoos, wild animal-like humans without any redeeming qualities, who steal from each other and squabble endlessly. Gulliver is so taken by the civilized, virtuous Houyhnhnms that he would like to live happily ever after with them, but they can't get over the fact that he really must be a Yahoo, who will only encourage the other Yahoos to revolt against them. He is cast adrift in a small boat and eventually finds himself back in England, where he has to get used to lying, deceit, self-importance, and greed once more. Some of the story elements are a little disturbing, such as his attitudes towards the servant classes, and some of the outrageous behaviors of certain characters verge on disgusting, but this is always used to make a point. Overall, this is a beautifully-made book with much food for thought, for both young and old alike.

This is really a beautiful book. The illustrations are quirky and captivating and the language, while not antiquated, still reads like a classic. I sat reading it to my 7 year old son in the bookstore for a good 15 minutes before realizing we just had to take it home. Originally a story which my son would have had to wait until at least junior high to read, this version sits up on the shelf next to Doctor Dolittle, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland etc. The fantasy is emphasized but the political satire is gently present for those old enough to appreciate it.

My son got this for Christmas last year. It took him a while to get to it, but when he started reading it, he was hooked. He did not want this book to end. The artwork is lovely, and the story-telling is first rate as well, with the tale taking a new twist every few pages.

So if you want an adventure story for children, this one should really hold their attention and make them want to read.

Gulliver's Travels is definatley a classic. Anybody looking for a book to read should definatley check into this one if they have not already read it. Even if you have a second time would only do you good! Gullives Travles is a book that can reach most levels of reading with the content. A few words a big, but they can be bypassed. Swift has definatley done himself well with this one, and the great part about it is that if you like the book, there are also movies that can be rented of Gullivers Travels. All in all the book is a good book.

"Gulliver's Travels" is arguably the greatest work on satire written in the English language, but while it might look like a children's book it is not really one. In "Gulliver in Lilliput" the first part of Jonathan Swift's story is retold by Margaret Hodges. This covers Gulliver's shipwreck, his being captured by the miniature Lilliputians, his involvement in the war with Blefuscu, and, in an effort to provide narrative completeness, with return to England. Hodges gets high marks for adapting the story to younger readers, now presented as a children's tale, without completely watering down Swift's sharp satire, although clearly this version emphasizes more of a sense of fun for the proceedings. Hodges is providing an abbreviated version of the original, yet she has managed to keep the important details while working in some of Swift's original language, such as what the Lilliputians say in their own language. Those who have read the original will be impressed with this retelling of the first part of the classic story.

What makes this volume even more special are the sepia-toned pen and watercolor illustrations by Kimberly Bulcken Root. In keeping with the spirit of the story she has worked all sorts of humor and wit into her detailed illustrations of Gulliver in the land of the six-inch tall Lilliputians. You will really want to pay attention to the details of each and every picture, because there is a lot to be found. Taken together, the text and illustrations of "Gulliver in Lilliput" provide a marvelous introduction to Swift's famous tale intended for young readers in grades 3-6. Younger readers might not be able to appreciate Swift's satirical attacks, but the important thing here is that they will develop a sense of affection for the work and one day will pick up the original to enjoy the full force of his assault on the conventions of 18th-century society (my recommendation would be the annotated version of "Gulliver's Travels," which will provide all of the details as to what Swift is really doing).

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift is a wonderful book full of extraordinary adventure.
This book is about a very well mannered and wise ship surgeon named Lemuel Gulliver, who gets washed ashore to wonderful and unbelievable lands. From 6 inch people to 100 foot people, this book will keep you entertained and excited about Gulliver's next journey. This book is an example of a true literary novel, and is no doubt one of the most classic novels a reader will ever find. Not only was this book entertaining to read, but it was also well written with excellent literature and synonyms to outstand the mind. I always found my self near the edge of my seat as I keep reading and I always thought that a book such as this deserved the awards I got, for it cannot go unrewarded as this book continues to have excitement, wonder, and surprise.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift is classic work of satire and adventure that hardly needs my recommendation. Instead, let me comment on this edition published by Sterling. It's a nice hardcover with dustjacket and placeholder ribbon. There are a number of illustrations by Scott McKowen and an afterword by Arthur Pober. If you're looking for a inexpensive, but nice edition of Gulliver's Travels, this book would be a good choice.

I'm a college student and generally if it's not required reading I don't usually have time for a book. But, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. The author made what I would usually consider a rather dry and uninteresting subject come to life. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a plain, old fashioned good read.

Christopher Fauske's study offers valuable insights into a period of Swift's life that has been neglected. Fauske's work also explores aspects of Swift as an Irish writer. Moreover, the study is written in a fluent and easy style. The book should appeal to both scholars and casual readers.

Swift, the greatest English satirist, is of course best known for Gulliver's Travels, but the Tale of a Tub is more complex, more vicious, and funnier. In some of the best prose of the 18th century, he ridicules all sorts of conventions, religious, literary, rhetorical, and otherwise. He makes full use of the capacity that prose has for being deliriously irrelevant and digressive. It is similar in some ways to Tristram Shandy and the novels of postmodernism. It'll give you fits.

A Tale of a Tub is certainly Swift's least classifiable work. He's best known, of course, for Gulliver's Travels. This work was mostly written at the very start of his career, when he hadn't yet totally hardened into his later misanthropy, and it has all the demented exuberance of a great writer in his mid-20s finding a voice.

It defies description. The kernel of it is a satire on religious controversies, but that makes up about a third of the actual text. The rest is a series of prologues, forewords, dedications, prefaces, afterwords, epilogues and appendices, the sheer profusion of which suggest very much that Swift is poking dire fun at the idea of writing itself. In that respect, it goes further than any 20th century French golden boy of artistic revolt; Artaud looks like a stamped-in-tin romantic poet when set against Swift's manic nihilism. A Tale of a Tub is the closest anyone has ever got to writing a book that tackles head-on the futility of writing books, but that's only one interpretation of it. It exhausts interpretation by being as near as possible about nothing at all - and hence about everything. Plus it's not even 200 pages long. Swift never wrote as irresponsibly ever again, although the Travels, 'A Modest Proposal', the Bickerstaffe Papers, the 'Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift' and the Drapier's Letters are all admirable enough. A Tale of a Tub is as comprehensive a piece of literary terrorism as was ever attempted.

This collection of Swift's essays gives a terrific overview of his hilarious and too true writings that have withstood the test of time. From the opening lines of the first essay (Swift's Preface to 'The Battle of the Books'): "Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own..." to the end of the book (Swift's gravestone epitaph, translated by Yeats), every selection is thought-provoking, funny, and accessible. Highly recommended!

I can't believe that this great volume of just about everything Swift wrote is OUT OF PRINT!!!! WHY!!!!!!!??????!!!!??!
It has everything and is a facinating look into the mind of one of the greatest satirists who ever lived, It is a great look into the conditions of England and Ireland in the eighteenth century, and did I mention that EVERYTHING IS IN ONE VOLUME!!!!!

I am a college student and this book really helped me to write a wonderful paper. You should check out the intro and Seamus Deane's chapter if you're in a time bind. Highly recommended for any student of Swift.

Jonathan Swift's "Genteel Conversations" holds a place with his satiric masterpieces like "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Tale of a Tub". Brilliant!