Gulliver's Travels
a fictitious travel book written by Jonathan Swift
Composition and Publication
Today it is mostly agreed that Gulliver's travels has been written between 1721 and 1725, but there has been some inconsistency before. Early biographies about Jonathan Swift put the composition between the years 1715 and 1720. However this date is not supported by a letter that Swift wrote to one of his friends at the beginning of 1721, telling him that he was momentarily writing a travel book. Concerning the different parts of the novel, Book I and II were written between 1721 and 1723, Book IV in 1723 and Book III between 1724 and 1725. The first publication of Gulliver's travels was on 28 October 1726 under the title Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, stating that it had been written by Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon and captain.
Reception
The first edition of Gulliver's travels seems to have been a great sucess as it was sold out in only one week. However it did not take long for the critics to evaluate the story. Throughout the 18th and 19th century the book had a mainly negative image as it was said to attack the dignity of men. In the 19th century the Victorians also had an idea to make the book less provoking by turning it into a shorter version for children. That is why today still many people recognize it as a book for children, although it is actually much more: a parody of travel literature, a political satire, a philosophical tract about humankind.
Structure
Gulliver´s Travels contains four parts and it is written as a pseudo-authentic travel narrative.
Part 1: A Voyage to Lilliput
In the first part Gulliver comes to the Land named Liliput, the land of miniature people.
Part 2: A Voyage to Brobdingnag
In the second part he travels to Brobdignag, the land of the giants.
Part 3: A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan
In the third part he visits Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and Japan.
Part 4: A Voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms
In the fourth and last part he comes to the land of the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos. Swift's work is a very critical satire concerning the society in which he lived.