It has been suggested that only one reader in ten thousand can appreciate the full merit of Gulliver’s Travels as it is a satire on forgotten politics. Do not be misled, this is a timeless classic. The absolute relation to the past whether to politics or otherwise is not an essential premise for one’s amusement of this book. The novel operates on many levels and the reader can easily make a rudimentary guess (without but usually with the aid of notes) at the satire. Political history has a reoccurring theme and much of what Swift wrote three hundred years ago resoundingly rings true today. We can plainly identify repeating general patterns and specific examples of events from the last three hundred years which mirror exactly what Swift alluded to -we do of course have the advantage of retrospection to amplify or even reassign the meaning.
The literal reading and interpretation of little people, giants, a flying island and talking horses can be dazzling. No-kidding, great imagination, marvellous observation and juxtapositional brilliance. Highlights are the whole of Part II and references to the ‘Academy’ in Part III (definite ‘laugh out loud’ humour).
Swift makes arguments and counter arguments along with very credible undisputable criticisms of humankind without preaching in a work of genius. There are lessons for us all here, we can take delight in the book and take heart from the value of its reading.