Gulliver's TravelsGulliver's Travels
Score Classic
What it's about
Lemuel Gulliver loves to travel, and his four voyages take him to strange lands: Lilliput, where tiny people take him prisoner; Brobdingnag, a land of giants; a flying island of absurd scientists; and a country ruled by wise horses. Jonathan Swift's 1726 satire mocks travelers' tales and human nature itself.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben World Library list, PBS's Great American Read and the Guardian's 100 best novels in English.
You'll love it if you liked
Don Quixote
A Modest Proposal
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy GentlemanGood to know
It's often read as a children's adventure, but it's a sharp, sometimes savage satire for adults.
By the numbers
- Readers1 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics78 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller46 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #286 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #543 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1894 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Jonathan Swift
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Godfather
The Pillars of the Earth
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
FoundationExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is Gulliver's Travels worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben World Library list, PBS's Great American Read and the Guardian's 100 best novels in English. It ranks #1,894 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Gulliver's Travels about?
Lemuel Gulliver loves to travel, and his four voyages take him to strange lands: Lilliput, where tiny people take him prisoner; Brobdingnag, a land of giants; a flying island of absurd scientists; and a country ruled by wise horses. Jonathan Swift's 1726 satire mocks travelers' tales and human nature itself.
How long does it take to read Gulliver's Travels?
About 12 hours (462 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Gulliver's Travels?
If you liked it, try Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift or The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.