Gulliver's Travels: A Norton Critical Edition

While other reviews seem focused on Swift's original novel, it would seem to me that anyone reading the reviews for this particular edition would be far more interested in the quality of the contents of the Norton Critical Edition, rather than the text itself. The text, after all, is a seminal classic satire, and even the worst printing and editing would find it very difficult to obscure it. Swift is brilliant, but that is not the focus of this review. Rather, I will be discussing the merits of this particular critical edition of his work. This Norton Critical Edition is, as all Norton Critical Editions are, split up into three main parts - an authoritative version of the text with footnotes, a selection of works contemporary with the original text, and a selection of critical works dating from the original release down to the present. The text is presented in its full form, complete with the original frontispiece, illustrations from the original edition, and footnotes where appropriate. The text is reproduced faithfully, and any decisions made by the editor are duly noted in footnotes. In fact, the editor has remained so true to the original text that he has retained the 18th century convention of capitalizing every single noun. This could, conceivably, be off-putting for some modern readers. Yet, for the scholarly audience doubtless intended for this edition, it seems appropriate that such a level of faithfulness be maintained. Indeed, the intended audience seems to color the entire volume, for, if a novice reader completely new to the text were to pick up the novel for the first time in this edition, the reader might find himself occasionally bewildered. The footnotes added by the editor are judicious, but perhaps too few. If a reader is not already somewhat familiar with the conventions of 18th century London or the accompanying vocabulary, he may need to come prepared with a dictionary. This, however, is no major problem; by and large the footnotes are accurate, informative, and brief, offered only where they need offering, and never rambling on in a vain display of the editor's knowledge. The "Contexts" section is the shortest part of this edition, but is still an enjoyable and enriching read. Included in it are such sundry selections as an advertisement for Gulliver's Travels, Swift's correspondence to such contemporaries as John Gay and Alexander Pope, Pope's own poems inspired by Gulliver's travels (written through Lilliputian, Houyhnhnm, and Brobdingnagian personas), and a few selections from 18th century travelogues. These are all excellent editions to this edition - the travelogues in particular give modern readers a good sense of how Gulliver's Travels parodies a genre which has all but vanished from the modern literary scene. The "Criticism" section greets the inquisitive reader with a wealth of lenses through which to view Swift's novel. Articles dating from shortly after the novel's release right down to modern times provide erudite and clear stances on how one might read the novel. Topics discussed include reading through the lenses of: satire and allegory, virtue and truth, politics, the novel as a genre, race and gender, science, the extent to which Swift's writing was influenced by London's obsessions with the peculiar and extreme, the author-character-reader interrelationship, and how the novel's frontispiece and paratexts can be read as an integral part of the novel. Reading all of these critical pieces gives one a diverse and well-rounded appreciation of the multifarious nature of Swift's unique satirical work. While some minor quibbles could be made here and there, overall this is a very solid and effective scholarly edition. As long as those approaching this volume approach it with respect for its intended audience and are willing to engage with it as a scholarly book (and not just a children's adventure novel, as is so often the unfortunate case), this clear and entertaining edition of one of the greatest works of satire ever written props the original text up on a well-polished pedestal of context and criticism, all to the reader's delight.

Wonderful book, but you have to read it with some knowledge of Swift's era and his attitude. It is NOT a book for the casual reader. The Norton edition is superb, with lots of editorial footnotes and plenty of contemporary and modern essays on the man, the book, and the era. Howard Ferstler

I love Gulliver' Travels! In fact, when I signed up for a master's course in British literature, the first thing that caught my eye on the syllabus was Swift's novel. This edition is wonderful. It includes the original title pages and frontispiece along with critical essays and chronology. For students of literature, this edition is wonderful as are most of Norton editions of a book. If I was purchasing it for a course, I would go with this edition.

Assigned reading for high school

As an English University students it is vital that I have good annotations to help explain the history behind passages as well as references to words/places a modern reader may not understand entirely. In this way, the book had a fantastic breadth of knowledge to share about the novel that enhanced the reading experience of an already fantastic novel. 10/10 for story and editor

This book should become required middle or a least high school reading .... especially with the recent embraceement of bigotry, racism, sexism, xenophobia in America that's been rearing its ugly head with the 2016 elections.

The work itself is a classic, as most people know. The Norton Edition offers literary criticism that is first rate.

this book with all the nonsensical terms/names is extremely...well, ratchet. It may be considered a classic but there is nothing inspiring about any portion of these stories. Not even the Jack Black movie version was entertaining. Overall, not a great read

Very happy with quality and price.

A brilliant edition. Perfect for the students and the teachers who are looking for the 1726 text. This edition contains annotations, several critical essays and other writings, which explore how Swift satirises the English society and the empirical Enlightenment.

A edição é impecável! Sobretudo para quem deseja aprender mais sobre a obra e Jonathan Swift.

Norton Critical Editions may cost a bit more but you get so much extra. They are also exceptionally well bound and printed.

Hated this book. It's like it's written by a spoilt 5th grader trying to sound like a hero. Stick to the films for this one !