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Gulliver’s Travels based on the screenplay by Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller, and adapted by Sarah Willson

My first thoughts on seeing this book were “Wasn’t this originally a book by Jonathan Swift” and “I wonder if this version has the same satirical look at human nature.” I also wondered if I would enjoy reading this Gulliver’s Travels as much as I did when first introduced to the story as a child and what makes this version different.

In short, this story is very different from the original that many of you will remember. It is no longer written in first person, and while in this book, Gulliver does travel to two of the most memorable places/ dimensions, he does not travel on the four different journeys of the original story. Two other big changes are that it is set in the modern world and that in this book he is not travelling alone, well not for the whole time anyway.

Gulliver is a humble worker in the mail room of the New York Tribune, but idolises their travel writer Darcy Silverman. In contrast to Darcy’s extensive travel to exotic places, Gulliver has travelled nowhere. He is shy and timid. No-one notices him and he does nothing to get himself noticed. He is far too shy to ask Darcy out and when he tries he mistakenly applies for a job as a travel writer instead. When asked to submit samples of his work, he just plagiarises other works but it impresses Darcy and he is given his first assignment, a trip to Bermuda to speak with a person who claims he has the secret to the Bermuda Triangle.

All goes as well as can be expected considering Gulliver can’t actually drive a boat, until he gets caught in a storm and wakes on a beach to find he is being held captive by the tiny citizens of Lilliput, who think he is a spy of their arch enemies the Blefuscians because he is wearing a red t-shirt. They also think he is a beast rather than a human and are even amazed that he can speak.

While he is held prisoner, the Blefuscians attack and try to kidnap the princess. The princess’s response as dictated by local custom is to present herself to them on the ‘kidnapping deck’. But it isn’t just the princess that is in danger, as a fire started as a diversion is raging out of control and has the king trapped. Can Gulliver save them both?

In this version, Gulliver is a liar who tries to impress by plagiarising, and who tries to change Lilliputian culture to what he sees as a utopia. He has little thought of the customs of the civilisation he finds himself in, nor much interest in its citizens except a blacksmith called Horatio, who is in love with the princess. This is possibly because Horatio reminds Gulliver of himself, and his relationship with the princess seems as unobtainable as Gulliver’s with Darcy. In his way of transforming Lilliput, he does show aspects of what is wrong with current American society though.

His lies to Darcy are soon found out, and she is therefore forced to cover the same story as Gulliver was supposed to. Gulliver finds out and fearing confrontation decides that it is better to hide on Lilliput than to explain things (and his true feelings to Darcy). He is however forced from Lilliput when his lies catch up with him there too. Cast away he finds the secret to the Bermuda triangle, just before he realises he is no longer a giant but the smallest and most insignificant person on the island. Will he finally develop some courage escape to Lilliput and also learn to think of others or will he continue to be his scared, self centred self?

This book shows mainly how procrastinating and lying are about as helpful as running away from problems, because everything (and everyone) catches up with you in the end. There aren’t so many levels as the original Gulliver’s Travels as much of the satire has been replaced by more obvious humour and even slapstick in places. It is more of a romantic comedy and more about the main character learning the courage to be himself than a political commentary on what is wrong with society, but it is an enjoyable read for those eight and over.

RRP $17.99
Published and distributed by Penguin Group under the Puffin title.
 

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