It was on this day in the year 1726 that Johnathan Swift first published one of his most famous works, Gulliver’s Travels. Though it was first published anonymously, it had a bit of a surge in popularity upon it’s release, selling 10,000 copies in the first three weeks…which is a lot for a book in the 1700’s!
Rehashed and re-purposed several times over, Gulliver’s Travels was originally written as a satire and told the story of the many travels of Lemuel Gulliver, a man who, mostly by mistake, ends up traveling to a variety of islands inhabited by a range of unusual animals and people.
It became a classic almost instantly, and Swift went on to continue writing for what would be the the remainder of his life. After Gulliver’s Travels, he published A Modest Proposal in 1729, which is widely considered to be the greatest works of sustained irony in literature. He died in October of 1745 and left his entire estate to charity.
Some of Swift’s works are hefty to read, but hidden within his words are little gems of inspiration and truth. So to celebrate the anniversary of the publication of Gulliver’s Travels, here are five more true-to-life quotes by author Johnathan Swift.
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
The Hob-bee Hive 