Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce

By: Jonathan Swift

Narrated by: David Hyde Pierce

Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Four-time Emmy Award winner David Hyde Pierce is famous for playing the lovably self-important Dr. Niles Crane in the hit TV series Frasier. Now, he brings the same wit and charming arrogance to his Signature Classics performance of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.

More than just a mock travel book and fabulous adventure, Gulliver’s Travels is a character study and social satire that skewers politics, science, religion, philosophy, and pretentiousness with a bite and resonance that remains as fresh today as the day it was published. Maybe that’s why it hasn’t been out of print in nearly 300 years.

Set sail with David Hyde Pierce for a smart, fun, new Gulliver’s Travels experience that’s unlike any other. And stay tuned for more one-of-a-kind performances from actors Leelee Sobiesky, Casey Affleck, Tim Curry, and more, only from Audible Signature Classics.

Listen to more Audible Signature Classics.

Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Despite Gulliver’s detailed, and sometimes cumbersome, descriptions of strange lands and their inhabitants, Pierce doesn’t miss a beat. His melodic voice wraps perfectly around Swift’s eighteenth-century language. His pronunciations of the imaginative languages are delightful, especially the neighing expressions of the Houyhnhnms, a utopian society of horses. In a book in which the author’s voice comes through on every page, Pierce’s consistently matter-of-fact tone fits Swift’s own. His reading highlights the author’s humor and sarcasm, pulling the listener into this fantastic journey." ( AudioFile)

Wonderfully Written and Read

My first voyage with Gulliver, and Certainly Not my Last. This is a classic work in all senses in that it may be taken as a lesson through satire, enjoyed for pure fantasy, or for just read for laughs. Brilliant writing and pacing. Mr. Pierce really performs this perfectly - just the right degrees of awe and annoyance, and we have to applaud his pronunciation of “Houyhnhnm” just when things are getting too serious. Thank you also for including the Letter to Cousin Sympson at the beginning as it is the best introduction.

Funnier and sharper than you remember

Absolutely not for kids... the satire is too biting and, alas, still relevant. Splendid narrator.

Didn't realize how funny this would be!

Would you consider the audio edition of Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book but I imagine it would certainly be as good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to this in one sitting!

Any additional comments?

This book was much funnier than I thought it would be! David Hyde Pierce was very good. This was definitely worth the download and listen.

Now I get those allusions...

Listening to classic literature is made more enjoyable with the storytelling of David Hyde Pierce!

How old was the author?

I’m thinking the author used a 10yd old to come up with some of the names and words.

Just plain fun!

Enjoy a break from the everyday rat race and take a journey into the imagination!

A true classic

I thought I knew the whole story, but I did not know the whole story. There is so much more to this than the Lilliputians. There are many spots in this book where I said oh, that’s where that saying comes from. Yes at times it gets long and you wish that it would just wrap up but overall it’s a very good book.

Not for me

The ready did fine with the performance, but the story was a bit painful for me. It was almost just a repeating message about the distaste for humanity,

Movie is better

I enjoyed the rich, wordy writing, but after about 2/3 of the way through the book, the writing just becomes boring and tedious rambling.

A Timeless Tale For Children and Adults

Would you consider the audio edition of Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce to be better than the print version?

I usually prefer a printed version for the books I read for a class.But when I began to read Gulliver's Travels for a class, I realized that it would most likely be amazing on audiobook, and I was right! Immediately my pronunciations and comprehension of this book increased.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce?

As a child I remember reading condensed and sensitized versions of this story, and now as an adult, I began to see more of the true story. Every time a somewhat inappropriate part came on, I was shocked into laughter. Don't get me wrong, the full version is still very appropriate for children in my opinion, but it creates a more enjoyable experience for more mature audiences as well.

Any additional comments?

This timeless story was one of the more enjoyable listens I have had. The narrator does a great job of using his voice to create a visual of the locations but the time period as well. I would most likely not listen to this again, simply because of the length and lack of the action that I prefer in a book. As for recommending this book, I would only suggest it to someone with a very patient love of classics.