Listen free for 30 days
-
Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
- Narrated by: David Hyde Pierce
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
People who bought this also bought...
-
Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
- By: Jules Verne
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Signature Performance: Tim Curry, the source of our inspiration, returns – this time, he captures the quirky enthusiasm of this goofily visionary adventure.
-
-
Classic science fiction
- By Squeaky Joe on 29-03-18
-
Around the World in 80 Days
- By: Jules Verne, Anna Lea - adaptation
- Narrated by: Toby Jones, George Blagden, Don Gilet, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most celebrated tales of all time, Around the World in 80 Days is part high-octane thriller, part fascinating fantasy travelogue. Pragmatic gambler Phileas Fogg has made a gentlemanly wager to the members of his exclusive club: that he can circle the world in just 80 days, right down to the minute. Fetching his newly appointed French valet, Fogg embarks on a fabulous journey across land and sea - by steamer, rail, and elephant - to win the bet of a lifetime.
-
-
Brilliant adaptation
- By DragonBadger on 18-10-19
-
The Complete Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Collection
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Henry Adams
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the complete Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn audio collection of the four original stories written by Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. Also included are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894), and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896).
-
-
brilliant
- By kristofer gray on 24-09-19
-
The Three Musketeers
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Alexandre Dumas, Marty Ross
- Narrated by: David Ahmad, Rachel Atkins, Catherine Bailey, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Swashbuckling classic adventure, with an updated twist placing Milady in the role of narrator. Young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris to join the King's elite guards but almost immediately finds he is duelling with some of the very men he has come to swear allegiance to - Porthos, Athos and Aramis, inseparable friends: the Three Musketeers. Soon part of their close band, D'Artagnan's loyalty to his new allies puts him in the deadly path of Cardinal Richlieu's machinations.
-
-
Sex, Sex and more Sex.
- By EC W on 25-09-20
-
Classic Radio Theatre: The Country Wife (Dramatised)
- By: William Wycherley
- Narrated by: Maggie Smith, Jonathan Pryce, John Duttine, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maggie Smith and Jonathan Pryce star in William Wycherley’s raunchy Restoration comedy. Considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, William Wycherley’s bawdy comedy tells the tale of Mr Horner, a notorious rake who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain free access to other men’s wives. When he meets the young, innocent Margery Pinchwife, the ‘country wife’ of the title, the scene is set for scandal.
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Ron Keith
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, was Defoe’s first novel and survives as his best-known work. Loosely based on a true account of a Scottish sailor—Alexander Selkirk—it is a tale of one man’s fall from grace and progress to redemption. The account of Crusoe’s life, scratched out with rationed indigo ink on a dwindling supply of paper salvaged from the hull of a wrecked ship, speaks eloquently of the tenacity and ingenuity of the human spirit.
-
-
Very good, very old!
- By Ben on 07-11-13
-
Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
- By: Jules Verne
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Signature Performance: Tim Curry, the source of our inspiration, returns – this time, he captures the quirky enthusiasm of this goofily visionary adventure.
-
-
Classic science fiction
- By Squeaky Joe on 29-03-18
-
Around the World in 80 Days
- By: Jules Verne, Anna Lea - adaptation
- Narrated by: Toby Jones, George Blagden, Don Gilet, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most celebrated tales of all time, Around the World in 80 Days is part high-octane thriller, part fascinating fantasy travelogue. Pragmatic gambler Phileas Fogg has made a gentlemanly wager to the members of his exclusive club: that he can circle the world in just 80 days, right down to the minute. Fetching his newly appointed French valet, Fogg embarks on a fabulous journey across land and sea - by steamer, rail, and elephant - to win the bet of a lifetime.
-
-
Brilliant adaptation
- By DragonBadger on 18-10-19
-
The Complete Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Collection
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Henry Adams
- Length: 21 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the complete Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn audio collection of the four original stories written by Mark Twain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. Also included are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894), and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896).
-
-
brilliant
- By kristofer gray on 24-09-19
-
The Three Musketeers
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Alexandre Dumas, Marty Ross
- Narrated by: David Ahmad, Rachel Atkins, Catherine Bailey, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Swashbuckling classic adventure, with an updated twist placing Milady in the role of narrator. Young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris to join the King's elite guards but almost immediately finds he is duelling with some of the very men he has come to swear allegiance to - Porthos, Athos and Aramis, inseparable friends: the Three Musketeers. Soon part of their close band, D'Artagnan's loyalty to his new allies puts him in the deadly path of Cardinal Richlieu's machinations.
-
-
Sex, Sex and more Sex.
- By EC W on 25-09-20
-
Classic Radio Theatre: The Country Wife (Dramatised)
- By: William Wycherley
- Narrated by: Maggie Smith, Jonathan Pryce, John Duttine, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maggie Smith and Jonathan Pryce star in William Wycherley’s raunchy Restoration comedy. Considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, William Wycherley’s bawdy comedy tells the tale of Mr Horner, a notorious rake who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain free access to other men’s wives. When he meets the young, innocent Margery Pinchwife, the ‘country wife’ of the title, the scene is set for scandal.
-
Robinson Crusoe
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Ron Keith
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, was Defoe’s first novel and survives as his best-known work. Loosely based on a true account of a Scottish sailor—Alexander Selkirk—it is a tale of one man’s fall from grace and progress to redemption. The account of Crusoe’s life, scratched out with rationed indigo ink on a dwindling supply of paper salvaged from the hull of a wrecked ship, speaks eloquently of the tenacity and ingenuity of the human spirit.
-
-
Very good, very old!
- By Ben on 07-11-13
-
Moll Flanders
- By: Daniel Defoe
- Narrated by: Janet Suzman
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this satirical faux autobiography, Moll Flanders, abandoned at birth, sets her rebellious heart on a life of independence in late 17th-century England. A strong-willed woman, she is determined to make a better life for herself, no matter what it takes: thievery, prostitution, seductions, marriages, or illicit liaisons. Born to a convicted felon in Newgate prison Moll learns to live off her wits, refusing to be a helpless victim and defying most traditional depictions of women of the era.
-
-
Well read but Defoe...
- By Steve on 08-03-16
-
Oliver Twist
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A workhouse orphan, Oliver experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, a thief, a whore, a pickpocket, and a fence, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the darkness of the underworld.
-
-
A classic story read to perfection
- By Ken Hill on 07-10-11
-
Great Expectations
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pip is an orphan, brought up in a village on the Essex marshes by his disagreeable sister and her husband Joe Gargery, the kind-hearted village blacksmith. Life is harsh and Pip has few prospects until he receives from an anonymous benefactor the chance of escaping the forge for a more promising life in London. But his expectations are fraught with difficulties as he is haunted by figures from his past such as the escaped convict Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham, and her proud, beautiful ward, Estella.
-
-
surpassed my expectations
- By Anonymous User on 21-12-09
-
Vanity Fair
- By: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Narrated by: John Castle
- Length: 31 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set during the time of the Napoleonic Wars, this classic gives a satirical picture of a worldly society. The novel revolves around the exploits of the impoverished but beautiful and devious Becky Sharp who craves wealth and a position in society. Calculating and determined to succeed, she charms, deceives and manipulates everyone she meets. A novel of early 19th-century English society, it takes its title from the place designated as the centre of human corruption in John Bunyan's 17th-century allegory.
-
-
A glorious romp of a novel!
- By Clare on 24-08-09
-
Kim
- By: Rudyard Kipling
- Narrated by: Sam Dastor
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kipling's masterpiece Kim is his final and most famous work and one of the first and greatest espionage stories ever written. It explores the life of Kimball O'Hara, an Irish orphan who spends his childhood as a vagrant in Lahore. When he befriends an aged Tibetan lama his life is transformed as he is requested to accompany him on a mysterious quest to find the legendary River of the Arrow and achieve Enlightenment.
-
-
Splendid
- By Sydney on 22-12-13
-
Treasure Island
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: Jim Hodges
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Treasure maps! Pirates! Double crossings and ships at sea! Treasure Island, the adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is the swashbuckling tale of "buccaneers and buried gold", universally known for its atmosphere, characters, and action, mostly focused on the quintessential pirate, the unforgettable Long John Silver. You will love this story!
-
Breakfast at Tiffany's
- By: Truman Capote
- Narrated by: Michael C. Hall
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Golden Globe-winning actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) performs Truman Capote's masterstroke about a young writer's charmed fascination with his unorthodox neighbor, the "American geisha" Holly Golightly. Holly - a World War II-era society girl in her late teens - survives via socialization, attending parties and restaurants with men from the wealthy upper class who also provide her with money and expensive gifts. Over the course of the novella, the seemingly shallow Holly slowly opens up to the curious protagonist.
-
-
Timeless
- By I OFarrell on 06-10-15
-
Treasure Island
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson, Marty Ross - adaptation
- Narrated by: Philip Glenister, Daniel Mays, Catherine Tate, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Audible Originals takes to the high seas to bring to life this timeless tale of pirates, lost treasure maps and mutiny. When weathered old sailor Billy Bones arrives at the inn of young Jim Hawkins' parents, it is the start of an adventure beyond anything he could have imagined. When Bones dies mysteriously, Jim stumbles across a map of a mysterious island in his sea chest, where X marks the spot of a stash of buried pirate gold.
-
-
A Proper Adventure
- By Ailill Martin on 30-08-17
-
A Tale of Two Cities
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'; so the recording begins and ends with some of Dickens's best-known words, and between those lines is every Briton's view of the worst excesses of the French Revolution. Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, the audiobook tells the story of a French doctor who is imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille in Paris. Upon his release, he moves to London with his daughter, Lucie, whom he had never met.
-
-
The best of books, the best of readers
- By Mr David Newton on 17-11-07
-
Hard Times
- The Audible Dickens Collection
- By: Charles Dickens, Jeremy Paxman
- Narrated by: Bertie Carvel, Jeremy Paxman
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life.' So says Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy, utilitarian school board superintendent. Father to Tom and Louisa, he shapes the minds of all the young children, including his own, with the exception of only one: the circus-born Sissy Jupe.
-
-
Bertie Carvel brilliant narration
- By Geoff Elston on 02-10-18
-
Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh
- By: Joseph Conrad
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh
- Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Signature Performance: Kenneth Branagh plays this like a campfire ghost story, told by a haunted, slightly insane Marlow.
-
-
Haunting and beautiful
- By S. Goodyear on 13-04-16
-
The Arabian Nights Entertainments
- By: Louis Rhead
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The central core of the stories concerns a Persian king and his new bride. The king has a brother who is a vizier in faraway Samarcand, and he invites him to come to the palace for a visit. Just before his departure, the vizier is shocked to discover his wife's infidelity. Enraged, he kills her. Full of pain and grief, the vizier continues on to the court of his brother, the king. But, once arrived at his brother's palace, the vizier soon discovers the king's wife is also involved in an even more flagrant infidelity.
-
-
very entertaining
- By G Varsani on 24-12-17
Editor reviews
Gulliver’s encounters with fantastic peoples and creatures - from the small-statured Lilliputians to the stargazing Liputians - reach to the far corners of the world. As narrator, David Hyde Pierce wonderfully captures the wit and irony of this much-loved classic. 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. 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.
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.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Ruth
- 13-02-11
Lively and unusual
I chose this audiobook because I took advantage of the 'free first chapter' offer and then couldn't resist getting the rest. I had read a child's version of Gulliver's Travels when I was about seven, and although I enjoyed it at the time, I've often wondered what the original is like.
And it's great! Most people know about Lilliput etc, but the rest makes for just as compulsive listening - if not more so. It was both funny, clever and thought provoking. It is obvious that the book makes many political points which will be most meaningful to those with the appropriate historical knowledge (which I don't really have), but even so I found the humour and sharpness in it very effective and, interestingly, several of the comments seemed pertinent to our laws/politicians etc today!
I thought it was superbly read, even though the English accent as portrayed by an American was slightly odd at times. But that didn't matter at all as it was read in such a lively and spirited manner. And his mastery of the many, many nonsense names made me want to laugh/cheer out loud! If you do choose this book, make sure you stick it to the end as the reading of the last section is brilliant. Full marks, I really enjoyed it.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-02-15
Simply brilliant.
David Hyde Pierce brings this famous title alive with his narration. Hard to believe this was written so many years ago. As relevant now as it ever was. It should be required reading for everyone.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- D. Jackson
- 22-12-14
great stuff well read
David Hp has the perfect voice for this story. An elegant sneer that keeps the story rolling.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fitz
- 26-01-15
DHP's accent is a distraction
What would have made Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce better?
The performance would be much improved by David Hyde Pierce *not* adopting a faux English accent. For one thing the accent he tries to emulate is what I would call "Oxford English", which is not really appropriate for Swift (nor for Gulliver, who is meant to hail from Nottingham). And for another I'm afraid the quite frequent interpolation of a somewhat different accent (Yorkshire?) into occasional syllables means the performance just gets in the way of the text. I enjoy Mr. Pierce as a character actor but someone should disabuse him of the notion that he can carry an extended pastiche like this for very long. I gave up after 2 chapters.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce?
Didn't get far enough to have an opinion.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The shaky attempt at an English accent makes the listening experience hard work.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JBW
- 08-07-15
Excellent Novel - essential reading for all
Excellent Novel - essential reading for all
Very well narrated - a true classic
Most enjoyable
JBW
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Cliff
- 23-01-13
A True Classic
Evocatively written. The style and reader are beautifully matched. So much more to it than an old book for kids - which is what I have always thought it was.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Clare
- 21-10-12
Highly enjoyable
Really enjoyed this reading. 'Niles Crane' makes an excellent narrator, although his fake posh English accent sometimes slips up. Had never read the story of Gulliver before, and think that listening to it probably added an edge to the irony and veiled sarcasm which reading may not have. Thoroughly recommended
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael
- 23-04-18
Great book
This book essentially plays out as a personal diary over a handful of adventures.
Do note this book is more a political commentary than anything else, it uses the medium of the strange people and how they are different from ourselves to criticize and occasionally praise our society.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrew
- 23-08-20
Thah was hard work
This book felt like a chore and, when I thought it had ended, I was only half way through.
The narrator was ideal for the book, but the narrative is tortuously aged and the story is bizarre without holding any intrigue or underlying plot (appreciating that this was meant to be satire).
In essence, Gulliver repeatedly left his family, travelled, met fantastically strange people whom he described in excessive detail and went home.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andy
- 20-09-18
Great performance by "Niles"
A sign of a good actor is if you completely forget a character they're famous for portraying. This was definitely the case here.
The story can be a bit grating. Swift is so obsequious to the monarchy it's sometimes a bit cringeworthy, but I suppose that was the kind of author that received publication 300 years ago.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joel D Offenberg
- 29-01-11
Wonderfully Done!
The book is a classic (more than just the 'Lilliput' story that gets turned into cartoons or comic movies every so often)...social commentary and satire disguised as a traditional travelogue. David Hyde Pierce is a brilliant narrator and excellent for this piece.
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Rose
- 16-01-11
Loved every minute
Gulliver's Travels has been a classic but somewhat overlooked read for many years, perhaps because of its supposed complexity. Still, it is an incredbly imaginative series of voyages and adventures to strange and wonderful places (a matter of opinion of course), and the superb writing and imagination on display in this Swift Classic can not be denied.
Jonathan Swift's masterful descriptions of distant island lands, their inhabitants, strange customs, and Gulliver's perceptions and treatment in each place is extaordinary. Yet, not to be ignored are the underlying political and moral aspects which are woven throughtout the text, and in some cases, existant in today's politics and, surprisingly, our society. In many ways futuristic, Jonathan Swift proves a master of imagination and human behavior.
Equally outstanding; and handled deftly, is Mr. Pierce's interpretive reading of the text. Performed with an English accent, and with undeniable superlative vocal skill, Mr. Pierce ushers us through each new voyage with such ease and understanding, that one wonders if Swift weren't whispering direction in his ear. What can understandably be a complex and confusing read, is made entertaining and easily pictured in the mind's eye of the reader when put in Mr. Pierce's very talented hands. I can imagine no one better to have narrated such a grand selection as Gulliver's Travels.
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Evan
- 12-02-13
A true Classic
So well read. Its like being there. I was so zoned out into it that I was surprised little people were not next to me.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Walter A.
- 24-04-11
Great reading of a great book
I had forgotten how much I liked this book. Everyone is familiar with Book I - Lilliput. A few know Book II -Bbrobidgnag. Things get even more interesting in Book III, with its classic satire on abstruse scholarship. Book IV is the best of all. David Hyde Pierce could not be bettered as a reader.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Shane
- 31-03-13
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.
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- LG Girl
- 01-02-11
Timeless Humor
Timeless humor made me laugh out loud (rather awkward at the gym).
The quality of the recording was great. David Hyde Pierce made a great reader.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Roland
- 14-02-14
Good listen, try it!
Would you listen to Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce again? Why?
Yes! It's a fresh view of an otherwise difficult read. I've found that listening to books written before 1900 has made the stories come alive. English language prose from about 1700-1900 is often formal and very wordy to modern readers; it generally puts me off. The written form of Gulliver's Travels is especially like that. Jonathon Swift's phonetic spelling of foreign names and places reads awful. His overly polite and courtly speech is tiresome in print; it always bogged me down so that I missed the thrust of the story.
Ah, but spoken by Mr. Pierce the book comes alive. It is easy to hear the subtle sarcasm buried in the superficial formalities, to appreciate the satire embedded in nearly unpronounceable (but not to the narrator) names.The rendition becomes a delight to listen to and to remember. At work, I often see the same Swift characters, behaving the same way.
Which character – as performed by David Hyde Pierce – was your favorite?
Why, Gulliver himself. How could one forget the scene in Lilliput (inhabitants very small but very self important) where the towering giant Gulliver, suddenly awakened from his night's sleep, strides over the town to pluck the queen trapped in her burning palace, then saves the palace from certain destruction by the only means available, pissing on the fire....the only water available....then enduring the rage and enmity of the queen, who orders the palace torn down and Gulliver's death to pay for such an outrageous act. Why wasn't this scene in the Disney version? Recanting this still makes me laugh out loud.
Any additional comments?
Do yourself a favor, try LISTENING to Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn, any Washington Irving stories, Jack London stories; you'll be amazed by how good they are.
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 14-01-13
Great Performance, Clever Work
Would you listen to Gulliver's Travels: A Signature Performance by David Hyde Pierce again? Why?
David Hyde Pierce is hilarious. I feel like his rendition of the written work adds so much that a reader may not pick up on their own initially. Also, it's easy to picture him in the role so if you're driving when you listen to this (like I was) it doesn't take a whole lot of focus to visualize the character since he is already so recognizable. Witty, honest, and hilarious.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I'll be honest, I'm only about halfway through but so far his "little nurse" is my favorite; the little girl who takes care of him in the land of the giants. I could so easily picture a sweet little girl taking such loving, but absented-minded care of a little wanderer.
Which scene was your favorite?
This book was clearly written in a time before television or other such easy entertainment modes. Such books seem so much more ornate in description and detail. So some parts went a bit slow at times. The specific dimensions given for different structures in town could become tedious. Even with that disclaimer, my favorite parts were in his description of cultures. For example, in Lilliput, he goes in detail about how children are raised, gender roles in society, and other cultural specifics. I find this fascinating to think he is comparing it to England at the time. The history nerd in me takes parts like this and builds an entire world around, the one he is describing and the one he is comparing it to.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I still have a few hours left to listen to! I'm just over halfway so I feel like I can't speak to this question just yet.
Any additional comments?
I listened to this book while driving by myself on an extended road trip. I am a frequent audio book listener and have come to be much better at absorbing details by listening alone, rather than needing to read it before it truly sinks in. I found this book to be so detailed at times that I missed parts because I zoned out. I replayed parts and had to back up occasionally. I feel like this book would be hard to listen to with a group of travelers because each would miss different parts that enhance the overall story due to the nature of the writing. Share it with friends, but after you've listened to it at your own pace!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Rickapolis
- 25-02-11
Great book for the road
There's a reason that books remain in print this long. They continue to relate to the 'modern' reader. In whatever age the 'modern' reader may be living. I laughed out loud frequently, and was a little surprised at the, er, 'earthy' humor. Being striped naked and laid between the breats of the giant women of Brobdingnag is racier than I thought would have been allowed. But then the book WAS originally published in secret. David Hyde Pierce does an outstanding job of narrating as well. Top notch. A very strong 'recommend'.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- J. Ward
- 08-10-14
more annoying with each chapter
What does David Hyde Pierce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
David Hyde Pierce does a terrific job bringing the opinions of the narrator to life. His performance was great.
Any additional comments?
I just didn't enjoy the story much, so it was a chore to finish the book. Thank goodness for the narration of David Hyde Pierce, which brought some fun to the listening.
5 people found this helpful