GULLIVER'S TRAVELS

In the later sections of Swift's nineteenth-century satirical travelogue, Robert Hardy’s delivery is exquisite. When, for example, Gulliver visits the land of the Houyhnhnms, who are intelligent horses, Hardy whinnies their name with enthusiasm, letting his voice rise and fall. When Gulliver visits Glubbdubdrib, Hardy hammers home Swift's multiple consonants to underscore the satiric effect. However, early on, during the Gulliver adventures that will be more familiar to most listeners, his visit to Lilliput, where everything is tiny, for example, Hardy's delivery is considerably more restrained. While always clear and professional, it lacks the amused tone he so effectively employs later. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]