This isn't really a novel so much as some guy's thinly-veiled rant about the society in which he lives. I think he has some sort of scatalogical obsession, too. It's kind of gross. It's amusing at times, though (not just the poop jokes, but also some of his silly little adventures and descriptions of absurd societies...if you overlook the mean-spirited parallels he's trying to draw...which is kind of the point so maybe you shouldn't ignore them but I did because I'd rather not read a few hundred pages of bitter diatribe if I can help it). I get the feeling it was more amusing to write than it is to read, especially since it references so many contemprary happenings which are kind of no longer relevant.

EDIT:
At this point (in the midst of the Houyhnhnms), I'm coming to appreciate this book more. Initially, I was irritated by the fact that I didn't empathize with the narrator (who I found to be annoying and pompous). But I've come to realize that Swift intentionally made Gulliver a little pompous, because his hasty assertions often lend credibility to the cultural critiques that Swift is making. I'm still irritated by some of the critiques that Swift makes (and I'm pretty sure his characterization of Yahoos is racist and generally insulting), but I think there is some genuine entertainment value in this book (even for a modern reader). It's possible that a majority of the amusement that this book can bring comes in recounting what has been read, because the reading itself is a little tedious (what with Swift's constant capitalization of nouns and outdated spellings, which I understand was common at the time but for a modern reader it really breaks up the flow of the reading and makes it harder to comprehend).

In retrospect, one can overlook the virtual absence of dialogue and constant references to Gulliver's pomposity (is that a word? it should be.) and enjoy the detailed rendering of these strange adventures. (Seriously, it's really detailed. Gulliver likes to let the reader know every little detail about how he lives in each new land, including intimate details about his clothing and eating and sleeping and learning the language and his distaste/admiration for the locals and...poop. Lots of poop.)