Robinson Crusoe

It has been years since I read it, and since I was required to read it before entering high school I read it and wept. Most classics are classics because they are really good, even though I sometimes do not appreciate that goodness. Crusoe, on the other hand, is a classic because just enough high school English literature curriculum writers are sadistic. We hates them.

So boring and so much racism. 

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is a classic novel that tells the story of a young man who is shipwrecked and stranded on a remote island for 28 years. The novel was published in 1719 and has since become one of the most well-known adventure stories in literature.

The story begins with Robinson Crusoe's childhood in England, where he becomes obsessed with the idea of going to sea. Against his family's wishes, he sets sail and embarks on a journey that ultimately leads to his shipwreck on a deserted island.

For the next 28 years, Robinson Crusoe is forced to survive on the island, learning to hunt, farm, and build shelter. He also has to deal with loneliness and the psychological effects of isolation. He eventually discovers another human on the island, a native he calls Friday, whom he saves from cannibals and befriends. Together, they work to improve their living conditions and eventually leave the island.

One of the most effective elements of the novel is the detailed descriptions of Crusoe's daily struggles and triumphs. Defoe's meticulous attention to detail creates a vivid and believable world that draws the reader into the story. Crusoe's character development is also a strong point, as he transforms from a restless and impulsive youth to a mature and self-reliant survivor.

However, some readers may find the novel's colonialist undertones and depiction of Friday as a subservient native to be problematic. The novel also lacks a strong plot arc, with most of the story focusing on Crusoe's day-to-day survival rather than a clear narrative arc.

In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is a classic novel that is well worth reading for its engaging and realistic portrayal of survival on a deserted island. While it may have some problematic elements, it remains a classic adventure story that has stood the test of time.

Meh. It's a product of it's time. Would the audiences in the 1700s enjoy and likely devour this? Yes. Especially the people who have never traveled and wonder how one could possibly survive.

From a modern perspective? Yikes. This is long, drawn out, and with a very unlikeable MC.


Good to read once, but never again.

Total ripoff of The Martian

So the Amazon Classics version is definitely the complete Robinson Crusoe narrative. If you've ever wanted to listen/read (Kindle/Audible) and you have prime you can get it for free, so that's good right??

I would say RC #1 was enjoyable and I liked reading his survival. 3.5/4s Then I would say the Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe or RC #2 was mainly about this dude having an issue with sitting home and being practically rich?? And then an absolute ton of information about a French priest and “savage” wives? It was insufferable. 1.5/2s

Best to avoid the second, you're all welcome...

Robinson Crusoe was written by Daneil Dafoe in 1719. It is widely considered as the first English novel because of the writing style in addition to historical references within the text. In my opinion, Crusoe's success lies in the facts that the novel gathers the feeling of the contemporary society. This feeling dealt with exploration, the recognition of that unconquered lands in which savages an wild beats were supposed to live. As the actual explorers that reached the undiscovered lands of America, the rest that stayed in their homeland would be wondering about living overseas. Defoe's novel brung together those topics that were actually appealing to the population. I would like to point out that despite the novel is smoothly written, it is not very profound. His narrative is very objective, direct, it is followed by several facts that fills page after page. My critic has to do with the palpable lack of feelings in the novel, in my opinion the emotional of each novel is the vehicle to bring those feelings to the reader. The main character is also the narrator so that the events are presented always from his perspective and he is not specially empathetic with the others. He even made some profit from the island after leaving.

The tone of the novel is very individualistic, it is notable the frequent use the form “I” all through the book. In fact, the most influential English societies, such as UK and US, are based on the principles of individualism. Throughout the novel, we notice so many facts but not so many feelings or emotions between the characters. This, in part, deals with the mentality of survival in which staying alive is the most important issue. Consequently, Crusoe is aimed to defend himself from the wilderness so he is determined to survive and return, if possible. Therefore each event that follows the narration is merely an instrument used by Crusoe to achieve his goal. For instance, the character of Friday seems to be made merely to serve R. Crusoe. Despite Crusoe has admiration for Friday at some passages there are no evidence of respect for him as a human being.
To sum up, I would like to state that individualism is the essential of the book addressing survival and that the lack of feelings in the novel fosters the situation in its own, describing each detail trying to evoke the image as clear as possible. This novel is a masterpiece of the English literature and in my opinion is such relevant because of the combination of realism and fiction made by Daniel Defoe.

One more classical I had a different memory about. What I found: a spoiled brat who ignores all ‘wisdom' and ‘advice' from absolutely everybody who don't agree with him, who suffers inimaginable misfortune, then lives alone for 24 years on an island making do and blaming himself. This happens for over half the book (70%). Then all of a sudden said island becomes a hot spot and not only Friday, the good savage he adopts and “teaches”, but several crews and tribes start coming ashore.
Sooo he rides back with a captain he saved, after long battles filled with swords zzzzz, and finds out he had the most honourable friends in the universe minding his affairs: not only do they give his riches back, but with a profit! He gets married, and that is explained in a single paragraph, so I had no idea what charmed the lady in question, and goes back to the island to give the people he left there more gifts besides his infinite wisdom.
If I ever go to an island, that is a book I will not take with me. I am giving it two stars because I try to think of myself as someone who respects well written sentences, which Mr Defoe does well, and because I understand it was written in 1719, so it might be difficult to relate to it - even though Shakespeare, Bronte, Austen or other classics don't seem to present that kind of obstacle for me.

Really interesting. More enjoyable if you put yourself in the shoes of those in Defoe's time; where blatant racism and colonialism were the order of the day. If you read it with a 21st century prespective you'll find a lot of social problems with the story.

I wrote this review as if the Crusoe had come out now, in 2009, rather than in the 1700's... trying to be clever. My attempt at humor failed, but here it is anyway.
....
You have to applaud an author who produces such a successful work in the already crowded “castaway on a deserted island” genre. Defoe's Robinson Crusoe definitely holds its own among the likes of The Swiss Family Robinson, The Lord of the Flies and The Island of the Blue Dolphins, not to mention existing film and TV takes on the theme such as Cast Away, Gilligans Island and Lost.

Defoe differentiates Robinson Crusoe by leaving him stranded for over 28 years, making the short stints served by the protagonists of the aforementioned stories seem almost laughable. Defoe's risk was worth it–people change slowly and it takes a lone man a long time to complete tasks the size Cruose's endeavors. The long span of time gives him ample time to undergo large changes, to begin and end large projects and it really gives the book a depth and dimension that is lacking elsewhere.

The prose is dense but well written and generally flows nicely. The throwback to early 18th century English is, while occasionally tiresome, educational and appropriate for the setting. It is quaint, for instance, to hear Brazil called “The Brazils.”

At times, Defoe goes out on a limb and throws political correctness to the dogs, for example, native inhabitants are “savages”, Crusoe shows a propensity for colonialism, there is frequent and gratuitous bloodshed of animals, the periodic mention of taking on slaves etc., but these faux paus can almost be overlooked when taken in context of the setting and in contrast with the beautiful spiritual transformations and moral lessons Crusoe learns and applies in his adventures. The overall theme of the book is enlightening, human and hopeful. It is a story that is well worth your time to read.

My dad gave my twelve-year-old nephew a copy of Robinson Crusoe and told him that he ought to read it. My nephew is a reluctant reader and never got very far in the book. After reading it this week, I can see why.

Robinson Crusoe was a tough read for me. You know the story, of course. Crusoe, against his parents' wishes, heads out to the sea and ends up a slave. He escapes from slavery only to later return to the sea and become shipwrecked on an island.

How he manages to survive is a fun read. And he does survive, despite a lack of water and food and companionship, despite hurricanes, despite cannibals.

The daunting vocabulary and the lengthy sentence structure make this a challenging read for a child.