book review of robinson crusoe by daniel defoe

'Robinson Crusoe' Review

Daniel Defoe's Classic Novel About Getting Stranded on a Desert Island

• Study Guides
• Authors & Texts
• Top Picks Lists
• Best Sellers
• Plays & Drama
• Shakespeare
• Short Stories
• Children's Books
• M.A., English Literature, California State University - Sacramento
• B.A., English, California State University - Sacramento

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you washed up on a deserted island? Daniel Defoe dramatizes such an experience in Robinson Crusoe ! Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe was inspired by the story of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor who went to sea in 1704.

Selkirk requested that his shipmates put him ashore on Juan Fernandez, where he remained until he was rescued by Woodes Rogers in 1709. Defoe may have interviewed Selkirk. Also, several version of Selkirk's tale were available to him. He then built on the story, adding his imagination, his experiences, and a whole history of other stories to create the novel for which he has become so well-known.

Daniel Defoe

In his lifetime, Defoe published more than 500 books, pamphlets, articles , and poems. Unfortunately, none of his literary endeavors ever brought him much financial success or stability. His occupations ranged from spying and embezzling to soldiering and pamphleteering. He had started out as a merchant, but he soon found himself bankrupt, which led him to choose other occupations. His political passions, his flare for libel, and his inability to stay out of debt also caused him to be imprisoned seven times.

Even if he wasn't financially successful, Defoe managed to make a significant mark on literature . He influenced the development of the English novel, with his journalistic detail and characterization. Some claim that Defoe wrote the first true English novel: and he's often considered to be the father of British journalism.

At the time of its publication, in 1719, Robinson Crusoe was a success. Defoe was 60 when he wrote this first novel; and he would write seven more in the years to come, including Moll Flanders (1722), Captain Singleton (1720), Colonel Jack (1722), and Roxana (1724).

The Story of Robinson Crusoe

It's no wonder the story was such a success... The story is about a man who is stranded on a desert island for 28 years. With the supplies he's able to salvage from the wrecked ship, Robinson Crusoe eventually builds a fort and then creates for himself a kingdom by taming animals, gathering fruit, growing crops, and hunting. The book contains adventure of all sorts: pirates, shipwrecks, cannibals, mutiny, and so much more... Robinson Crusoe's story is also Biblical in many of its themes and discussions. It's the story of the prodigal son, who runs away from home only to find calamity. Elements of the story of Job also appear in the story, when in his illness, Robinson cries out for deliverance: "Lord, be my help, for I am in great distress." Robinson questions God, asking, "Why has God done this to me? What have I done to be thus used?" But he makes peace ​and goes on with his solitary existence.

After more than 20 years on the island, Robinson encounters cannibals , which represent the first human contact he's had since being stranded: "One day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen on the sand." Then, he's alone — with only the brief far-off view of a shipwreck — until he rescues Friday from the cannibals.

Robinson finally makes his escape when a ship of mutineers sail to the island. He and his companions help the British captain to take back control of ​the ship. He sets sail for England on December 19, 1686--after spending 28 years, 2 months, and 19 days on the island. He arrives back in England, after being gone for 35 years, and finds that he is a wealthy man.

Loneliness and the Human Experience

Robinson Crusoe is the tale of a lonely human being who manages to survive for years without any human companionship. It's a story about the different ways that men cope with reality when hardship comes, but it's also the tale of a man creating his own reality, rescuing a savage and fashioning his own world out of the untamed wilderness of a desert island.

The tale has influenced many other tales, including The Swiss Family Robinson , Philip Quarll , and Peter Wilkins . Defoe followed up the tale with his own sequel, The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe , but that tale was not met with a much success as the first novel. In any case, the figure of Robinson Crusoe has become an important archetypal figure in literature — Robinson Crusoe was described by Samuel T. Coleridge as "the universal man."

• 'Robinson Crusoe' Questions for Study and Discussion
• 9 Must-Read Books If You Like 'Lord of the Flies'
• The Education of Women, by Daniel Defoe
• 'Lord of the Flies' Characters: Descriptions and Significance
• Memorable Quotes From 'Lord of the Flies'
• 'Lord of the Flies' Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices
• 'Lord of the Flies' Overview
• Classic Works of Literature for a 9th Grade Reading List
• 'Lord of the Flies' Summary
• Biography of Mary Read, English Pirate
• Lord of the Flies: A Critical History
• Biography of William Golding, British Novelist
• Biography of Joseph Conrad, Author of Heart of Darkness
• Biography of Captain William Kidd, Scottish Pirate
• Jules Verne: His Life and Writings
• Was Sinbad the Sailor Real?

Robinson Crusoe #1

Robinson crusoe, daniel defoe , virginia woolf  ( introduction ).

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 1719

About the author

Daniel Defoe

Ratings & reviews.

What do you think? Rate this book Write a Review

Friends & Following

Community reviews.

Those people cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them because they see and covet what He has not given them. All of our discontents for what we want appear to me to spring from want of thankfulness for what we have.

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for.

Review: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

At 19 we all argue with our parents thinking we know better so it is of little surprise that the young Robinson Crusoe back in 1651 ignored the well-meaning advice of his father, and joined a ship heading from Hull to London.

During this voyage, however, fate struck a nasty blow and the weather worsened leaving the ship stranded in waters near Yarmouth. After several days the weather refused to abate and the ship, unfortunately, could not take the constant pounding. Fortunately for many onboard including Crusoe a ship nearby had noticed their distress signal and sent a small boat to rescue them.

For many, after an experience like this, they may reflect and return home with their tail between their legs and admit that perhaps their father was correct. Robinson Crusoe however, had other ideas. When onboard the sinking ship he had prayed to God asking to survive and if he did he would return to the family. Just a few days on dry land though led to other thoughts. It appears he had forgotten how he felt during the awful weather on board and instead of heading home to Hull he decided to join a ship heading for Africa.

The first voyage he embarked on to Africa was a seemingly successful one that saw him returned safely so he decided to remain with the ship. Unfortunately, the captain passed away, and the man taking over was not quite such a good seafarer. During the next journey, the vessel Robinson Crusoe was on was attacked by pirates and while most of the crew perished he was taken and made a slave.

For two years he worked for his master until an opportunity arose to escape which he did successfully and ended up in Brazil where he brought a patch of land to grow sugar cane.

It would appear however that Crusoe is not the brightest of individuals or perhaps cannot see his own failings because after 4 years working on his now quite successful plantation, greed has got the better of him. He has mentioned in passing to others the ability to buy slaves in ‘Guinea’ which is still quite an unknown thing at this time in Brazil. So when the offer of a trip across the seas to procure these slaves comes up Crusoe jumps at the change to join the expedition on the promise that he will gain many for himself.

This time, however, Robinson Crusoe’s luck seems to have run out with the ship sailing directly into a hurricane and pushing them towards the Caribbean islands. With the ship wreaked eleven souls climb abroad the life raft but do not make it to shore. Crusoe seems to be the lone survivor of this tragic wreckage.

“I walk’d about on the shore, lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as I may say, wrapt up in my contemplation of my deliverance,..reflecting upon my comrades that were drown’d, and that there should not be one soul sav’d but myself; as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes.. “(Page 81)

To begin with, his spirits were high. The ship, wrecked just offshore, was within swimming distance so daily Crusoe would swim out to recover as many supplies as possible. He even created a weatherproof shelter and a safe surround to protect himself against predators.  However, after a freak storm the ship was completely washed away and with that Crusoe’s mood changed and it takes all his energy to try and drag himself back out of his depressive state.

“Well, you are in a desolate condition, ’tis true, but pray remember, Where are the rest of you? Did not you come eleven of you into the boat, where are the ten? Why were not they sav’ d and you lost?” (Page 97)

As you progress through the narrative Crusoe’s monologue often reads like manic ramblings of someone going insane which quite possibly would happen if you were stranded all alone with no one else for company. But he also seems to possess the ability to adapt quickly to his surroundings. Of course, we don’t gain the full background to his skills before he embarks on his life as a sailor and explorer but you get the sense that he is from a privileged background and therefore would not normally work with his hands so he seems far more able then you would probably expect – cutting down trees, creating wicker baskets and pots made of clay, making spades and other tools out of very little.

After so long alone, he becomes so comfortable in his surroundings that he lets his guard down. That is, until one day he sees a footprint in the sand he is certain isn’t his. We then have an extended monologue about how he is worried that savages will come onto the island, find and eat him for he was convinced that anyone coming onto the island was, in fact, a cannibal.

He would spend hours, weeks and years thinking about how he could, should he need to, kill as many of them as possible should they discover his hiding place.

“… but all was abortive, nothing could be possible to take effect, unless I was to be there to do it my self; and what could one man do among them, when perhaps there might be twenty or thirty of them together, with their darts, or their bows and arrows, with which they could shoot as true to a mark… “(Page 200)

These thoughts continued for years, both consciously and in his dreams. Then, one day, after 25 years of solitude, while observing a group of savages, Robinson Crusoe saw one of the captives break away, running for his life.

“I was call’d plainly by Providence to save this poor creature’s life ; I immediately run down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetch’d my two guns, for they were both but at the foot of the ladders,… And getting up again, with the same haste, to the top of the hill… “(Page 233)

This is our first introduction to Friday, a character probably just as memorable as Robinson Crusoe in this narrative. Up until this point, it has been one very long, and at times, dragging monologue of how one man comes to survive on an island. Don’t get me wrong, if such a thing could happen, we should all be in awe of the survivor but it did, at times, cause the plot to become a bit of a bore.

For the remaining chapters, we read about how Crusoe taught man Friday how to speak English and complete all the tasks asked of him. We also read about their unlikely saviours and how they finally escape the island after nearly 28 years.

My Thoughts on Robinson Crusoe

I really wanted to enjoy this novel for many reasons. Firstly, the story is meant to be based on the real-life travels and disasters of Alexander Selkirk , a Navy officer who lived as a castaway for four years on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific, and secondly, many literary historians have singled out Robinson Crusoe as the first instance of a realistic English novel.  Finally, I initially picked the novel up to read for the first time in 2019, exactly 300 years since it was published so it was a big milestone for the book.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I really wanted to enjoy the narrative, and at times, I loved reading about how someone could live in solitude for so long developing their survival skills but at other times the monologue of Crusoe’s experiences became so monotonous I struggled to continue.  Possibly because of the time in which it was written, it is also heavily laden with religious references which could be extremely off-putting for people. Finally, there is a strong theme of slavery running throughout which was fundamentally difficult to read. Crusoe went from wanting slaves to becoming a slave himself. The element I struggled with however was the fact that after his own treatment he was quick to enslave others again for his benefit.  Surely, after you have been oppressed yourself, the last thing you would want to do would be to treat someone else in a similar manner.

Of course, Defoe’s plot is fictional and therefore he was probably not expecting people 300 years later to pull his narrative apart and look for underlying meanings in the way we often do today.

On the surface, it is a travelogue full of descriptive episodes and exploration of different countries and continents which I know many will enjoy.

Did you enjoy this article? Then PIN it for later…

• Latest Posts

The main content creator at Travelling Book Junkie who loves all things book related. If lost, she can always be found in the nearest bookshop or library and is known for following in the footsteps of famous writers whether that be to a local cafe or to the top of a mountain. She loves to explore countries through the pages of a book before visiting anywhere to further understand their culture and traditions.

• 10 best travel magazines to inspire and shape your journey
• Epic Reads And Adventures: Pairing Books With Travel Destinations
• How important is a mattress for your health?

You may also like

The Best Books for Giving Yourself an Ancient Egypt 101

The Perfect Books to Enjoy on a Boating Holiday

Top 5 Books to Read Whilst Travelling the Greek Islands

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Stories

Jaya Nepal! by Martin David Hughes

Star Rating: ***** Pages: 308 (E-book Version) First published by Simi Books in 2014 “The country, largest along its east-west axis, looked like a whale beached between India and China, themselves two vast oceans teeming with life. The country was relatively small compared to its neighbouring giants, but considering the…

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

The 100 best novels: No 2 – Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)

Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe comes second in our list of the best novels written in English. Robert McCrum explains the genius of this complex, irresistible novel

Robert McCrum introduces the series

E nglish fiction began with The Pilgrim’s Progress , but nearly 50 turbulent years, including the Glorious Revolution, passed before it made its great leap forward. The author of this literary milestone is a strangely appealing literary hustler of nearly 60 years old originally named Daniel Foe (he added “De” to improve his social standing), a one-time journalist, pamphleteer, jack of all trades and spy . Like Bunyan, he had suffered at the hands of the state (the pillory, followed by prison in 1703). Unlike Bunyan, he was not religious.

His world-famous novel is a complex literary confection. It purports to be a history, written by Crusoe himself, and edited by Daniel Defoe who, in the preface , teasingly writes that he “believes the thing to be a just History of Fact; neither is there any Appearance of Fiction in it”.

So what do we find in this “History” ? Robinson Crusoe has three elements that make it irresistible. First, the narrative voice of the castaway is Defoe’s stroke of genius. It’s exciting, unhurried, conversational and capable of high and low sentiments. It’s also often quasi-journalistic, which suits Defoe’s style. This harmonious mix of tone puts the reader deep into the mind of the castaway and his predicament. His adventures become our adventures and we experience them inside out, viscerally, for ourselves. Readers often become especially entranced by Crusoe’s great journal, the central passage of his enforced sequestration.

And here is Defoe’s second great inspiration. He comes up with a tale, often said to be modelled on the story of the castaway Alexander Selkirk , that, like Bunyan’s, follows an almost biblical pattern of transgression (youthful rebellion), retribution (successive shipwrecks), repentance (the painful lessons of isolation) and finally redemption (Crusoe’s return home). In storytelling terms, this is pure gold.

And third, how can we forget Defoe’s characters? The pioneer novelist understood the importance of attaching memorably concrete images to his narrative and its characters. Friday and his famous footstep in the sand, one of the four great moments in English fiction, according to Robert Louis Stevenson; Crusoe with his parrot and his umbrella: these have become part of English myth. Defoe, like Cervantes, also opts to give his protagonist a sidekick. Friday is to Crusoe what Sancho Panza is to Quixote. Doubles in English literature will regularly recur in this list: Jekyll and Hyde, Holmes and Watson, Jeeves and Wooster.

Which brings me to Defoe’s final quality as a writer. He was the complete professional, dipped in ink. Throughout his life, he produced pamphlets, squibs, narrative verse and ghosted ephemera (he is said to have used almost 200 pen names). He was a man who liked to be paid for what he wrote, lived well and was almost always in debt. He was not a “literary novelist”, and would not have understood the term, but his classic novel is English literature at its finest, and he hit the jackpot with Robinson Crusoe.

By the end of the 19th century, no book in English literary history had enjoyed more editions, spin-offs and translations than Robinson Crusoe, with more than 700 alternative versions, including illustrated children’s versions. The now-forgotten term “Robinsonade” was coined to describe the Crusoe genre, which still flourishes and was recently revived by Hollywood in the Tom Hanks film, Castaway (2000).

Note on the text:

The text was first published in London by W Taylor on 25 April 1719. This first edition credited the work’s fictional protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, and its title was The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner: Written by Himself. It sold well; four months later, it was followed by The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. A year later, riding high on the market, came Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. Most readers will only encounter the first edition.

• The 100 best novels

Most viewed

“Robinson Crusoe”, analysis of the novel by Daniel Defoe

One of the most famous English novels first saw the light in April 1719. Its full name is “Life, the extraordinary and amazing adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a sailor from York, who lived 28 years in complete solitude on an uninhabited island off the coast of America near the mouths of the Orinoco river, where he was thrown by shipwreck, during which the entire crew of the ship, except him, died, outlining his unexpected release by pirates; written by himself “over time was reduced to the name of the protagonist.

The work is based on a real story that happened to the Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who served as boatswain on the ship “Senk Por” and landed in 1704, at his personal request, on the uninhabited island Mas-a-Tierra (Pacific Ocean, 640 km from the coast Chile). The real trouble of Robinson Crusoe was caused by his unsociable character, the literary one – disobedience to parents, choosing the wrong way of life (a sailor instead of an official in the royal court) and a heavenly retribution, expressed in a natural disaster for any traveler – shipwreck. Alexander Selkirk lived on his island for four years, Robinson Crusoe – twenty-eight years, two months and nineteen days.

The time of the novel is September 1, 1651 – December 19, 1686 + the period that the character needs to return home and the story of his unusual adventure. The motive for quitting parental prohibition (parallel with the biblical prodigal son) reveals itself twice in the novel: at the very beginning of the work, Robinson Crusoe was seized by repentance of what he had done, but it is a shame to appear to his friends (including neighbors) again on the wrong path, which ends with a long isolation on a desert island. The hero’s parental home leaves on September 1, 1651; Brazil, where he lives comfortably for the following years – September 1, 1659. A symbolic warning in the form of a recurring sea storm and the time of the beginning of the adventure turns out to be nothing significant for Robinson Crusoe.

The novel by Daniel Defoe lies at the origins of the novel itself. In its style (simple, precise language, devoid of specific artistic techniques), it refers more to the journalistic genre of “travels” that first appeared in English literature in the 16th century, than to the literary novel, but the presence of an adventure story, a clearly expressed artistic idea ( the preservation of humanity in a difficult struggle for life) and the development of characters (growing up Robinson Crusoe, ennobling Friday ogre, repentance of pirates) makes it a full-fledged literary work. Adventure component gives “Robinson Crusoe” features of adventure novel; knowledge of the main character of physical life indicates a novel of education; the passage of the character of a complex path of arrangement on a desert island brings the work together with an allegorical parable about the development of human civilization; the presence in the novel of exotic for the English environment elements (distant countries, sea travel, wild animals, cannibals and pirates) makes it a classic adventure novel. Initially, the “Robinson Crusoe” was created for an adult reader, but over time, naturally moved into the circle of children’s reading.

The main idea of the work is the spiritual and intellectual maturation of a young man, put in unique living conditions. His life on the desert island of Robinson Crusoe begins with a minimum of knowledge about the device necessary for the survival of things and the main set of the latter. Some of the items the hero has to make on their own. He does not mind spending time on it, because he understands that the latter, like his “work, was very cheap, so does it matter what and where they went?”.

Vital things (ship’s boards, food, clothing, carpenter tools, knives, weapons, gunpowder, etc.) in the novel are contrasted with money. Robinson Crusoe perceives the latter as “worthless garbage”: on an island devoid of people and merchant shops, they are useless. At the same time, the gold found on the ship still wraps the hero in a piece of canvas and takes it to the island. The act is not explained to them in any way, but the reader understands that he is dictated by the hope of returning to the fold of civilization.

In addition to factory art (making a pipe, baskets, fur clothes, etc.) Robinson Crusoe develops on the island the professions of a farmer and herdsman: he quickly realizes that he will not be able to stretch provisions on ships for a long time, therefore he starts collecting turtle eggs and grapes, tame wild goats, grow rice and barley.

The first years the hero hates his place of residence, curses the island and calls it the island of Despair. Having built a boat and almost died in the vast ocean expanses, Robinson Cruz begins to perceive his position quite differently: he looks at hills and valleys with warm tenderness, rejoices at his fields, groves, cave and goats, sees beauty in a simple road from the coast to the hut.

Daily work helps the hero to not despair, the preservation of habits – not to lose their social identity. First of all, Robinson Crusoe starts a calendar, because for him it is important to know what month and year is in the yard. While he has paper and ink, the hero keeps a diary. The parrot in the life of Robinson Crusoe appears as another voice to be heard so as not to go insane from loneliness.

Friday’s release becomes a new milestone for island life for Robinson Crusoe. The handsome young savage is drawn by Daniel Defoe in a somewhat idealized way – the author notes in him a courageous and pleasant face, honesty, hearty simplicity, sincerity, a feeling of deep gratitude for salvation from death. Friday is a true child of nature – it is easy to learn the basics of Western morality due to the fact that it was initially deprived of the bloodthirsty that is usually attributed to savages: for example, talking about the white people who appeared in his tribe, he explains to Robinson that they have become savages brothers and eaten they were not, because “our people eat only those who are victorious in battle”.

Recent Posts

• Literary analysis of “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry
• Literary analysis of “The Cop and the Anthem” by O. Henry
• Literary analysis of “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry
• Literary analysis of “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
• Literary analysis of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
• Albert Camus
• Arthur Rimbaud
• Bertolt Brecht
• Charles Baudelaire
• Charles Dickens
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Chinua Achebe
• Daniel Defoe
• Emily Brontë
• Ernest Hemingway
• Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann
• Francis Scott Fitzgerald
• Franz Kafka
• Frederic Stendhal
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Gustave Flaubert
• Guy de Maupassant
• Hans Christian Andersen
• Henry Fielding
• Honore de Balzac
• Jane Austen
• Jean-Paul Sartre
• John Collier
• John Steinbeck
• Jonathan Swift
• Kurt Vonnegut
• Leo Tolstoy
• Oliver Goldsmith
• Oscar Wilde
• Paul Verlaine
• Prosper Mérimée
• Rainer Maria Rilke
• Ralph Ellison
• Ray Bradbury
• Richard Bach
• Richard Wright
• Robert Burns
• Samuel Richardson
• Sylvia Plath
• Theodore Dreiser
• Thomas Mann
• Toni Morrison
• Victor Hugo
• Virginia Woolf
• Walt Whitman
• William Golding
• William Shakespeare

Smart Reads Hub

Your Gateway to book Insights

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: Book Review

Published by

Alex Turner

Embark on a thrilling adventure to a deserted island with Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This timeless classic has captured the hearts of readers for centuries with its tale of survival, resilience, and self-discovery. Join Robinson Crusoe on his journey of solitude and struggle as he navigates the challenges of being shipwrecked on a remote island.

Robinson Crusoe is an adventurous novel that follows the story of a young man named Robinson Crusoe who finds himself stranded on a deserted island after a shipwreck. Alone and with limited resources, Crusoe must learn to survive in the harsh wilderness, battling nature and his own inner demons. Through his ingenuity and determination, he builds a new life on the island, facing numerous challenges along the way.

I found Robinson Crusoe to be a compelling and immersive read. The author, Daniel Defoe, skillfully takes the reader on a journey of survival and self-discovery, painting a vivid picture of Crusoe’s struggles and triumphs on the deserted island. I appreciated the detailed descriptions of Crusoe’s resourcefulness in creating shelter, finding food, and adapting to his new environment. However, at times, the pacing of the story felt slow, especially in the middle sections where Crusoe’s daily routines were extensively detailed.

What Makes the Book Unique

One unique aspect of Robinson Crusoe is its exploration of themes such as isolation, resilience, and the human spirit. The novel delves into the psychological effects of being alone for an extended period and the inner strength required to survive in the face of adversity. Defoe’s meticulous attention to detail in depicting Crusoe’s survival strategies sets this book apart, offering readers a realistic portrayal of life on a deserted island.

In conclusion, Robinson Crusoe is a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers with its gripping tale of survival and resilience. While the story may have some pacing issues, the themes explored and the character development make it a worthwhile read for those interested in adventure and self-discovery narratives. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thought-provoking journey into the depths of the human spirit.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recent posts

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen: Book Review

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan: Book Review

Beard Necessities by Penny Reid: Book Review

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson: Book Review

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn: Book Review

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth: Book Review

Let’s connect.

Nyx Book Reviews

fantasy ♥ paranormal ♥ horror ♥ science-fiction

Reading Classics: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

25/06/2013, CelineNyx, Review , 12

I read this book as part of the Classics Club Challenge – I challenged myself to read fifty classics picked by me in the next three years. To find out more, you can see my list or visit the Classics Club website .

Title: Robinson Crusoe Author: Daniel Defoe First Publication: 1719

Project Gutenberg Robinson Crusoe (free download) The Book Depository (€2.44 / $3.29 + free shipping)

This book. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a classic this much. Even when I was reading Kafka, which made me feel terrible, I still had a lot of respect for the book because it blurs the line between fiction and reality to such an extend that you feel debased and uncomfortable. I don’t really have any respect for Robinson Crusoe .

The main thing that puzzles me is how this book turned into the thousands of survival adaptations. How?! Robinson doesn’t have to fight to survive. He has a whole damn ship on his shore with enough supplies for years. He has a dog and a parrot and cats to keep him company, some bibles to read when he’s bored, enough gunpowder to last him for thirty years, enough rum and other booze for about twenty years, tobacco to smoke… The only thing he’s missing is some more clothes, but who cares about those in the Caribbean anyway.

Now on to my greatest annoyance in the entire book of Robinson Crusoe , namely Robinson Crusoe. I wanted to take one of his guns and hit some sense into that guy. He is an ungrateful, rebellious, self-pitying, racist, imperialist, bigot fool that deserves every hardship he comes across. I was also very much annoyed by how he handled his religion. Basically he only remembers that he’s in the hand of God when everything is well. The moment something goes wrong (he’s also completely paranoid – one footprint throws him into a fit for two years ) he forgets about God and Providence and everything he said to hold so dear. If it was just this personal problem, I would have been okay with it. But the moment he gets slaves (because of course he gets slaves) he has to “save their souls” and turn them into Christians. What?! He’s the worst Christian ever himself, yet he feels like he has to turn everything that moves into a Christian? Ugh.

And there are slaves. They all want to be his slaves of course.

At one point near the end he mentions shipping off a few women for his men on the island. That was about the moment I knew I didn’t want to read this book ever again.

A quote wonderfully describing why I couldn’t stand Robinson:

My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected – I was absolutely lord and lawgiver – they all owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion for it, for me. It was remarkable, too, I had but three subjects, and they were of three different religions – my man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal, and the Spaniard was a Papist. However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions.

Gee Robinson, how nice of you to allow different religions in the island you yourself decided is yours, over subjects that are stuck there with a gun wielding megalomaniac Englishman.

Robinson Crusoe is probably a good example of how people thought during that particular time period – but if that’s so, I don’t care for that time period.

book review , classic , classics club , daniel defoe , reading classics , robinson crusoe

‹ Review: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown Doing the Math – Again ›

Robinson Crusoe

Daniel defoe, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

An anonymous editor introduces the account of a man's incredible adventures, which he says is true, entertaining, and useful for the reader. The story begins with Robinson Crusoe describing his early life in York, England. Robinson eagerly wanted to venture out to sea , although both his parents urged him not to and tried to persuade him to stay home and lead a comfortable life. Despite his parents' warnings, Robinson left home and joined a ship to London without telling his parents.

On the way to London, the ship encountered a horrible storm and sank. Fortunately, Robinson and the other crewmembers were rescued by another boat. Once on shore, the shipmaster told Robinson to go back home, but he felt compelled to continue his journey and so went to London by land. There, he joined a ship bound for the coast of Africa. Robinson says that this was his only successful voyage: he returned to London safely with a small fortune from trading. The captain of this vessel died, but Robinson joined the ship to go on the same voyage again with a new captain, leaving his money in the care of the old captain's widow .

On this trip, Robinson's ship was taken by pirates and he was taken as a slave to the Moorish port of Sallee. After two years, he finally was able to escape when he went out in a fishing boat with a Moor named Ismael and a young boy named Xury . Out at sea , Robinson pushed Ismael overboard and sailed away with Xury. The two of them went south along the coast of Africa, hoping to encounter a European trading vessel. Along the way, they meet some African natives on the shore, who give them food and water. At last, Robinson and Xury are found by a Portuguese ship, whose captain offers to take Robinson to Brazil for free. The generous captain bought Robinson's small boat from him and brought him safely to Brazil, where he ended up buying some land and starting a sugar plantation. Robinson sold Xury into the service of the captain. As his plantation began to do well, Robinson became overly ambitious and joined some other plantation owners on a voyage to Africa to bring back slaves. The ship encountered a hurricane and the captain wanted to turn back, but Robinson encouraged him to continue the voyage. After this, the ship encountered another strong storm and was wrecked. Robinson tried to escape on a small boat, but was thrown into the sea and washed up onto the shore of an unknown island, the sole survivor of the shipwreck.

The next day, Robinson saw that the wrecked ship was fortunately stranded not far from shore. He was able to swim over to it, climb aboard, and salvage food, drink, and supplies. He built a makeshift raft and brought these things back to shore. After a number of trips to the ship, a storm came and blew away the remains of the ship. Robinson set up a tent on a plateau near a rock cliff and built a fence around it. He continually expanded and improved this dwelling, and built a large wooden cross to mark days on in order to keep track of time. As he got better at making and using tools, Robinson continued to improve his dwelling, surrounding it with a huge turf wall. He began keeping a journal and listed all of the good and bad things about his life on the island. One day, Robinson dumped out some husks of grain and was surprised when, soon after, stalks of rice and barley started to grow from them. He believed this to be a miracle from God, though Robinson's cave dwelling was also severely damaged one day when an earthquake struck the island.

Soon after this, Robinson became seriously ill. He had a fever-dream in which a man came down from the sky and told him, "Seeing all these things have not brought thee to repentance, now thou shalt die." Robinson suddenly realized how unreligious he had been. He prayed to God and started to read the Bible, some copies of which he had saved from his ship. Robinson recovered from his illness with a newfound sense of the importance of Christianity. Thinking that he was stuck on the island for good, he explored around the island more, discovering a forested area with various fruit trees, where he built a smaller dwelling in addition to his main one. On the one-year anniversary of his arrival on the island, Robinson fasted and prayed to God. He later sowed some barley and rice and gathered grapes in the forest, which he dried into raisins.

One day, Robinson walked to the opposite side of the island and could see land far off in the distance, across the sea . After much hard work, Robinson figured out how to harvest his grains and make bread and also taught himself to make pottery. With these improvements, Robinson's life on the island became more comfortable. He began to appreciate that his life on the island was free from the wickedness of society, as he had no cause for lust, pride, greed, or covetousness in his new life. He even thought that this new life was better than life in society, and thanked God for how his life had turned out.

Robinson built a canoe in order to sail around the perimeter of his island. However, he was almost pushed dangerously far out to sea by a strong current. After returning to shore, he decided not to venture out onto the water again. In order not to have to waste ammunition on hunting goats, Robinson captured some goats and tamed them, building a fenced-in pen for them.

Robinson was shocked and terrified one day when he saw a man's footprint in the sand on his island's shore. He immediately ran and hid in his home, which he called his castle, thinking the footprint must have been from a savage. However, Robinson didn't see anyone else on the island, so he ventured outside his home again and resumed his usual life, expanding his home's fortifications. While searching for a place to build a new goat-pen, Robinson saw piles of human remains scattered on the shore around a fire pit, the remnants of a cannibalistic gathering. Disgusted, Robinson thought he should ambush the cannibals when they came to the island next and rescue their victims. But then he questioned whether he should let them live their own lives according to their own cultural norms, concluding that he had no right to kill savages who had done nothing to him. Hoping not to run into any savages, Robinson began to lead a much more cautious, careful life around the island.

By his twenty-third year on the island, Robinson felt content to live out the rest of his life on his island. Not long after, there was a great storm and Robinson heard gunshots from a ship in distress. The next day, he saw a ship wrecked on some rocks not far offshore. He hoped one or two sailors had made it safely to his island, but none had. He took his boat out to the ship and went aboard, where he found some supplies, as well as two drowned sailors. This episode made Robinson think more and more about trying to escape from his island. One night, he dreamed that a captive of some cannibal savages escaped and took refuge with him, becoming his servant. Robinson was excited to have someone possibly able to guide him to land, only to wake up and realize he had only been dreaming. But about a year and a half later, Robinson saw a gathering of cannibals, one of whose prisoners escaped and ran toward Robinson's home. Robinson killed the cannibals chasing after the prisoner, thus rescuing him. The prisoner was so grateful that he vowed to serve Robinson for life. Robinson named him Friday and began to teach him English and explain Christianity to him. Robinson learned from Friday that Friday's native land was reachable from the island by boat and that beyond it was a land inhabited by Spaniards. Friday informed Robinson that a boat of Europeans had arrived in his native land and some of them now dwelled among his people. Robinson guessed that these were survivors from the ship that had been wrecked near his island. Robinson suggested that he and Friday make a boat so that Friday could go back to his land, but Friday refused to go without Robinson.

Robinson at last agreed to go with Friday, but these plans were put on hold when a band of cannibals arrived on the island. Robinson saw that they had a European prisoner , and so he and Friday ambushed them, killing the savages and rescuing the prisoner. In one of the savages' boats, they discovered another prisoner, who turned out to be Friday's father . The other prisoner, who was Spanish, told Robinson about how his ship had been wrecked in a storm and he and some other sailors were stranded in Friday's native land. After some time expanding his crops, Robinson sent Friday's father and the Spanish prisoner on a boat back to get the rest of the Spanish sailors, so that they could escape with Robinson on a ship. But before they returned, an English ship came to the island, and some of its sailors came ashore with three prisoners.

Robinson rescued the prisoners, one of whom was the captain of the English ship. The captain told Robinson that he had been the victim of a mutiny and the mutineers planned to leave him on this island to die. Robinson, the captain, and the other rescued prisoners killed two of the mutineers and forced the others to pledge allegiance to the captain again. Later, more of the mutineers came ashore and Robinson and his comrades captured them and demanded their surrender. The captain and his men then went back to the ship and recaptured it on behalf of Robinson. Leaving some mutineers behind on the island, Robinson at last left his island on the English ship. After a long voyage, he finally returned to England (with Friday) after having been away for 35 years.

Robinson felt like a stranger back in society. Both his parents were deceased now and his only family members left were two sisters and two nephews . Robinson traveled to Lisbon to find news of his plantation in Brazil. In Lisbon, the old Portuguese captain who had rescued him told him that his plantation was doing well and helped him send word to Brazil to have his fortune sent back to England (although Robinson originally wanted to voyage to Brazil himself). Robinson received shipments of money, sugar, gold, and tobacco and now found himself immensely wealthy. Robinson was happy to have this fortune, but also felt that he now had more "care upon my head" than when he was on his island. He decided to journey back to England, but didn't want to go by sea and so joined a group of people on a land-journey to Paris (from where he would take a short boat trip to England). Before leaving, he arranged for a large amount of his money to be given to the loyal widow of the Portuguese captain who had looked after his money in England during his absence.

Robinson's group of travelers found a guide to take them across the Pyrenees (the mountains between Spain and France), but the guide ended up taking them along a perilous route where there were many wolves. The group was surrounded by hundreds of wolves and barely escaped, fending the wild creatures off with their guns. Robinson safely got to France and had an uneventful journey from there to England. Once back in England, he settled down, taking care of his two nephews, one of who became a sailor. Robinson had a desire to go back to sea , but stayed in England and got married. After his wife died, though, he joined his nephew on a trading ship to the East Indies.

On this voyage, Robinson revisited his island, where the Spaniards had established a colony and fended off various attacks from Caribbean natives, and then went to Brazil. He tells the reader that he will tell all the details of these adventures more fully in a future account.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

The 76th greatest book of all time

• Comments (0)

If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here

This book is on the following lists:

• 2nd on Famous Authors Name Their Favorite Novels(from 1915) (New York Times)
• 3rd on The 100 Greatest Novels of All Time: The List (The Observer)
• 8th on 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature (The Union of Russian Writers)
• 12th on The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Telegraph)
• 27th on The 100 Greatest British Novels (BBC)
• 29th on Top 50 Books (The Folio Society)
• 47th on Pour une Bibliothèque Idéale (Raymond Queneau)
• 57th on 100 Essential Books (Bravo! Magazine)
• 62nd on Big Read (Hungarian) (Hungaria)
• 81st on The Little Big Bulgaria Read (Bulgaria)
• 84th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
• 140th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
• 789th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
• Best Books (Fiction, Prose) : Experts Choose Their Favourites (The Book "Best Books")
• Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time (InteliQuest)
• The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
• Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
• 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
• 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
• The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
• Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
• Best Books Ever (bookdepository.com)
• The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written (Easton Press)
• 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
• The 100 Best Books in the World (AbeBooks.de (in German))
• 50 Books to Read Before You Die (Barnes and Noble)
• ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
• Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)

The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Read now or download (free!)

Similar books, about this ebook.

• Privacy policy
• About Project Gutenberg
• Terms of Use
• Contact Information

Brought to you by The Reading Agency

Home / Find a book / Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe

By Daniel Defoe, and and, Ned Halley

Part of the ""Collector’s Library"" series, this title includes an Afterword, brief biography of the author and a further reading list.

Dad and me loved this book

It is about a man who is shipwreked on an island with all his crew dead he lives there for over 20 years and he meats a man called friday and teaches him english. When he goes back home he finds out his parents are dead and no one knows who he is.

It is a good with lots of good words

My favourite chapter was chapter eight because Crusoe found even more prisoners.

It's amazing I recommend everybody to read it

Part of the literary 'canon' of English Literature Defoe's fictitious tale of Robinson Crusoe, although a compelling read is the nevertheless now outdated in its language. I thankfully read a version which had modern day explanations of certain terminology (most now obsolete due to the passage of time and language development) and that did aid in keeping the novel alive at times. It has to be argued however; if a modern edition was to be created, would it detract from the original vision of Defoe? More than likely

if you are a determined reader and you can not put a book down this is the book for you as there are bits where you can gust put the book down and give up there are other bits where you can gust go to sleep but apart from that it is very exiting about how he survives on the island.

This book has iconic status, one seen as the first true novel. It encapsulates everything we expect from a story - for this it is interesting, however it is for those people who like to read and are happy to persevere. Modern audiences might find it a bit tedious and dare I say boring. Robinson Crusoe's character is not very like-able, therefore that makes it harder to get drawn in to the story.

Robinson Crueso gets stranded on an island because of his job all that's left is him and his dog Robinson must find a way to save the day!

I liked the part where a tribe came on the island. Robinson crusoe didn't know who they where so he built a wooden wall and he also saved a prisoner from the tribe when they were taking him away on a boat.

this book is amazing

The book is fun.

I thought it was brilliant because he was shiprecked on an island and he stayed there for fifteen years.

I learned from this book that the eggs will taste better than the turtle meat.

because he goes on an adventure.

I liked this book as it was very adventurous.

Latest offers

Win 5 copies of...

Win review copi...

The Modern Fair...

The Theatre of ...

WIN proof copie...

WIN 5 copies of...

View our other programmes

• Chatterbooks reading groups
• Quick Reads
• Reading Ahead
• Reading Hack
• Reading Well
• Reading Friends
• Summer Reading Challenge
• World Book Night

Advanced Search Browse

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Robinson Crusoe

By: daniel defoe.

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options , or view our freely available titles .

Book Details

Other books.

• by Daniel Defoe
• in Literature and Fiction
• in Outdoors and Nature

Book Quality

• See open book quality issues

• Скидки дня
• Справка и помощь
• Адрес доставки Идет загрузка... Ошибка: повторите попытку ОК
• Продажи
• Список отслеживания Развернуть список отслеживаемых товаров Идет загрузка... Войдите в систему , чтобы просмотреть свои сведения о пользователе
• Краткий обзор
• Недавно просмотренные
• Ставки/предложения
• Список отслеживания
• История покупок
• Купить опять
• Объявления о товарах
• Сохраненные запросы поиска
• Сохраненные продавцы
• Сообщения
• Уведомление
• Развернуть корзину Идет загрузка... Произошла ошибка. Чтобы узнать подробнее, посмотрите корзину.

Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.

Refresh your browser window to try again.