Robinson Crusoe

Rating:
Summary: a quandary of a critical shipwreck
Review: Defoe's book is one of the first English novels and a prime example of Restoration literature because, hey, nothing reinvigorates a nation like a spicy tale of shipwreck and pirates. Loosely based on a true story, "Robinson Crusoe" is about a young sailor-trader-vagrant who runs away from home and his father's urgings to pursue law. His little sailing adventure quickly goes awry, and before long, visions of "Castaway" will dance in your head.

The bulk of the story takes place on the island where he's isolated for years, and years, and years, and without television or a good book. As a result, Defoe saturates this novel with description, preening into the tiniest details of daily shipwreck life. His focus on the mundane is wonderful - for the first 3 days of island captivity - but quickly bores after that. The true adventure lies in Crusoe's bold character rather than island logistics and could be further explored with the events that sandwiched his solitude.

Without a doubt though, this is a classic that leaves much to be digested. Crusoe is a timeless character, the aimless youth of yesterday, today, and tomorrow who stands ready to conquer the world but who's not quite sure how to go about it. It's no wonder why the emerging British middle class gobbled it up or why it continues to cater to the dreamers who feel an odd kinship to the bold Crusoe. For me though, this book is not a personal favorite; the action flows like molasses and the critical payoff is, in my estimate, not worth the 275 page investment. I'm also not fond of the prose, most of which comes off in Crusoe's proud, definitive bursts of declarative sentences.

In an edition note, I bought the Bantam Classic which is fine enough for a leisure read. If you're aiming at serious study or otherwise going for the authentic Defoe experience however, be forewarned that this version contains chapter titles not published with the original work. Buy another edition if you don't want spoilers.

Rating:
Summary: The Goods and The Bads
Review: Description:
A middle-class Englishman rejects the comfortable lifestyle his station offers him in favor of a life of adventures. In the midst of adventuring, he is shipwrecked, alone, on a deserted island, where he lives for almost thirty years. The book is a first-hand account of his leaving England, his adventures, his years of isolation, and his return.

The Good:
Many schools of thought call Robinson Crusoe the first English novel, and it's interesting to see where the nowadays ubiquitous genre has its origin. Reading from Crusoe's perspective gives the book most of its interest, as it enables you to see the way a slightly rebellious Englishman thought (or, at least, the way Defoe assumed a slightly rebellious Englishman thought) about issues like the Spanish conquest of America, the "savages," and the bare necessities of life.

The Bad:
The text is repetitive and extremely preachy, especially when Crusoe finds religion and waxes philosophic about what being miserable really is. These phenomena are somewhat interesting the first time around, but Crusoe (Defoe?) never risks saying something only once. Many parts of it verge on the unbelievable, like when the shipwrecked sailor discovers a miraculous tree that grows quickly and sturdily wherever he puts it, which he then uses to build thick, living walls around his home. Some of the scenes that should be exciting fail to be because the language of the early 1700s doesn't lend itself well to action.

The Verdict:
It's an interesting work, but by no means a must-read. Crusoe is very self-centered throughout, which makes you wonder about whether his character is fit to function as a representative example of man left to the elements or not. Reading about how he goes about constructing a life for himself is interesting, but it lacks something because, well, it isn't true. What we're really reading is how Defoe imagines a man might build a life for himself, given the handicap of certain supplies left from his ship, etc. The book is, I think, very much a product of its time, and that's its most interesting quality. If you're looking for an interesting story of a man shipwrecked on an island, watch "Cast Away." If you want it from a slightly dry, 18th-century British perspective, you've got the right book.

Rating:
Summary: An example of the English novel in its infancy
Review: Robinson Crusoe is one of the first English novels. Written by Daniel DeFoe in the early 18th century during the rise of economic theory, this book chronicles the struggle of an economic hero shipwrecked on an island. He takes advantage of people, always looking to make money or increase economic value. Although Crusoe has religious experiences and gets preachy at times (DeFoe was of Puritan stock at a time when Puritanism was a significant force), Crusoe is a practical man. He does not let morals get in the way of carving out a prosperous life -- there are scenes where the main character is no role model. The novel is episodic, with Crusoe hopping from one scene to another. The narration isn't smooth. However, the "flaws" when compared to later writings may be forgiven because Robinson Crusoe is an early novel. Writers had not worked out the fine points of the genre. DeFoe is an important early English novelist who cobbled together economic theory, religious opinion, travel writing, and borrowed material from a contemporary shipwreck victim to create a work of fiction. Robinson Crusoe is often mislabelled as a childrens book. Perhaps in a watered down abridgement, it is a good children's book. The original, complete, unabridged work is a literary classic that should be read by any student of English literature.

Rating:
Summary: Quite an interesting book
Review: Robinson Crusoe is the tale of a man stranded on a deserted island. Daniel Defoe's creativity makes the novel fascinating to read. Robinson Crusoe is always discovering new things about the island and inventing new gadgets. This element of the book almost makes the reader want be on a stranded island too. Robinson Crusoe struggles to remain civilized and saves the equipment from the shipwreck. He builds a pen for his goats and dries grapes to turn into raisins. In these ways he starts his own little civilization to survive. One day Robinson finds a fresh human footprint in the sand on the beach, which means that other humans are on his island! This is the beginning of the adventure Robinson will encounter of communicating and working with a completely different human being from a savage and opposite civilization. Will Robinson accept the challenge?

Rating:
Summary: Not As Good As Other Classics But Still Worth One Read
Review: Robinson Crusoe lives an unsettled life, until Fate settles it for him by leaving him shipwrecked on a tropical island. The island has an abundance of resources, and Crusoe is a resourceful survivor-type, so survival is never really an issue. Sanity is more an issue, although Dafoe writes Crusoe as a bit too adaptable to be credible. The beginning of the book, and the very end, are well-paced and well-written, but the large middle is slow and overly detailed. An undercooked loaf of bread might be good around the edges, but disappointingly doughy inside; this description fits this book as well. Nonetheless, it is a classic, and one of the earliest adventures written. There are many issues in the book that now seem archaic, but they did fit their historical time-period.