Shipwrecked and cast ashore onto an uninhabited island, Robinson Crusoe ingeniously carves out a solitary, primitive existence for 24 years. Eventually, he meets a young native whom he saves from death at the hands of cannibals. He calls him Man Friday and makes him his companion and servant.
Crusoe and Friday share in a variety of adventures, including a fierce battle with cannibals that culminates in the heroes recapturing a mutinous ship and returning to England.
Based partly on the real-life experiences of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, Defoe's novel of human endurance in an exotic, faraway land exerts a timeless appeal and has taken its rightful place among the great works of Western civilization.
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"This book took me forever to read; definitely not a page-turner. It's kind of hard to say what exactly I liked about the book, but overall I did like it. I didn't expect the religious subject matter but that was probably my favorite aspect of the book. The lack of emotion in the character of Robinson Crusoe is what made this book more of a chore to read. Even when he describes his emotions, it still feels like it's lacking emotion. When he finally gets some human companionship, the dialogue still wasn't very compelling. The book feels a little unorganized and unpolished, almost like a first draft, but I found it to have some elusive redeeming qualities."
— Lindsey (4 out of 5 stars)
" I like books where people get shipwrecked and have to build huts and grow their own food, etc. It's somewhat of a fantasy of mine, but I'm sure I wouldn't like it as much in reality as I do in my mind. On top of the above it also very much has spiritual/theological themes which I appreciated. "
— Nathan, 2/16/2014" A literary classic. I found this provoking adventure story a bit boring. "
— Chris, 2/15/2014" For some, I imagine this would be quite dense- with a lot of religious prose to get through- but it is a truly wonderful. "
— Lauren, 2/9/2014" Had its ups and downs, and took a while to finish, but all in all a great read. "
— Benjamin, 2/5/2014" Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic.... couldn't get enough..... life was so different then. RC spawned more than 600 rip-offs and I'm about to read the book that explains why! Desert Islands Discs is not one of my favourite radio shows for nothing! "
— Clare, 2/3/2014" It was fine. There are some good quotes and it's generally a good read. I just kept feeling like there was going to be more...like there was such a buildup that didn't quite pay off. "
— Julie, 2/3/2014" Well, the whole book was a collection of boring stuff. I just liked the part where Crusoe built his so-called castle. "
— Prashansa, 2/2/2014" When I first read this as a kid, I thought it was pretty interesting but also pretty racist. Now that I've read Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, I can safely say this is almost a worthless piece of shit. First novel in the English language, some say, but like a lot of white "firsts" in art, it's actually just a rip-off of a much more monumental first from much earlier that sucks a lot more. "
— David, 1/30/2014" I loved this book!! I had to read, and re-read, many passages as I was reluctant to leave any moment described behind. "
— Elani, 1/26/2014" Everybody should read this at some point in their life. "
— Maggie, 1/25/2014" I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. While slow paced and repetitive, I was enraptured by the protagonist's tale and was rooting for him from the start. Although Crusoe feels the need to tell us the same thing/describe the same procedures over and over again, his change in mentality throughout the book (as he grows up and becomes more knowledgeable and less rash) is fascinating. The fast paced ending was welcome and I'm glad everything turned out fine. "
— Karla, 1/21/2014Daniel Defoe (1660–1731), born in London as Daniel Foe, was a novelist, pamphleteer, journalist, and political spy. He is celebrated for his frank and dramatic realism in fiction and the accuracy, vigor, and lucidity of his journalism. Considered the father of the English novel, he was also the first author of ghost stories in English literature. He is best known for his novels Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders.
Tony Britton is a renowned British classical stage actor who has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. On television, he has appeared in Holby City, The Way We Live Now, and The Saint.