Daniel Defoe relates the tale of an English sailor marooned on a desert island for nearly three decades. An ordinary man struggling to survive in extraordinary circumstances, Robinson Crusoe wrestles with fate and the nature of God.
Robinson Crusoe is a much-loved classic that I’ve heard about from many sources, and rightfully so. It was so interesting and unique! The only other book that I can think of that comes close to the topic and style of this book is The Swiss Robinson Family. This book, like many other classics as I’ve found out, is a journey.
I usually like to open my reviews with a quick rundown of the book. However, with Robinson Crusoe, that proved very difficult. It is a rather oddly-paced book that is very interesting and insightful. It quickly thrusts you into the story from the very first chapter. From the very beginning, I appreciated the intellectual conversations and foreboding plot.
However, the book reaches its climax twice. Once about 2/4ths of the way in and lastly right at the end of the book. This brings, as I mentioned previously, an oddly-paced book. It got a little hard to read at times because of this. Either way, I enjoyed it very thoroughly, it just got a little boring at times. As I also said, it is a journey, and as such, it has many ups and downs. However, I loved the simplicity of the story.
Two things I’ve found that always seem to be in classical books are the deep plots and characters. I loved the struggle that Daniel Defoe created for Robinson. He pushed his character to the limits and, in a way, let the character decide how to act. He was so real, that at times, I forgot I was reading a work of fiction.
Triggers: mildly explicit mentions of cannibalism and violence. The cannibalism got a little graphic for me. Though it doesn’t describe any actions explicitly, Daniel Defoe does NOT shy from the fact that it is happening. At times, he greeted the subject head-on.
Overall, this is a really good book that I’ll remember for a long time. It is not by any means, “fast-paced” or “riveting”, but it is a deep, intelligent, yet simple journey. I’d recommend it to classical book lovers!
Have y’all read this book, or others similar? Do y’all like classic or modern books better?
Thanks for reading! God bless! Ciao.
Sometimes we need fantasy to survive reality.
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Millay's Musings 