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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
I'm glad to have finally read this classic. Long boring stretches, but still a decent adventure.
Favorite quotes:
"My unlucky head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my body miserable"
"It is impossible as needless to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts that whirl'd through that great thorowfare of the brain, the memory, in this night's time"
"He is kept serene and calm by having the events of things hid from his eyes and knowing nothing of the dangers which surround him"
"My unlucky head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my body miserable"
"It is impossible as needless to set down the innumerable crowd of thoughts that whirl'd through that great thorowfare of the brain, the memory, in this night's time"
"He is kept serene and calm by having the events of things hid from his eyes and knowing nothing of the dangers which surround him"
A book I read many, many, many times as a boy, now I have read to my boys. The first book I've read of any length not written by Roald Dahl. An abridged version that excises Defoe's exhaustive sermonizing and attempts to squeeze praise into every paper-thin crevice in the story, and skips straight to the adventure.
This story is the 300-year-old precursor to Cast Away. A human marooned on an abandoned island with nothing but wits and a few odds and ends salvaged from a wrecked vessel, though Crusoe benefited from a wider variety of wildlife than Tom Hanks.
It made me very happy to hear the boys enthusiastic response each time I asked if they wanted to keep reading. It brought back something of the boy in me, for which I am very grateful.
This story is the 300-year-old precursor to Cast Away. A human marooned on an abandoned island with nothing but wits and a few odds and ends salvaged from a wrecked vessel, though Crusoe benefited from a wider variety of wildlife than Tom Hanks.
It made me very happy to hear the boys enthusiastic response each time I asked if they wanted to keep reading. It brought back something of the boy in me, for which I am very grateful.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not particularly impressive to read but interesting in relation to the history of the novel as a genre.
Narrated as if someone was telling you every excruciating detail of their day for 300 pages. "I did this. Then I did this. And I did this." Almost unbearably repetitive and dull.
It's probably a good thing Robinson spent most of the book alone because really, no one should be within 100 miles of him. His complete lack of judgement drags everyone around him down too.
It's probably a good thing Robinson spent most of the book alone because really, no one should be within 100 miles of him. His complete lack of judgement drags everyone around him down too.
I was tempted to round down to four stars because the book became rather dull after his rescue. I listened to an audio version of this book and I'm really glad that I did. Sure, there are problematic things in it if we consider it from today's social lens. But it really is an amazing piece of work for the early 1700s. No wonder it has remained popular for centuries. Even some of the religious philosophizing could be of value today--such as not judging others' sins and appreciating what you have by knowing there are others who have far less.