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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
I love the narration of Simon Vance and found that my library had that audio version available, so I knew that was the way to go for this castaway story and listening certainly enhanced the book and kept it from bogging down in the slower parts. Robinson Crusoe was a re-read for me, but it has been at least 40 years between reads, so it was almost like a new experience. I liked it quite a bit and found it overall to be more engaging than [b:A Journal of the Plague Year|46730|A Journal of the Plague Year|Daniel Defoe|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388365957s/46730.jpg|12755437] by Defoe which I recently finished. There is more personal connection to be made with the narrator in this adventure tale also told in journal style and the stories have more life to them, pulling the reader into the story. The acceptance of slavery as matter of course always makes a classic read a bit more difficult to take, but is also informative as to how entrenched these attitudes were in the time and how difficult they have been to overcome. Crusoe’s treatment of Friday and Defoe’s portrayal of him are hard to take from a 21st Century point of view, but the book can still be enjoyed as a classic of the adventure genre.
Even if you try, to take into account the time in which the work was written, it is still unsettling to follow a protagonist who writes about non-Europeans with such self-evident superiority, as if they were wild animals. On the other hand, he talks about the cruelty of the Spaniards towards South Americans and how he had no right to condemn tribes for their cannibalism.
That being said, the tales of his adventures are still worth reading today and certainly would have been fascinating to 18th-century Europeans. For my taste, he is a bit too lucky in his travels and everything works out too smoothly, although the book is aware of that. The accounts of the time after the main plot don't add to the overall work and Defoe could have kept it a bit shorter.
Even though the book has aged poorly, it is a classic that you should read.
That being said, the tales of his adventures are still worth reading today and certainly would have been fascinating to 18th-century Europeans. For my taste, he is a bit too lucky in his travels and everything works out too smoothly, although the book is aware of that. The accounts of the time after the main plot don't add to the overall work and Defoe could have kept it a bit shorter.
Even though the book has aged poorly, it is a classic that you should read.
DNF. I read it years ago in university when it was required reading for one of my literature courses. I couldn't get through it this time, I found it to be super trite. I might try again in the future when my TBR isn't so long. For now, a DNF.
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The pace was oddly fast at the begining, slow throughout and extremely quick in the last chapters, wouldn't read it again, I understand that it's a classic so 1.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
I can see why this is a classic. The adventure/survival aspects of this book are wonderful! However, it did not age well. From the outdated attitude towards hunting all the way to racism and heavy-handed Christian monologues. I don't see how the main character was ever likable. He steals boats, constantly puts others in danger and thinks he is superior to everyone.
The best way I can describe this book is as a very tedious story about an exciting life.
I don't know if it's the extremely slow plot, the lack of character development over the 30+ years or simply dull story telling but I feel like I own textbooks less boring than this...
To be fair to the author, I did read a version without chapters which I'm not used to, and which probably didn't help. Also, it's pretty old... But I have to rate it from my experience, no?
Thinking about it - I honestly think I'm a little generous with two stars and based on my experience I would not recommend this book (not as entertainment at least. It's great for falling asleep).
I don't know if it's the extremely slow plot, the lack of character development over the 30+ years or simply dull story telling but I feel like I own textbooks less boring than this...
To be fair to the author, I did read a version without chapters which I'm not used to, and which probably didn't help. Also, it's pretty old... But I have to rate it from my experience, no?
Thinking about it - I honestly think I'm a little generous with two stars and based on my experience I would not recommend this book (not as entertainment at least. It's great for falling asleep).