2.19k reviews for:

Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe

3.17 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Struggled with the writing style
reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sadly just nothing about this interested me at all. which is disappointing for one of the first english novels ever. i wanted to give it more credit for the fact that class discussions have at least been interesting, but i think should give that to my professor and peers and not the book. just so… eh whatever.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

One ofmy favourite classics

I couldn't stand Robinson Crusoe and his colonial way of thinking. And I'm apparently not that interested in survival stories.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

this was kind of a slog to read but will definitely make for interesting discussion. the question is whether we’ll get to discuss what i want to discuss…
adventurous dark sad slow-paced
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: Yes

Robinson Crusoe was enjoyable enough, despite it's proto-novel status. It's easy to see where the author went wrong (by contemporary writing standards); too much accounting for stuff, goats, tobacco, gunpowder, bills of sale, firearms, you name it, and not enough talking about feelings. Yes, there was despair, fear and anxiety, and a few conversations with God, but on the whole, this is a dry affair, saved for the most part by the fact that it's a jolly good adventure yarn with some few moments of ridiculous pomposity, usually disguised as a kind of self-assured over-Englishness and a very improbable ending about armies of wolves and bears.

So I'm glad I finally read it, but I'm also kind of glad that I won't have to read it again. And frankly, Crusoe's ordeal wasn't all that bad, after all he had the spoils of two entire shipwrecks at his disposal, so could count on a decent shirt when he needed one. This increases my respect for Tom Hanks massively.
relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A