Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
This is another children's adaptation of Robinson Crusoe published around the same time as James Baldwin's better-known [b:Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children|285840|Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children|James Baldwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347621067l/285840._SX50_.jpg|277328] (1905). Both were composed by professional (and American) educators, but this one is aimed at a younger audience. McMurry and Husted specify grades two and three, whereas Baldwin's seems targeted more at ages 10-12. Though both leave out Crusoe's adventures before and after the island (such as his period of enslavement by the Moors and trek with Friday across the Pyrenees), this version does include the rescue of Friday's father and the Spaniard, which Baldwin's does not. There is also a sentence at the end that depicts Friday making the conscious choice to leave with Crusoe rather than return home, as opposed to expecting the reader to just take it for granted that of course he would abandon his family and people for more "civilized" lands.
The cannibalism and language referring to "savages" and whatnot remain, however. I know I keep reiterating this in all my Crusoe reviews, but the Carib Indians (Friday's identified nation in the original text) were not cannibals. There has no been archaeological evidence found anywhere in the Caribbean and the surviving Caribs on Dominica state they have no oral history of such practices. The whole thing is a lie propagated by Columbus after the Spanish Crown specified only natives who were cannibals could be enslaved and exploited. Encountering this portrayal time and again in both the 1720 original and adaptations made over the subsequent two hundred years really puts into perspective how long the global regime of white supremacist imperialism lasted.
A third version called [b:An American Robinson Crusoe|1396888|An American Robinson Crusoe|Samuel Buell Allison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348463262l/1396888._SX50_.jpg|1387059] was published in 1918 by a Chicago school superintendent.
The cannibalism and language referring to "savages" and whatnot remain, however. I know I keep reiterating this in all my Crusoe reviews, but the Carib Indians (Friday's identified nation in the original text) were not cannibals. There has no been archaeological evidence found anywhere in the Caribbean and the surviving Caribs on Dominica state they have no oral history of such practices. The whole thing is a lie propagated by Columbus after the Spanish Crown specified only natives who were cannibals could be enslaved and exploited. Encountering this portrayal time and again in both the 1720 original and adaptations made over the subsequent two hundred years really puts into perspective how long the global regime of white supremacist imperialism lasted.
A third version called [b:An American Robinson Crusoe|1396888|An American Robinson Crusoe|Samuel Buell Allison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348463262l/1396888._SX50_.jpg|1387059] was published in 1918 by a Chicago school superintendent.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Not what I initially imagined the story to be, but very interesting nonetheless.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up this book because I remembered loving the NBC show "Crusoe." Unfortunately, this was one of those rare cases when the TV adaption was better than the original.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, this book was a struggle. Many others have reviewed it better than I but in short it is a book which is hard work because of its pacing and style. Being an 18th century work I fully expected some rambling but the most annoying features were that the narrative is all over the place with the character constantly repeating himself in the first half of the book. Thus potentially interesting bits of the story are missed out and other duller pieces over elaborated upon. There were moments when I was more absorbed such as how he builds his shelter and as soon as Friday turned up at least it was more of a narrative (although he's only in the last quarter of the book).
There are also the problematic attitudes of the time as you'd expect which mean it has quite a different impact now than it would have done. After all he's wrecked on a voyage where he's headed to enslave people so I had no sympathy for him. I have to confess I also cheered when HR got food poisoning from bludgeoning a turtle.
Also once he's rescued the book just won't stop and I skim read the bits with wolves which added nothing to the story at all and simply highlighted the views of the time towards wild animals (see Friday tormenting a bear when it was minding its own business).
All in all a slog and not a rewarding one
There are also the problematic attitudes of the time as you'd expect which mean it has quite a different impact now than it would have done. After all he's wrecked on a voyage where he's headed to enslave people so I had no sympathy for him. I have to confess I also cheered when HR got food poisoning from bludgeoning a turtle.
Also once he's rescued the book just won't stop and I skim read the bits with wolves which added nothing to the story at all and simply highlighted the views of the time towards wild animals (see Friday tormenting a bear when it was minding its own business).
All in all a slog and not a rewarding one
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racism, Xenophobia
Ugh. This dragged on for a million years. Wait. Was it only 28? It felt like a million.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense