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A review by ehindmon
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I want to start by saying I am not going to judge a book written in the 1700s by today’s standards and expectations of the treatment and equality among people. I am judging this book solely on whether it’s well-written, good character development, and a worthwhile plot.
The writing quality is excellent. I have no quibbles about Defoe’s word choices, grammar, or general sentence structure. I did not think it necessary to have the part where we the reader are essentially reading Crusoe’s journal entries about what we were JUST TOLD HAD HAPPENED. It was a pointless and repetitive section. It slowed the plot considerably to have to relive all the things that we had already read. It was like a summary of the narrative to that point, but was not at all necessary.
I felt like Crusoe does not grow much as a person from his experiences, other than becoming much more religious. At the end of the book, Crusoe isleaving England and his CHILDREN to go on yet another adventure. He is a man with wanderlust that, despite it never working out all that well for him, continually wants to wander. He learns nothing in that sense, about how maybe it’s a good idea to just be happy with what you have? Stay put?
The plot is pretty slow. However, when there is action, it is suitably action-packed and adventurous. The plot is slowed down by needless repetition, both with what I mentioned above and the fact that we hear over and over of what he eats or does on any given day, despite it being the same as what he ate or did the day before.
This could have been a shorter book, been more concise and therefore it would have felt more action-packed with a better flowing pace. It also would have been nice to see Crusoe change as a person in more ways than just in his religiosity.
The writing quality is excellent. I have no quibbles about Defoe’s word choices, grammar, or general sentence structure. I did not think it necessary to have the part where we the reader are essentially reading Crusoe’s journal entries about what we were JUST TOLD HAD HAPPENED. It was a pointless and repetitive section. It slowed the plot considerably to have to relive all the things that we had already read. It was like a summary of the narrative to that point, but was not at all necessary.
I felt like Crusoe does not grow much as a person from his experiences, other than becoming much more religious. At the end of the book, Crusoe is
The plot is pretty slow. However, when there is action, it is suitably action-packed and adventurous. The plot is slowed down by needless repetition, both with what I mentioned above and the fact that we hear over and over of what he eats or does on any given day, despite it being the same as what he ate or did the day before.
This could have been a shorter book, been more concise and therefore it would have felt more action-packed with a better flowing pace. It also would have been nice to see Crusoe change as a person in more ways than just in his religiosity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child death, Blood
Minor: Sexism, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol