A review by peachachu
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

2.0

Good God I thought this book would never end. An overall tolerable read that could've stood to be about half as long as it actually was. Though there's an incredible and unnecessary level of detail present, none of it created a vivid visual image of what Crusoe was doing or what life was actually like alone on an island for 28 years. Things got a lot more interesting once other characters started getting involved, which unfortunately doesn't happen until roughly the last third of the book. I suppose it's worth a read for anyone curious about the original castaway novel, since its core basis is so intriguing and has inspired so many other "Robinsonades." For that this book hovers around the 2.5 star mark for me.

(Also, anyone who wants to argue you can't judge an old book by its racism, homophobia, sexism, etc etc can fight me. I certainly can and will, and this book is no exception. Regardless of its literary value, listening to Crusoe's insipid air of white superiority certainly sucked a great deal of enjoyment out of it for me. It's just a personal preference to not have my literature littered with bigotry, which is much of the reason I heavily prefer contemporary works.) Okay, rant over.