The Return of Robinson Crusoe

by Henry Treece, Will Nickless (Illustrator)

In a projection of Daniel Defoe's masterpiece, Henry Treece sets the mechanism of romance to work, once more involving Crusoe in a series of adventures. In his search for lost pirate gold, Crusoe goes with Friday to the islands of the Antilles where he hopes to uncover a fortune left there years before and to restore it to King Willy. Many obstacles overtake him, though ultimately he is successful and returns to England minus Friday, who has been claimed as chieftain of his native island. Henry Treece, whose historical novels have established him as a writer of distinction, does exceedingly well in his portrayal of the seventeenth century. Imagination and scholarship combine here to provide a background which is at once accurate and exciting. Unfortunately, from the point of view of pure fiction, the novel never quite approaches the excellence of that masterpiece on which it is based, though it does manage to tell a good adventure tale and to tell it well. - Kirkus Review

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1958

About the author

Henry Treece (1911-1966) was a British poet and writer, who also worked as a teacher and editor. He wrote a range of works but is mostly remembered as a writer of children's historical novels.

Reviews

[MK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edit to add review, after finishing:

This was a cute sequel to Robinson Crusoe, although it has pretty much nothing in common at all with the actual sequel that Defoe wrote ;-). In a lot of ways, it is a more fitting sequel. I enjoyed reading it. The story seemed to better fit with the original story, and I liked the fate of the characters a bit better :).

One thing that struck me as soon as I started it, was that it began in a way eerily reminiscent of the sequel Ballantyne wrote to his island castaway story, The Coral Island. Ballantyne's sequel was The Gorilla Hunters, and just like Treece's sequel, it began with the narrator, many years after the first story closed, sitting in an arm chair in his study, being interrupted by (landlady, in one case, Friday, in the other) the announcement of the arrival of a surprise visitor. In each case, the person telling the narrator of the visitor, does not approve of the appearance of the visitor. I wonder if Treece did this on purpose? Maybe he was as much a fan of The Coral Island as he was of Robinson Crusoe :-).

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(Copied this, b/c there's no description for the book on the goodreads card)

From the inside flap:

When Abel Juniper comes to Robinson Crusoe's prosperous Yorkshire estate and outlines a plan for equipping a ship to recover the treasure buried by the dead pirate Captain Morgan, Crusoe's native caution is swept aside, not only by dreams of fortune, but also by the memory of exhilarating days under sail and of long shores tossed by the creamy foam of green breakers. Accompanied by his faithful Friday, he fits out the sturdy Esperance and sails from Bristol with a crew of old salts conveniently provided by Juniper. An unexpected reunion with his brother Tom heightens his pleasure at being back at sea. But not for long!

For the crew, so easily enlisted, are soon revealed to be the last survivors of Harry Morgan's cutthroats, who plan to seize the treasure for themselves.

Crusoe, Friday, and Tom are drugged and set adrift in an open boat. A half-mad cabin boy is tossed in with them for good measure. Tortured by thirst and merciless sun, they make their way to an island, only to discover that it is inhabited by cannibals. Captured and tightly bound, the three men despair. But Crusoe's keen wits, Friday's savage heritage, and Tom's medical background stand them in good stead.

Behind the story of their escape, their efforts to find treasure, and the defeat of the mutineers is a story of conflicting loyalties and painful decisions. Devotion to different kings alienates the brothers, Friday's worship of a different god and his sense of responsibility toward his own people threaten to separate him from Crusoe. And pride and stubbornness prevent an easy resolution.

Henry Teece tells this exciting sequel to The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe with the skill that won praise for his Viking's Dawn, The Road to Miklagard, and Men of the Hills.

Jacket design by
H. Lawrence Hoffman


(my note - the cover here on goodreads doesn't match the jacket cover on this book)

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This extremely obscure sequel to Robinson Crusoe was written as an adventure story for children (I would classify it as Middle Grade) in 1958. It's mostly a lot of action involving pirates and cannibals. (The poor Caribs just can't catch a break.) While overall too juvenile for me, I have to say this is THE best portrayal of Friday I've ever come across. Not only does Treece actually get his ethnicity right (he's indigenous South American/Caribbean, but is often depicted as black; I've also seen New Guinean and South Pacific Islander) but he explores what it must have been like for him to live in England, which I thought was a huge oversight on Defoe's part. Treece also gives him an actual culture (including a real name!) and a whole life and identity that doesn't involve Crusoe. So extra points for that.