Robinson Crusoe in Classics and the Western Canon

Mar 21, 2014 Clif Hostetler rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

I listened to the audio of this book ten years after listening to the audio of it for the first time. This was done in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Books KC group. The following are observations from this experience:

1. — I was surprised how much I forgot in ten years.
2. — Once I was into a particular story I experienced the faint recall of previous exposure to the story.
3. — I was surprised how many adventures occur before and after Robinson Crusoe's island e

I listened to the audio of this book ten years after listening to the audio of it for the first time. This was done in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Books KC group. The following are observations from this experience:

1. — I was surprised how much I forgot in ten years.
2. — Once I was into a particular story I experienced the faint recall of previous exposure to the story.
3. — I was surprised how many adventures occur before and after Robinson Crusoe's island experience.
4. — I was surprised how late into the book his companion Friday appears.
5. — I had completely forgotten from 10 years ago how moralistic and religious the book is.
6. — Daniel Defoe is obviously a white European of the English Puritan variety writing from the perspective of the early 18th Century.
7. — Robinson Crusoe's establishment of transplanted civilization to the island is a microcosm model of the 18th century view of European colonization of "new" land.
8. — Friday's loyalty to Crusoe models the European expectation of gratitude from the natives for the European's gift of Christianity and civilization.
9. — This book is worthy of being considered a classic considering the context of its time.
10. — The book's assumed acceptance of slavery makes it politically incorrect for today's world view.

This is photo of March 29, 2014 meeting to discuss Robinson Crusoe. The little black object on table was the virtual presence via teleconference of Kip Wiedel, one of the three charter members who met together for the first meeting of Great Books KC ten years ago.

The following is a short review of Robinson Crusoe from the April 2004 PageADay Book Lover's Calendar:

ROBINSON CRUSOE, by Daniel Defoe (1719; Modern Library Classics, 2001). One of the greatest adventure stories of all time. Shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe creates a little paradise for himself on an uninhabited island. The only thing he lacks is human companionship, and that comes at last in the person of an African man whom he first intends to make his slave but who ultimately becomes his friend.

Here's a short review of another book that might be of interest (April 26-27, 2014 PageADay Book Lover's Calendar):
Crusoe: Daniel Defoe, Robert Knox, and the Creation of a Myth, by Katherine Frank (Pegasus, 2012)
In this work of literary sleuthing, Katherine Frank offers a dual biography of Daniel Defoe--who wrote Robinson Crusoe, one of the first great novels, in 1719--and East India Company sea captain Robert Knox, who Frank believes was the inspiration for Defoe's tale. Various theories have been put forth elsewhere, but Frank makes a strong case that Knox, whose personal account of shipwreck and imprisonment in Ceylon is grippingly told here, was the true Crusoe.

The following link is to an excerpt from Slave Empire by Padraic X. Scanlan. It makes the case that the novel Robinson Crusoe was a perfect complement to the aspirations of empire in Britain in the early 18th century:
https://delanceyplace.com/view-archiv... ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Dree rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-read, caribbean, 2015-reads, blooms-western-canon

Robinson Crusoe starts off whiney. And moany. And oh-woe-is-me, and why did I do that?

This is spoiler-ish.

Then he spends 20-odd years alone on a not-desert island. He learns to be alone--except for pets, and a parrot who he teaches to talk, and God. Because of course he finds God and starts studying the bible. It was all downhill from here.

From whiney guy he becomes the King. Because of course a native man will be his servant! And of course his servan'ts father and the random Spanish guy will se ...more

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May 08, 2010 Erin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-lit, british-lit, adventure, 1001-books

Took me FOREVER to get through - I remember finding it boring; I think it put me to sleep a few times. Maybe I was too young for it; required Summer reading for school

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Apr 14, 2008 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Doesn't everyone dream of surviving on a desert island? Isn't that the popularity of Lost? I know there are themes of religion and other heavy subjects, but I liked the practical reality of surviving on a desolate island. ...more

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May 20, 2009 Michelle added it · review of another edition

Shelves: richard-cracroft-s-40-best-british

I read it because Hyrum read it for school. Very interesting! Not a favorite but I'm glad I read it for the classical / historical value. (I choose not to rate it). ...more

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