2/4/2013
Hello from the A to Z. Love your review. I’ll bear this in mind, should I ever be tempted to pick it up. đ
Nice to meet you!
Hi Kaye – thanks for your comment! It was a bit of an odd review really, doing it thought-by-thought, but I thought I’d give it a go! đ
Good luck with your A-Z! x
I had to read Robinson Crusoe for a class at university. I think I managed a couple of chapters before giving up. I still managed to write an exam answer on it though!
Haha well done for getting that far, Rebecca! I don’t blame you… And I bet you still did well in the exam! x
An interesting goal to set. Wish the best of luck with it, and hopefully you’ll find a few gems along the way. (smile)
I’ve finished the challenge now Tommia – check it out! đ
http://www.misswrite.co.uk/blog/30-before-30
Thanks for commenting x
I’m a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I’m also working on a novel. Still.Â
November 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
March 2021
February 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
January 2020
December 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
August 2018
April 2018
March 2018
May 2017
April 2017
August 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 1970
All
April 2013 Blog Challenge
Baking
Being A Mum
Blog Hop
Books
Campaigns / Charity
Christmas
Competitions
Contemporary Fiction
Craft
Cycling
Ebooks & Apps
Environment
Events
#fail
Films
Fun Life Stuff!
Gifted Reads
Guest Bloggers
Halloween
Holiday Reads
International Women’s Day
Lockdown
My Wedding
My Writing
Out And About
Poetry
Random Inspiration
Rant
Reading
Reviews
Social Media
Treasured Reader
Wedding
Well Being
Well-being
Women Writers
Writing
Writing Tips
Robinson Crusoe – Book Review
Leave a Reply.
Author
Archives
Categories
“After this I spent a great deal of time and pains to make me an umbrella. I was indeed in great want of one, and had a great mind to make one.” (page 172)
Find me online |
|
|
Â
April is month of blogging A-Z for 26 days. #AprilBlogChallenge Check it out!
** B is for a BOOK review ** ——————————— One of my ‘30 Before 30‘ challenges is to read the top 5 books of all time. “Robinson Crusoe“, by Daniel Defoe, is one of these, according to The Guardian. It’s a classic, and I was intrigued by the story as a wilderness lover and an avid traveler. I’d already seen the Tom Hanks film ‘Castaway‘ and didn’t really enjoy it, but could appreciate there’s not a lot you could do with a film about a man spending that much time on his own with only a football for company. How would a book on a similar theme compare, I wondered? Books are better than the film, in most cases… This is my review of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ in a chronology of thoughts as I read through the book. —- First thoughts: Small pages, big text. I should fly through this! There were also no chapter breaks. I wonder, is this a modern invention? I’ve never read an adult fiction novel without chapters before.
Grr. Am annoyed the back of the book told me what the front cover depicts (not very well) – spoiler!
Didnât like it when Crusoe says things like âBut that was 4 years from nowâ when I was only a small percentage through the book. Made me think this book would never end – not great when I was already stuggling!
This book contains so much repetition! Defoe does tend to go on a bit. Point taken, Crusoe. You’re not a great tailor!!! (page 171). The chronology of the text seems off too sometimes. For example:
The stranded man’s pet dog seemed to appear from nowhere. Perhaps I missed something but I don’t think it was sufficiently introduced, yet it had the weight of being featured on the cover. I’m assuming it came from the shipwreck? Maybe I skim read more than I realised… This book is a little like Eastenders. If you miss a few episodes, you can still follow.  Still, I feel like more could have been done to expand on the company the dog provided to Crusoe, a relationship which could bloom.
Looking forward to this bit….. “The hanged pirate”!!!
One thing I did like was how his being stranded on the island is referred to as “being in captivity” or “reigning” over the strange, new land. It creates a great image and concept to brood on as a reader.Â
***SPOILER*** Poor old Mr & Mrs Crusoe. Their never mentions his parents back home. No doubt they were (rightly) worried to death as to where their young son had disappeared to. And RC shows very little in regards to regret or sadness when most of his family have copped it when he does return to the UK.
Story is 275 years old â adventure story back in the 1700âs (savage animals, wild people and lands). A thought occurred to me… what would todayâs equiv be? Space Tourism? Can anyone recommend any good books based on space tourism?Â
Another sign of the times was that RC talked so much about God. Highly reverent, praying and repenting constantly… It got a little old. I wonder how Defoe researched his novel⌠There was no Google or Bear Grylls to advise back in the 1700âs, and travel was the work of explorers or tradesmen â rarely work for a writer!
Ok, give Defoe his dues. The story is very detailed, especially when it comes to describing RC’s homemade accommodation on the island. What an imagination, but he could have done better in my book. No pun intended. Â
Old language â âI lay abed all dayâ â love it! He uses âI learned him to knowâŚâ instead of âI taught himâ, and âcatchedâ is used instead of âcaughtâ, for example. This really reinforced the fact that the book is a real oldie when I was reading it.Â
However, another reason I might have struggled with this book was it is riddled with words Iâd not heard of before (e.g. ADZE â a kind of tool?). I learnt a lot, but it wasn’t enjoyable learning… Yeah, yeah… “Oh, small mercies, thankful to be alive, but why me???” I am sick of hearing Robinson Crusoe bitching and moaning! Just get on with it! There’s also a few moments when Crusoe’s sharing journal extracts with us. The detail he goes into recording his adventures on the island have largely been told already in the story’s text before.Â
I wonder how Crusoe would have survived had the shipwreck not been washed up on shore close to the start of his island adventure with supplies inside?
I have to admit, if this book wasn’t part of my 30 Before 30, I would have given up. DON’T READ THIS BOOK!!! I moved on rapidly. Next, a spy novel!
—-
Check out the rest of my ‘30 Before 30‘ list before you go anywhere! How does it compare to one you’d construct? Lou x Find me on Facebook Images courtesy of Big Fish Games and Corpuss Omnium
Louise
1/7/2015 01:04:38 am
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
|
|
6 Comments