“… we never see the true state of our condition till it is illustrated to us by its contraries …”
Called to the sea, Robinson Crusoe defies his parents wishes and joins a ship’s crew. His first few voyages are successful, although there was one where he ended up being a slave for a few months before escaping – with his own slave in tow. He ends up buying a farm in Brazil and settles down for a while before heading out to sea again – to join the slave trade. The boat is shipwrecked and he is the lone survivor on an island. As the days turn into years, he realizes that his chance for rescue is very slim and he focuses on creating a life for himself on the island.
My husband and I are reading through some classics together and Robinson Crusoe was our first one for this year. We would read a few chapters each week and then talk about them on the weekend – our own mini-book club. While we thought parts of the books were interesting, we’re hoping to read a book with a more interesting and active plot next.
Robinson Crusoe ends up finding everything he needs on his island – food, goats, turtles, fire, clay, building materials and water. He salvages as much as he can from the shipwreck, so he has guns and gunpowder as well. He keeps track of the days, reads the Bible and keeps a journal. He even builds a boat, but lack the courage to take it more than around the island. He comes to terms with his solitude just as he finds footprints on beach during an exploration. Once he sees other people visit the island, he must start choosing what his final path with be – stay or go?
While Robinson Crusoe might be interesting in a classroom setting, the high writing style combined with a lack of emotion from Robinson Crusoe made this a hard book to enjoy for casual reading. I’m glad I had someone to talk to about the book, otherwise, I may have put it down for a long time. I plan to watch the movie based on the book to see if watching the story is better than reading it.
What is your favorite classic book? Least favorite? Share on the blog!