Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - Robinson Crusoe

Oh how I wanted to love this book: it is a classic that created the island castaway genre. It was incredibly slow. Half of the book was a dull drone about how much of a wretch he was and how God had saved him or an incredibly long detailed drone about how he made a chair. My eyes glazed over several times trying to read this.

If you like to read classics, go ahead and read it, but don't expect it to be great.

If you want an awesome survival story, skip this and read something else.

Content Warnings

chloe_hazel's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

Content Warnings

bcooper21's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

poirot's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

Content Warnings

madmadmaddymad's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I know it’s from another time in human history but I squirm at how outright racist Robinson is, you’d think that a man living on a desert island would be relieved for any human contact. He never even asked Friday what his name was. Just called him Friday because that’s the day they met and had Friday calling him “Master” like…. Are you kidding? You taught the PARROT your name, for the pleasure of having someone to talk to.

Also, I think it’s strange that he doesn’t meet Friday until more than halfway through. The book is so agonizingly slow before that, because we are alone with Robinson and his thoughts, and I can only be interested for so long in his description of the island and the various chores he takes up to survive alone. It’s like watching the film Cast Away with Tom Hanks (but boring.)

Honestly I only read it because I had a lot of guilt for skipping this one during my literature class in college. I’m not surprised it didn’t hold my interest, back then. I don’t know how I found the attention span to suffer through it, right now.

It’s good, especially for such an old book. I do respect the narrative, and the reflective themes of the prose, but I certainly didn’t enjoy it, and I don’t think it’s groundbreaking or anything.

Content Warnings

lgw3456's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

ioannaanastpl's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

jolyon_l's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Content Warnings

More...