rae_2009's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
carlyroth10's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book a while ago, but it was so good I still remember every detail! It is a lower reading level book, but it's a good book to take a break with.
Rate: 5
Rate: 5
lisamt's review against another edition
5.0
Way too violent. They killed practically everything they met.
amymd729's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
A Survivalist’s bedtime Fairytale.
ksimons's review
2.0
Can’t believe I actually finished! The last chapter was worth the other 50+ boring chapters. Definitely taking a break from classics after this lmao
charlibirb's review against another edition
2.0
So.... This book is dated with no character development and no character. Bleach. Also, I don't know of a country where lions, tigers, bears, wolves, elephants, platupuses, porcupines, bison, tapirs, hackles, hYenas, onigers, ostriches, penguins, and flamingos all live together. Run into an animal? Shoot it or tame it in days! Jeeeeeasus, nothing goes wrong for these people!
rodakor09's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
elinacre's review against another edition
3.0
man, if ol' mr. robinson were around today (and if he were, ya know, real), he could kick some seeeerious butt on "survivor"! he'd have his tribe living in a flipping mansion with fountains and gardens, an entire menagerie of animals domesticated, a fleet of various boats whipped up... anyway. i paused countless times to google various animals and plants and locations referenced in the book; i'm curious to see how their story comes alive in a movie (or tv show? is there a show? i feel like i should know this...).
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
2.0
It feels wrong to dislike a classic book so much, but there was not much personal enjoyment to be found within The Swiss Family Robinson.
What I Liked
There is a heart of adventure about this novel. I remember reading as a young child a much-abbreviated Great Illustrated Classic edition that emphasized a few of the biggest events from the book. I was enraptured by the idea of a shipwrecked family forced to survive on their own in a new and foreign world, finding all sorts of beautiful animals and building houses in the trees.
What I Didn't Like
No matter how long ago this book was written or how famous it is now, I can't reconcile the fact that it is so unbearably unrealistic. Nobody gets ill or injured (beyond very minor instances) in the entire ten years they live on the island. They never go through a trial that lasts longer than a few hours. They never go hungry or suffer from exposure. Each experience serves as a brief moral lesson before they move on to their next happy task on the abandoned island. On top of this, the father seems to know all things about the wilderness. He can identify all sorts of animals, plants, and tools, although he certainly is no explorer. He has a baffling, endless supply of factual knowledge and wisdom.
Have you ever seen the television show called Naked and Afraid? A pair of skilled survivalists are sent to an exotic place for 21 days. While the Robinson family were able to carry back personal items from the wrecked ship, they also never experienced the challenges that someone would actually face in their situation. While experienced survivalists struggle desperately to find any source of food at all in a new place, the Robinson family is overflowing with not only more meat than they could ever eat, but they also are able to tame all sorts of animals with only a single attempt..
The descriptions of daily survival are long and become a little monotonous. I hate that I was so disinterested in the story of the Swiss family Robinson, but perhaps I will one day give my children an abbreviated, illustrated edition to read instead.
What I Liked
There is a heart of adventure about this novel. I remember reading as a young child a much-abbreviated Great Illustrated Classic edition that emphasized a few of the biggest events from the book. I was enraptured by the idea of a shipwrecked family forced to survive on their own in a new and foreign world, finding all sorts of beautiful animals and building houses in the trees.
What I Didn't Like
No matter how long ago this book was written or how famous it is now, I can't reconcile the fact that it is so unbearably unrealistic. Nobody gets ill or injured (beyond very minor instances) in the entire ten years they live on the island. They never go through a trial that lasts longer than a few hours. They never go hungry or suffer from exposure. Each experience serves as a brief moral lesson before they move on to their next happy task on the abandoned island. On top of this, the father seems to know all things about the wilderness. He can identify all sorts of animals, plants, and tools, although he certainly is no explorer. He has a baffling, endless supply of factual knowledge and wisdom.
Have you ever seen the television show called Naked and Afraid? A pair of skilled survivalists are sent to an exotic place for 21 days. While the Robinson family were able to carry back personal items from the wrecked ship, they also never experienced the challenges that someone would actually face in their situation. While experienced survivalists struggle desperately to find any source of food at all in a new place, the Robinson family is overflowing with not only more meat than they could ever eat, but they also are able to tame all sorts of animals with only a single attempt.
Spoiler
The father finds an onager, attempts to mount it, and after a few moments of struggle, it's forever tamedThe descriptions of daily survival are long and become a little monotonous. I hate that I was so disinterested in the story of the Swiss family Robinson, but perhaps I will one day give my children an abbreviated, illustrated edition to read instead.
polaris_7's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
yeah this version is way better, just as i remembered from my childhood