Reviews
Robinson Crusoe: Arena Kinderbuch-Klassiker. Mit einem Vorwort von Willi Fährmann by Daniel Defoe
estherdb's review against another edition
1.0
This book I just read because I consider it a classic, but let me just tell you that it DID NOT stand the test of time.
Even before going into this book, I knew that its main message is that the white man with the true religion will conquer all and can bend everything and everybody to his will. But dear lord, this did not prepare me for the high horse that Robinson Crusoe was on.
This white, male supremacy shizzle that filled all 298 pages of my edition was more than my nerves could bear.
And to be honest, Crusoe has not a single reason for being so confident, because as far as life decisions go, his are pretty much the worst I've come across in the realm of fiction. It goes a bit like this:
Dad: You know, son, you should really be sensible and build up a good, decent life in England.
Rob: Nope, I want to be a sailor.
First boat trip ever: huge storm.
Rob: If I survive this, I'm going back to daddy and listen to his good advice.
He survives the shipwreck.
Rob: You know what, I may be cursed for sea travel, but oh what the heck, I'm taking another trip.
Gets taken as a slave, tries to escape, goes to Brazil, bla bla bla. He's got a good life going on, but somebody offers him to go on another trip to go and get soms slaves.
Rob: I've been a slave and know how hard it can be, I've had bad luck with travelling, but whatever... I'll do it!
Gets stranded on an island.
After about two decades, he saves a young man (a "savage" cannibal) from (other) cannibals. Now, after being on your own for about twenty years, you might want somebody to talk to, to make a friend...
Rob: Let's turn this "creature" into a civilised, religious SLAVE! I'll name him after a day of the week, because names are only for real "people". (Again, having been a slave himself and knowing what it's like to be "owned"). Even after being alone for twenty-four years, he still considers every non-English person who doesn't believe in the "true" god an absolute savage moron. Way to make friends, Rob.
Way to be likable.
Saves a captain from his mutinous crew and is heralded afterwards. Captain thanks the "governor" and takes Crusoe back to England (after about three decades on the island).
Then, after some years in England, is persuaded to go BACK to the island on another lovely boat trip. I don't know about you, but after all the bad luck he's had with travelling by sea, I would stay away from ships until my dying breath.
And what about women, you may ask? At the end of the novel, he goes back to "his" island, now colonised by some Spaniards (that he had Friday's father and another Spaniard fetch* from a nearby island) and some Englishmen. He provides them with some provisions and... "I sent seven women, being such as would take them. As to the Englishmen, I promised them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting [...]".
Just when you thought you couldn't dislike dear Rob any more than you already did, he goes and treats women like pieces of cargo and necessary provisions. Lovely.
*The analogy to the command you give a dog is not an inapt one.
And I'm not even starting on how boring this book and - even worse - his blabberings about God and Providence are. I'm not even going to elaborate on that, Crusoe did enough of that already.
Now, it's not just the content that's bad. Let's not be so short-sighted. As far as structure goes, this book fails on all accounts as well. Let me give you an example: shortly after stranding on "his" island, he strips the shipwreck of all useful things. This he blabbers on about for about ten pages. Then, about fifty pages further into the story, he suddenly mentions a dog and two cats that he also got out of the shipwreck and then goes to retell that part of his visit to the shipwreck. This was the first time he ever mentioned said dog. Seriously? You talked about that stupid trip for about ten pages and there was no time to mention it? It's as if, during the writing process, Defoe was suddenly like: "You know what, I want him to have a dog on the island, now wouldn't that be neat. Oh darn, it would've been perfect if he'd found a dog on the ship... But I already wrote that part and I really don't want to rewrite it... Oh well, I'll just plonk it in right... here! Seems legit!"
To make matters even worse, he then completely ignores the dog for the rest of the book, with the exceptions of mentioning that he takes the dog with him on a hunting trip every once in every forty pages and that the dog dies after what is an extraordinarily and freakishly long time for a dog.
This is just one example. Look dude, either the dog is there or it isn't, but it can't be just there when you want it to be.
This brings me to the end of this novel:
"But all these things, with an acoount how three hundred Caribbees came and invaded them, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with that whole number twice, and were at first defeated, and three of them killed; but at last, a storm destroying their enemies' canoes, they famished or destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the island. All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my own, for ten years more, I may perhaps give a further account of hereafter."
When I first read this, I didn't know whether to feel pleased at the novel finally having ended or having been teased by the hints of adventures that I would never get to the bottom of (because I am certainly never picking up the sequel). If this would've been a highly enjoyable book, I would've been annoyed to no end, but considering the drag it was to get through this one, I found - after some seconds of, I promise you, deep reflection - that I simply couldn't care less, but that I still found it a little weak of Defoe to end the novel as such.
Farewell, Crusoe, may we never cross paths again.
Even before going into this book, I knew that its main message is that the white man with the true religion will conquer all and can bend everything and everybody to his will. But dear lord, this did not prepare me for the high horse that Robinson Crusoe was on.
This white, male supremacy shizzle that filled all 298 pages of my edition was more than my nerves could bear.
And to be honest, Crusoe has not a single reason for being so confident, because as far as life decisions go, his are pretty much the worst I've come across in the realm of fiction. It goes a bit like this:
Dad: You know, son, you should really be sensible and build up a good, decent life in England.
Rob: Nope, I want to be a sailor.
First boat trip ever: huge storm.
Rob: If I survive this, I'm going back to daddy and listen to his good advice.
He survives the shipwreck.
Rob: You know what, I may be cursed for sea travel, but oh what the heck, I'm taking another trip.
Gets taken as a slave, tries to escape, goes to Brazil, bla bla bla. He's got a good life going on, but somebody offers him to go on another trip to go and get soms slaves.
Rob: I've been a slave and know how hard it can be, I've had bad luck with travelling, but whatever... I'll do it!
Gets stranded on an island.
After about two decades, he saves a young man (a "savage" cannibal) from (other) cannibals. Now, after being on your own for about twenty years, you might want somebody to talk to, to make a friend...
Rob: Let's turn this "creature" into a civilised, religious SLAVE! I'll name him after a day of the week, because names are only for real "people". (Again, having been a slave himself and knowing what it's like to be "owned"). Even after being alone for twenty-four years, he still considers every non-English person who doesn't believe in the "true" god an absolute savage moron. Way to make friends, Rob.
Way to be likable.
Saves a captain from his mutinous crew and is heralded afterwards. Captain thanks the "governor" and takes Crusoe back to England (after about three decades on the island).
Then, after some years in England, is persuaded to go BACK to the island on another lovely boat trip. I don't know about you, but after all the bad luck he's had with travelling by sea, I would stay away from ships until my dying breath.
And what about women, you may ask? At the end of the novel, he goes back to "his" island, now colonised by some Spaniards (that he had Friday's father and another Spaniard fetch* from a nearby island) and some Englishmen. He provides them with some provisions and... "I sent seven women, being such as would take them. As to the Englishmen, I promised them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting [...]".
Just when you thought you couldn't dislike dear Rob any more than you already did, he goes and treats women like pieces of cargo and necessary provisions. Lovely.
*The analogy to the command you give a dog is not an inapt one.
And I'm not even starting on how boring this book and - even worse - his blabberings about God and Providence are. I'm not even going to elaborate on that, Crusoe did enough of that already.
Now, it's not just the content that's bad. Let's not be so short-sighted. As far as structure goes, this book fails on all accounts as well. Let me give you an example: shortly after stranding on "his" island, he strips the shipwreck of all useful things. This he blabbers on about for about ten pages. Then, about fifty pages further into the story, he suddenly mentions a dog and two cats that he also got out of the shipwreck and then goes to retell that part of his visit to the shipwreck. This was the first time he ever mentioned said dog. Seriously? You talked about that stupid trip for about ten pages and there was no time to mention it? It's as if, during the writing process, Defoe was suddenly like: "You know what, I want him to have a dog on the island, now wouldn't that be neat. Oh darn, it would've been perfect if he'd found a dog on the ship... But I already wrote that part and I really don't want to rewrite it... Oh well, I'll just plonk it in right... here! Seems legit!"
To make matters even worse, he then completely ignores the dog for the rest of the book, with the exceptions of mentioning that he takes the dog with him on a hunting trip every once in every forty pages and that the dog dies after what is an extraordinarily and freakishly long time for a dog.
This is just one example. Look dude, either the dog is there or it isn't, but it can't be just there when you want it to be.
This brings me to the end of this novel:
"But all these things, with an acoount how three hundred Caribbees came and invaded them, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with that whole number twice, and were at first defeated, and three of them killed; but at last, a storm destroying their enemies' canoes, they famished or destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the island. All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my own, for ten years more, I may perhaps give a further account of hereafter."
When I first read this, I didn't know whether to feel pleased at the novel finally having ended or having been teased by the hints of adventures that I would never get to the bottom of (because I am certainly never picking up the sequel). If this would've been a highly enjoyable book, I would've been annoyed to no end, but considering the drag it was to get through this one, I found - after some seconds of, I promise you, deep reflection - that I simply couldn't care less, but that I still found it a little weak of Defoe to end the novel as such.
Farewell, Crusoe, may we never cross paths again.
floppytelex's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lucyscandalo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
wandering_zero's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
freddyfinch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lululewin's review against another edition
4.0
The writing in this book is dated to say the least, written more like a diary than a book but it is a classic concept and done very well. I really enjoyed it.
almartin's review against another edition
2.0
via course 15, which I am (very) slowly working my way though.
Pretty thoroughly unimpressed with Robinson Crusoe. Presumably someone, somewhere can explain why this one has been canonized, but I'm at a loss. There is some generally pleasant thematic stuff in there about gratitude and humility before god, but nothing so poetic or profound to balance out the 200-odd pages of monotonous Notes on Island Horticulture. The coda was really the kicker for me - 28 years on an island, and literally no thoughts at all about integrating back into society? Instead we get a dramatic man vs. wolf showdown in the mountains of france? Not impressed.
Pretty thoroughly unimpressed with Robinson Crusoe. Presumably someone, somewhere can explain why this one has been canonized, but I'm at a loss. There is some generally pleasant thematic stuff in there about gratitude and humility before god, but nothing so poetic or profound to balance out the 200-odd pages of monotonous Notes on Island Horticulture. The coda was really the kicker for me - 28 years on an island, and literally no thoughts at all about integrating back into society? Instead we get a dramatic man vs. wolf showdown in the mountains of france? Not impressed.
jonny_buijze's review against another edition
1.0
My rating system is based entirely on my personal enjoyment of a book, and I know classic literature should not be read through contemporary eyes, but... yeesh. Through the run-on sentences (sometimes over half a page's length), racism, the constant learning, unlearning, and then re-learning of the same three lessons, the arrogance of the main character, the last ~15 pages of the book having nothing to do with the actual plot (Friday fights a bear? ...okay?) and the RACISM this book was the biggest chore to read I've ever had. And yes, racism is to be expected in books that were written this long ago, but in this book said racism was central to the plot.
maceye23's review against another edition
4.0
I tried to read this book a few years ago, but I couldn't get through it because I thought it was boring. I gave it another go though, and I loved it! I thought it was a pretty amazing book.