Reviews

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

melissahoward's review

Go to review page

4.0

I read this book repeatedly when I was young and loved it. I am now reading to my girls.

Tonight we read:

"How curious it seems," remarked Earnest, "that God should create hurtful animals like this."

"To our feeble and narrow vision many of the ways of the Infinite and Eternal Mind are incomprehensible," I replied. "What our limited reason cannot grasp, let us be content to acknowledge as the workings of Almighty power and wisdom, and thankfully, trust in that "Rock," which, were It not higher than we, could afford no sense of security to the immortal soul."

dixiet's review

Go to review page

2.0

Couldn't get through more than the first 100 pages, try though I did, for days. The language is so antiquated and stilted, the attitudes so dated, that I just couldn't finish it. I know it's an awesome story and I'll always love the film, but I'll just stick to the film from this point on.

khadijah3's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark medium-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? It's complicated

1.0

lyssa_books's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review

Go to review page

By page 74 it was still just a laundry list of each day's discovery of new items from the island, or items recovered from the wrecked ship. No plot, no adventure. This may have passed my standards for a good read (probably not), but the thing that made me press the delete button on the Kindle with particular fury was the way in which Father Robinson was so damn knowledgable about every aspect of "savage" lifestyles and survival tactics. I mean, what middle-class clergyman from the Alps knows the exact proper way to halve a tropical gourd? Is it likely that this late-18th century minister from a mountain climate knows that a particular tree from a tropical climate can be used for making sewing thread, and also exactly how to make a navigable boat out of 8 barrels and a bunch of wrecked plywood? It strained the very limits of my suspended disbelief to the snapping point, and snap they did.

Delete from Kindle.

ynchgwn_99's review

Go to review page

adventurous informative slow-paced

3.5

njdewitt's review

Go to review page

hopeful informative lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

noahh's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

bbkate's review against another edition

Go to review page

Nothing happens! I really wanted this to be interesting, but it’s just this man and his oldest son going back and forth to a ship wreck whenever they need something while “the mother” waits for them to come back. Bleh.

gracemurphy24's review

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

3.0