A review by madmadmaddymad
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

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. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings