Rating: 
Summary: The Goods and the Bads (re-posted)
Review: Description:
A middle-class Englishman rejects the comfortable lifestyle his station offers him in favor of a life of adventures. In the midst of adventuring, he is shipwrecked, alone, on a deserted island, where he lives for almost thirty years. The book is a first-hand account of his leaving England, his adventures, his years of isolation, and his return.
The Good:
Many schools of thought call Robinson Crusoe the first English novel, and it's interesting to see where the nowadays ubiquitous genre has its origin. Reading from Crusoe's perspective gives the book most of its interest, as it enables you to see the way a slightly rebellious Englishman thought (or, at least, the way Defoe assumed a slightly rebellious Englishman thought) about issues like the Spanish conquest of America, the "savages," and the bare necessities of life.
The Bad:
The text is repetitive and extremely preachy, especially when Crusoe finds religion and waxes philosophic about what being miserable really is. These phenomena are somewhat interesting the first time around, but Crusoe (Defoe?) never risks saying something only once. Many parts of it verge on the unbelievable, like when the shipwrecked sailor discovers a miraculous tree that grows quickly and sturdily wherever he puts it, which he then uses to build thick, living walls around his home. Some of the scenes that should be exciting fail to be because the language of the early 1700s doesn't lend itself well to action.
The Verdict:
It's an interesting work, but by no means a must-read. Crusoe is very self-centered throughout, which makes you wonder about whether his character is fit to function as a representative example of man left to the elements or not. Reading about how he goes about constructing a life for himself is interesting, but it lacks something because, well, it isn't true. What we're really reading is how Defoe imagines a man might build a life for himself, given the handicap of certain supplies left from his ship, etc. The book is, I think, very much a product of its time, and that's its most interesting quality. If you're looking for an interesting story of a man shipwrecked on an island, watch "Cast Away." If you want it from a slightly dry, 18th-century British perspective, you've got the right book.
Rating:
Summary: Unhurriedly Pragmatic Adventure Story
Review: In the literary world it is perhaps blasphemy to say a bad word against Daniel Defoe's most acclaimed novel. So here goes. The fact that the book was originally titled The Life And Strange Surprising Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe illustrates the major flaw in Defoe's literary form. Put simply, this would be a far more interesting and gripping story were it not so superfluously lengthy. The author makes a habit of repeating himself, especially when it comes to the act of dispatching kittens, which seems to be more of an obsession here than octogenarian ladies are to MatronsApron. It is difficult, you may think, to keep the subject matter fresh when describing the daily tribulations of a fellow stranded on an island for thirty years, without occasionally repeating yourself. True, but perhaps a straightforward solution to this diminutive quandary would be to simply truncate the duration of the story. There are some wonderfully intriguing and suspenseful moments, and some juicy action to boot, but sadly these are gratuitously diluted by lengthy descriptions of the unremarkable everyday goings on in Crusoe's life, and rather than serving to build up the suspense, they merely obstruct the reader's relationship with the more exciting parts of the story.
However, those with more patience than my ignorant self will find in Robinson Crusoe a delightful tale, which as well as being a fictional documentary of the most unusual thirty years of Mr. Crusoe's life, also has time to ponder upon philosophical and theological ideas, in a style that makes the reader feel as if they are involved in the conflicts between the functionalist and cynical thoughts going on in Crusoe's mind. It may not be a gripping white-knuckle adventure, being rather more leisurely and acquiescent, but it is still rather easy to see why Robinson Crusoe is regarded by some as one of the greatest novels of all time.
Rating: 
Summary: Felt like a college assignment
Review: Robinson Crusoe was my book club's choice for June. Only 2 out of the 12 of us stayed with it and read it. Crusoe indeed did live a fascinating life, but it is told in the most boring, tedious manner. Defoe's style of writing is dry and unemotional. I did remind myself the book was written almost 300 years ago, and was fresh and different from other novels written in the 1600's. I have read many wonderful tales of wilderness survival: Island of the Blue Dolphin, Hatchet, and The Cay, so my expectations were high. Defoe spends too much time on mudane daily activities and not enough on Crusoe's feelings. Most of the "juicy stuff" of interest happens in the last 1/4 of the book. I wish I had spent my time reading The Great Illustrated Classic version, this book desperately needs paring down.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book for those who love to imagine
Review: Robinson Crusoe was one of my childhood favorites, and rereading it as an adult was just as enjoyable as ever. As many have already pointed out, it is definitely a book for the detail-oriented reader--not for those looking for lots of fast-paced adventure. Nevertheless, there is plenty of adventure in the book. I did find the book somewhat uneven, with some parts having a repetitive bent, others flowing smoothly, and others being so rapidly told that you almost lose track of what's happening. All that said, I love the book for its careful description of how he makes out on the deserted island, and all of the ingenious ways in which he builds things, makes implements for farming and cooking, guards his home(s), etc. Its almost disappointing when he leaves the island halfway through the book, and there is a lull in the adventure. But it picks right up again and continues with more of his adventures around the world, including a brief return to his island. Perhaps the book is unrealistic in parts, but that is what makes it so fun for imagining. It is also fascinating to see his character develop, as he faces moral and religious dilemmas, and matures as he ages. Altogether, this book is very enjoyable, but you have to be a patient and detail-oriented reader to appreciate it.
Rating:
Summary: An adventure, but different than you might expect
Review: The author of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe, is generally credited with being one of the first novel writers in the English language. The book is surely an influential one-- spawning countless imitations, derivations, and (in our era) reality-based television shows.
It is billed, quite fairly, as an adventure story. However, it is a very different kind of adventure than the modern action-sequence laden book which readers today may expect. It is an adventure story, but one which centers primarily on mastery and morality.
The morality is placed centrally in the book when Crusoe rejects the advice of his father to accept the happiness of the middle class life to which he was born. Against the wishes of his family, he runs off to sea to find adventure. It is not until Crusoe literally recreates a primitive approximation of that middle class life for himself on his island that he is freed.
Crusoe is also a story about the ability of mankind to master his surroundings through hard work, patience, and Christianity. The combination of these three supports are what allow him to escape captivity in Africa, overcome the deadly obstacles on the island, and finally leave the island itself. His physical prowess and combat skills are significantly less important to his journey than the message of trust and persistance that the decades he spends on the island convey. While this message might need tempering for the modern reader, it is also inspirational and important to read.
If the potential reader is not used to the diction of the time, the book itself may take some patience and persistance. It pays off, in the end, and should be an excellent book for the young teenager (or the not-so-young grown-up) interested in stories of adventure. The child who reads and enjoys My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George would probably be a good potential audience for Robinson Crusoe. For a good life-at-sea duo, you might consider pairing it with Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana.
Rating: 
Summary: High literary and historic value but aged entertainment
Review: The world knows of and has been inspired time after time by the story of ROBINSON CRUSOE, but how many people have read it in recent generations? I went back to it as part of my ongoing effort to fill in the gaps in my English major background. I found some surprises.ROBINSON CRUSOE was billed as a boy's adventure in my youth. In college, Defoe's MOLL FLANDERS was on the syllabus and RC was only mentioned in passing though it is arguably attributed as the first English novel. The culture into which Defoe introduced RC was driven by a confident, literate middle class that eagerly consumed real life adventure and crime stories. Attempting to tap into that audience and achieve the quality of a true story, Defoe introduced the elements of verisimilitude and a first person, middle class narrator to fictional writing. He was, in his lingo, seeking to tell the truth through a lie, which stands as the guiding principle for fiction. The psychological development of the protagonist is brilliant and the description of setting and events are vivid. Not only does reading RC take us back to the Ur-moment of the novel form, it is a magnifying glass on the history and social issues of the 16th and 17th centuries. The lifespan of RC's freshness for readers probably ended with my generation, the baby boomers. We were the first to possess across social and cultural lines enough information of the world to know that what RC claims to have found on the island is purely imaginative and that the concepts of slavery and the superiority of the white European are unacceptable. Cannibalism and realistic foraging for animal-based food are rarely considered fun entertainment nowadays, neither are the unenlightened methods RC deploys for controlling the cat population he introduced to the island. Although the Harry Potter series lured children back to thick books, I don't think today's youth are prepared for Defoe's lengthy narration and extensive vocabulary, clean and fluid as they are.
Rating:
Summary: A Tale that has achieved folklore status.
Review: This book has reached folklore status in that it is probably more known than read. Everyone knows about the shipwrecked sailor who survives by relying on his own ingenuity. But, this is only a part of the story. The real story is about a man who survives and prospers, whatever the environment, through hard work, intelligence, tenacity and faith in his God. It is an entertaining novel that also teaches. Certainly not just a children's tale. It is a complex moral novel that happens to tell a good story.
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK GIVING A THOROUGH INSIGHT ON REALITY
Review: This critique is on Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. The story is about a young man, Robinson Crusoe, and his journey from a rich life in England to being a mariner and eventually being stranded on a remote island for twenty-eight years. The book is based on the true story of a mariner named Andrew Selkirk, who was also stranded on a remote island for five years. This book is a great example of the realism movement. Defoe talks about real life and its hardships, instead of writing fiction, in which everything is made up and is manipulated at the author's discretion. Defoe is also telling us to believe in ourselves, to have strong willpower, and listen to our parents. I think the novel gives a great insight on reality, and how hard real life is. It makes us think about the hardships of life and gives us the notion that we should explore our talents and have faith; that way we will succeed. Robinson Crusoe is the son of and English merchant who chooses the life of a mariner rather than become a lawyer as his parents wanted. After going against his parent's whishes and becoming a mariner, Crusoe suffers a number of misfortunes at the hands of Barbary pirates and the elements. Finally Crusoe is shipwrecked off South America. He salvages needful things from the ship, and manages to survive in the island. During his twenty-eight year two months and nineteen days stay, Crusoe finds out the many qualities he possesses. With the help of his innovativeness Crusoe adapts into his alien environment. After several lone years he sees a strange footprint in the sand. The footprint turns out to be that of cannibals and their prisoners. One of the prisoners manages to escape. Crusoe meets the frightened man names Man Friday. Finally an English ship bound to England rescues them. "Robinson Crusoe" is an expressive piece of writing. It is written using an English dialect. The narration of the novel is simple and is in the first and third person since Crusoe is telling only what he experienced. The tone is serious. There are no places in the novel where Crusoe is joking or laughing. The theme of the novel is most probably that we should believe in our capabilities and ourselves. We should never underestimate the powers that we possess. This is best portrayed when Crusoe learns how good he is at carpentry, pottery, construction, and baking. Crusoe never knew he had those capabilities. It was only after he tried and kept on trying that he succeeded in cultivating himself. He wanted to survive, and had the willpower to do so. Defoe also tries to tell us that we should listen to what our parents say. If Crusoe had listened to his parents, and become a lawyer, then he would not have to go through the harsh ordeal. When Crusoe is first shipwrecked, he is mad at himself for not listening to his parents. I totally agree with Defoe and the things he addresses in the book. We should believe in ourselves, because if not, then we cannot survive. People who do not believe in themselves, who think they are low and cannot do anything, never make it. They are the ones who fail in life because if you do not believe in yourself then who will? It is not easy to live in today's world. One has to fight for his or herself. No self-confidence means no success but all out failure. If Crusoe did not believe in himself, then he would have died within days of being stranded on the island. We should have the willpower. If a person just does something without taking any interest, then are they going to do that thing right? Are they going to get anything out of it? The answer is no. But Crusoe had the willpower to survive. He used that strong willpower to learn how make his own furniture, bake bread, hunt, build a house, make clay jars. One of the most important ideas discussed is listening to our parents. Throughout the novel, Crusoe repents and asks himself why he did not listen to his parents. He knows that if he had, then his situation would not be what it was. Nowadays, some people tend to disregard what their parents say, thinking that they know what is best. But we have to remember that our parents are more experienced and they know what they are talking about. I strongly believe in this point. I have at times not listened to my parents, and suffered the consequences. Defoe's novel is a great example of one's life can take a turn for the worst. We must keep that in mind. This novel has allowed me to explore my own capabilities and inner strength. After reading the novel, I think anyone will gain more self-awareness, and give heed to what Defoe is trying to say. "Robinson Crusoe" is novel about the realities of life, and how we should counter them. Defoe vividly describes the positive and great impact of self-belief and strong willpower on our lives, and also the negative impact of not heeding to our parents advice. I totally agree with Defoe on his generalizations of life. This book makes me more self-aware of myself, and has allowed me to explore the talents and capabilities I possess as well as my inner strengths. Defoe has written a masterpiece which will have a great impact on generations to come.
Rating:
Summary: Great language and characterization
Review: This is not a novel for those who like quick action and a lot of dialogue. Robinson Crusoe is superbly written, and tends to draw out the events, with a great deal of imagery provided in order to describe everything with minute details. Seeing as to how this is one of my favorite novels, I have read Robinson Crusoe probably about six times, in more than one language. My favorite aspect of this novel is the language in which it is written. Defoe's ability to make every word worth reading is enough to captivate and ignite the imagination. I do not think that if you like fast-paced novels that you would enjoy this masterpiece, but it is a matter of personal preference. If you enjoy well-developed character, then Robinson Crusoe's character is one worth devoting your time to. Defoe creates a human being, with faults and flaws, as well as dignified qualities. Robinson Crusoe is truly worthy of emulation, and is one of the greatest-developed characters in a work of literature. I recommend this novel to anyone who is willing to take the time to read every sentence and who is not so impatient as to expect action to appear on every page of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Being a classic does not mean that you will enjoy it
Review: This is one of those books in which I feel that those who give it one star are right on the point, as well as those who feel that it is a masterpiece. It is obvious that almost none of us knows what sort of interpretations will receive in the year 2560 a novel written in 1990 and held in our time, by both, popular opinion and literary circles, as a msterpiece. Maybe future readers will feel that is a bunch of rubish and that the nature of the character is not that of the hero but that of an obnoxious artist. The same way some people see today Robinson Crusoe as a repelent friend of slavery. Judging the moral merits of a novel more than 300 years after it was written is sort of futile because we can not demand from the author to be attuned to the cultural beliefs, world views, literary technique and metal structure of today's reader. But all the critics of whether it is fun to read or not, are perfectly valid, since being entertained is powerful reason to pick up a book at any time in history. Now, for me Robinson Crusoe is a great book because it can be read at several levels, that is for some people is just the story of a guy stranded in an island. For others is a parabole about the reediming power of the faith. Some see an existencialist struggle between the freedom of the individual versus the complex workings of society and not few percive a shameless propaganda for white supremacy and slavery, and will gladly have the book banned as compulsary reading in schools. The fact is that by the end of the XVII Century, a writing of this characteristics was unknown, nobody wrote like that. Such spark of originality is recognized and deserves attention, because it creates a turning point in the history of literature. If for today's reader is fun to read or not, that is really another issue. As you will see for many of Amazon.com's reviewers the answer is quite extreme between the opposites of 1 and 5 stars. I invite you to know why.
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