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Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Audiobook13 hours

Robinson Crusoe

Written by Daniel Defoe

Narrated by Ron Keith

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, was Defoe's first novel and survives as his best-known work. Loosely based on a true account of a Scottish sailor-Alexander Selkirk-it is a tale of one man's fall from grace and progress to redemption. The account of Crusoe's life, scratched out with rationed indigo ink on a dwindling supply of paper salvaged from the hull of a wrecked ship, speaks eloquently of the tenacity and ingenuity of the human spirit.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 22, 2011
ISBN9781461810018
Author

Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe was born at the beginning of a period of history known as the English Restoration, so-named because it was when King Charles II restored the monarchy to England following the English Civil War and the brief dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell. Defoe’s contemporaries included Isaac Newton and Samuel Pepys.

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Reviews for Robinson Crusoe

Rating: 3.8449612403100777 out of 5 stars
4/5

129 ratings79 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I'm not a Woke but the number of times that the N word is used in this book can only be comparable to the number of times Ice-T say the words F... in one of his songs from the 90's. It's shocking how our ancestors treated other beings, human or not, like dirt, inferior and not deserving of God's attention.
    This book could be ok if well written but because is not, it deserves, in my opinion one star.
    It's just a demonstration of how European civilization in the 18th century lived and thought. In a very disappointing way.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love this classic tale. I pick it up occasionally and read it again; it always feels like I am meeting an old friend once more.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the best young adult books ever written. Deserted islands and shipwrecks started with Dafoe.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The reading was excellently done, I just didn't care for the content of the book. It's a product of it's time, and at least to me, no longer relatable to this time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story begins with the universal quest: the young man in Britain, torn between his safe home and his hunger for adventure, breaks away from his loving father and sails away into the unknown. After a series of harrowing escapes, he's shipwrecked on a desert island. His lively first-person account shows how his intelligence and education help him survive for many years, and how he uses technology, including guns and tools salvaged from the ship. He sets up home, reads the Bible, finds a parrot as a pet, and even devises a calendar to keep track of time. Then one day he finds a human footprint: "Was it someone who could save me and take me back to civilization? Or was it a savage who landed here?" When some "savages" arrive in several canoes, he uses his guns to get rid of them, and he rescues one of their captives, a handsome fellow with very dark skin. Delighted to have a companion at last, Crusoe names the newcomer Friday (since Crusoe found him on Friday).
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    It had that part with people eating people, I didn’t like that part at all. But I liked the part when he got married.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I just reread this book, and it is amazing to me that it is as relevant today as it was when it was written in the late 1600's! I think sometimes people are expecting this to be an adventure story, but truly it is the theme "man vs. himself." Robinson Crusoe has to come to grips with the fact that his choices got him to the point he was in life, good or bad. Loved it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Being banished from civilization because of what it seemed to be a curse, Robinson tried to build everything again in a very distant little world, the island. His path to the freedom is described in this book in which Robinson tell us his completely accidented life.
    When you think that solitude is the worst enemy... think again. Maybe the island is not as uninhabited as it seems.
    Tales of land and sea danger. Reflections about the man being away of his civilization. Madness and sanity.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Adventure n'that. With parrots and goats. A really good read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read this, expecting to know the story, since it is a tale told all over the world. Was happily surprised to feel the pace of Crusoe's routines, and all the details of everyday life only made the story more believable. Wonderful read. Read Robert P. Marzec's "Enclosure, Colonization, and the Robinson Crusoe syndrome" parallel with Defoe's book - very interesting analysis. Text published in "boundary", 2:29:2, 2002 (Duke Uni. Press).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Telling the incredible story of a man shipwrecked for over two decades, Robinson Crusoe is part adventure, part fantasy, and part conversion story. Much of the story actually deals with Crusoe's coming to real faith in God along with various descriptions of how he manages to survive over two decades alone. The last part of the novel reflects the mores of the time, where class distinctions were much more defined. Crusoe's relationship with Friday would be quite offensive today, but appears completely logical and natural in the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Move over Survivor and Castaway here is the original. I loved this book. Hearing about his years on the island and how he became self-sufficent was very interesting to me, which I would have thought listening to someone spending a quarter of a century alone on a deserted island would get old and teadious it did not. The book really slowed down for me when he finally got back to civilization.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Robinson Crusoe is shipwrecked on an island after his slave ship runs aground. The rest of his crew soon die and Robinson is left to fend for himself. Robinson soon encounters a group of savages, one of which he befriends and names Friday, and the two work in tandem to get themselves off the island.Defoe’s work provides opportunity for various topics of discussion, ranging from the power of religion to the reconciliation of cultural differences. It is also an excellent book for examining the development of the English language, as the writing style is quite a bit different than most of the texts your students may have encountered.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Robinson Crusoe is the original 'deserted on an island' story. It has everything you could hope for, except perhaps the beautiful island princess. Crusoe seems from the start to be doomed for misfortune. He says it himself, that after his first disaster at sea when his ship sinks in a storm, that he should have headed straight back to his parent's home and perused another way of life. But something drove Crusoe to the sea. His misadventures had only begun with the sinking of his first ship. HE finds himself taken captive and serves several years as a slave. When he finally escapes it seems that Crusoe's troubles are over. He sails to Brazil with his savoir of a captain. The captain takes Crusoe under his wing and helps Crusoe establish himself and learn the ways of trade and life in the Brazils. Crusoe is able to build a life for himself and amasses a fine amount of land and wealth. He is unable, however, to resist the opportunity to make even more money in the slave trade. It is on this expedition that Crusoe is famously ship wrecked and begins his 27 year stay on the island. The majority of the story tells of his industrious life on the island, making caves and groves of trees respectable habitations, as well as many adventures in exploring island. It is on one of these explorations that after 20 years on the island Crusoe discovers he is not the only human to use the island. In fact, the island is used by none other than cannibals from the mainland! Many adventures ensue from this discovery. Ultimately, through a delightful twist of fate, Crusoe is able to save a captain's life (just a captain had saved his so many years ago) and return to his old way of life. Though there is not much in the way of dialogue, this book keeps a pleasant pace and engages the imagination of the reader.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My dad gave my twelve-year-old nephew a copy of Robinson Crusoe and told him that he ought to read it. My nephew is a reluctant reader and never got very far in the book. After reading it this week, I can see why.Robinson Crusoe was a tough read for me. You know the story, of course. Crusoe, against his parents’ wishes, heads out to the sea and ends up a slave. He escapes from slavery only to later return to the sea and become shipwrecked on an island. How he manages to survive is a fun read. And he does survive, despite a lack of water and food and companionship, despite hurricanes, despite cannibals. The daunting vocabulary and the lengthy sentence structure make this a challenging read for a child.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've loved this story since my teens. The illustrations by Fritz Kredel are nice full-color plates.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have never read a book like Robinson Crusoe. The ambiance of the book is only enhanced by both the time period it was written in as well as the books significance. Robinson Crusoe is one of the very first novels, and set a benchmark for other books to come. I had my doubts about this book. Upon initial visual judgment, I thought this book would be too long. Knowing when the book was published, I assumed Robinson Crusoe would bore me, as did Wuthering Heights (no offense I love the song. Without the book there wouldn’t have been the song). Then I started to actually read the book. It was ok. The storyline at the time seemed all too familiar. Some young fellow ignores his, or her, parent’s wishes and goes gallivanting off only to face a series of challenges that eventually lead him/her to some sort of revelation. Than again, one must considered that this was the “original” novel, for which countless stories used as their basis. Also, I wasn’t too found of Mr. Crusoe, who seemed a bit too focused on his own dreams. Furthermore, I felt that Robinson Crusoe lacked a great deal of depth. However, the more I progressed, the more I began to see; the hidden meanings, the important ones. Religion, the “human condition”(we were born to be our own destroyer), and justice are a few themes that this novel weaves into its pages. Survival obviously became the centerpiece. I love survival. I’m all for “Man vs. Wild”, “Survivor Man”, and “Cast Away”. Naturally, I found the latter part of the novel very appealing. Seeing Robinson Crusoe survive and persevere would lead me to appreciate the character. He earned my respect. I would love to give you examples of exactly how he earned my respect, but I don’t want to ruin the book for you. The call of the wild will always be a part of me, as it became a part of Crusoe. Through the many page of Robinson Crusoe, I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t until I finished the book that I realized how great of a milestone this book was. Without a publication date printed on it, I would have taken it as an early 20th century novel. It turns out that this book is much older. However, it manages to present new ideas.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not the gripping tale I had hoped it would be.My father had warned me that I might find Robinson Crusoe too simple in light of my recent Brontë adventures, and he was right - the writing is skilful, the plot adequate, but I was left unmoved.Written in the style of a diary (with a few unnecessary extra layers of diary-writing), the book follows Robinson Crusoe's misadventures at sea, from running away from home, joining a ship to Africa, being enslaved, escaping, sailing to Brazil, becoming a rich land-owner and becoming ship-wrecked while on a slave-gathering journey. We then follow twenty-something years of how he fends for himself on an uninhabited island (which seems to be remarkably abundant in everything he might need), and how he finally makes contact with savages and escapes from his island.Robinson himself is well-educated and therefore frames his thoughts eruditely, but there is little to like or dislike in his character - he is simply there. And alone.Maybe one needs to be male to appreciate/understand/enjoy this novelSomething I learnt in Germany: Management, Robinson Crusoe style, is just waiting for Friday.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book to me was both an epic adventure and a deeper look into the soul of an individual. It had both the survivalist type adventure, as well as the introspection of someone who finds themselves in an unimaginable situation. At first he refuses to believe in what is happening, then he moves into the realization that it is inevitable, then he adjusts again and can't concieve of the possibility of the change he has been dreaming of.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a tale of redemption and a man learning to become thankful under the most trying of circumstance. After not heeding the advice of his father or other warning, Robinson Crusoe is stranded on a deserted Island. After struggles in setting up a home, he becomes violently ill and for the first time calls out to God for help. It is form this point that Crusoe realizes that while he may be stranded that the others have gone to their grave. He also realized that God is a God of grace, and that is while he is still alive. Later as he encounters Friday he realized that one of his primary purposes is to spread the gospel to Friday. As he teaches Friday his own faith continues to grow and become deeper. The inner struggles are what make the tale and have made it a favorite among many such as Teddy Roosevelt and John Adams. While I am not in the same category as these men, it certainly remains a favorite of mine through many years.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I have never experienced thing like Crosoe.His ship goes down, and everryone dies.Crusoe is on island.If I am on island by alone, maybe I cannot live.After reading this book , I thought I should live strongly like him.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    For a book that's so famously about being shipwrecked; an awful lot of time is spent on other bits; Crusoe's being taken by pirates, sold as a slave, escaping and starting a plantation in Brazil, and being attacked by wolves on a trip across Europe are all vignettes that get quite a bit of attention. Perhaps it was my own preconceptions, but I really felt that the other parts were filler, and would have been edited out if the book was being published today.On the other hand, if it was being published today, you would really want to cut out a big slab of shipwreck time. Twenty-four years is an awfully long time to go without seeing another human being, and even if Robinson did have nothing better to do, I'm not sure that you can really buy into his ability to cast pottery, tame goats, plant farms, and build his pair of residences quite as efficiently as he did. One tends to wonder if he couldn't have simply built a foundry, cast engine parts, made a motor boat and sped happily off into the sunset. The long period of forced seclusion does provide a good background for Crusoe's religious conversion however, which is probably the raison d'etre for the book's existence. The occasional references to the Papist religion occasionally also are a jarring reminder as to how close on the heels of the Protestant reformation this book was really writen.Wading through the entire book is probably something best left for true reading aficionadoes, as it is quite the wade. It would be fun to see an abridged version for kids that covered the pirates and wolves as well as cannibals. Not sure if there is such a beast, but I bet kids would like it. Too bad Defoe never managed to work any ninjas in there though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A brilliant book that set the standard for the Desert Island Genre. It's a classic, and a great read for both adults and children, much better than endless Enid Blyton I read at that age.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This always an excellent book. I always enjoy listening to it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I may be the only person who has read two books by Daniel Defoe, neither of them Robinson Crusoe or Moll Flanders. Decided to finally remedy that. It may be heretical to say, but Robinson Crusoe feels more like a historical curiosity than a great novel. If the Odyssey or Bleak House were published for the first time today they would be considered masterpieces. If Robinson Crusoe were published today one would think the action was somewhat lame, the character's psychology implausible, and the novel lacking in a coherent structure, especially as manifested by the ending, not to mention the books racism and imperialism.That said, it as a very worthwhile historical curiosity and it is hard to imagine it not having been written and it is generally enjoyable to read,. The first quarter is a series of adventures culminating in Crusoe being stranded on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean. The last quarter is another series of adventures, not just his escape but -- oddly continuing to adventures like being attacked by wolves while traveling overland from Portugal to Northern France.,The middle half of the book is the timeless story of Crusoe's 27 years on the island, starting with his meticulous efforts to save as much as possible from the ship and continuing through his becoming increasingly productive through agriculture and livestock rearing, much of it described in minute and fascinating detail. Crusoe himself, however, is a stock character who has no psychological depth, no depth of emotion about his situation, and often has attitudes that seem implausible for someone stranded alone for more than twenty years.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very good voiceover. The story itself is a staple of its time. Robinson Crusoe is a very selfish character who clearly expresses an average Englishman at the time set. Quite educationally historical if you ask me. Definitely worth a listen.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Much talk to tell a story, gets boreing , sometimes temped to skip. Which I am loath to do as I figure something has to be interesting soon and then would miss only thing making the read worth while. But this guy is a suffer to read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Intellectually, I can see why this is a good book and why it remains a proud member of the Western canon. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to finish this. The prose is dry, Crusoe himself makes me want to bang my head repeatedly against a wall, and religious conversions always make it on to my top ten list of LEAST favorite things I like to see in my fiction. All in all, I get it. It's a classic. It's the first novel. It's important to our literary heritage. But that doesn't mean I want to read it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Robinson Crusoe was bored with his quiet life in England,so desided to go sea.But one day,his ship overturned and he reached the uninhabited island alone.This book is very interesting. I was impressed by his caurage. I think I want to be brave person like him.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This has a lot going for it: adventure, creativity, plus it's one of the first books of fiction in English. There is a downside though, in that the English can be a bit difficult to parse.