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Robinson Crusoe (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

by Daniel Defoe (Author) "I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, tho' not of that country, my father being a..." (more)

3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Longman; Rev Ed edition (16 Feb 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0141439823
ISBN-13: 978-0141439822
Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13 x 2 cm

Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 110,317 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#14 in Books > Fiction > The Classics > Defoe, Daniel

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Product Description

With Robinson Crusoe, Defoe wrote what is regarded as the first English novel, and created one of the most popular and enduring myths in literature. Written in an age of exploration and enterprise, it has been variously interpreted as an embodiment of British imperialist values, as a portrayal of 'natural man', or as a moral fable. But above all it is a brilliant narrative, depicting Crusoe's transformation from terrified survivor to self-sufficient master of an island.

About the Author

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) had a variety of careers including merchant, soldier, secret agent, and political pamphleteer. He wrote on economics, history, biography and crime but is best remembered for his fiction, which includes Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll Flanders (1722) and Roxana (1724). John Richetti is Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an expert of 18th-century literature and has published widely on the subject.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, tho' not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull: He got a good estate by merchandise, and leaving off his trade, lived afterward at York, from w Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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	84% buy the item featured on this page: Robinson Crusoe (Penguin Classics) 3.6 out of 5 stars (13) �4.10
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Survival by Thinking and Doing, 26 May 2004

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Robinson Crusoe (Penguin Popular Classics) (Paperback)

Robinson Crusoe is best taken at two levels, the literal adventure story of survival on an isolated island and as a metaphor for finding one's way through life. I recommend that everyone read the book who is willing to look at both of those levels. If you only want the adventure story, you may not be totally satisfied. The language, circumstances, and attitudes may put you off so that you would prefer to be reading a Western or Space-based adventure story with a more modern perspective.

Few books require anyone to rethink the availability and nature of the fundamentals of life: Water, food, shelter, clothing, and entertainment. Then having become solitary in our own minds as a reader, Defoe adds the extraordinary complication of providing a companion who is totally different from Crusoe. This provides the important opportunity to see Crusoe's civilized limitations compared to Friday's more natural ones. The comparisons will make for thought-provoking reading for those who are able to overcome the stalled thinking that the educated, civilized route is always the best.

One of the things that I specially liked about the book is the Crusoe is an ordinary person in many ways, making lots of mistakes, and having lots of setbacks. Put a modern Superhero (from either the comic books, adventure or spy novels, or the movies) into this situation, and it would all be solved in a few minutes with devices from the heel of one's shoe. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I liked the trial-and-error explorations. They seemed just like everyday life, and made the book's many lessons come home to me in a more fundamental way.

Have a good solitary trip through this book!

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Open your eyes., 14 Oct 2006

By	P. J. Muldoon (U.K) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Robinson Crusoe (Penguin Popular Classics) (Paperback)

Just a quickie. Some of the above reviews remind us of how slow and boring this book can be and how repetitive. Well, guys, that's the point. How exciting do you suppose being stranded alone on an Island can be? What would you do to pass the time? Defoe takes us back to a time before T.V etc. Your day would be boring, although eventually menial tasks save ones sanity. Time does pass slowly as it looses relavance. It's not a classic for nothing.

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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect an all out adventure!, 9 Aug 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Robinson Crusoe (Penguin Popular Classics) (Paperback)

Robinson crusoe must be one of the most instantly recogniseable and well known characters ever portrayed in fiction. The basics of the story - Crusoes desertion on a desert island, battle for survival and eventual triumph over adversity, appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds. Yet the archaic writing style can detract from the classic adventure story, as can the lack of real action. Instead the book comes across as a story of human resiliance and spirit, the fact that it is apparently based on the real life experiences of a stranded sailor make the story all the more remarkable. Thought to be the first "novel" ever published it is understandable that the writing does not flow in the same way as contemporary fiction, but the overall sophistication of Defoe's ideas is pleasantly surprising in the context that he HAD no contemporaries to influence him or compare to.

It is the romance of the story line that holds him in our collective consciousness and draws new readers to this book in their droves, but to read it as an adventure story of the "Treasure Island" mould is to miss the point, and will inevitably dissappoint. However, read it as a commentary on humanity and it is immensely valuable and enjoyable.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars amazing story spoilt only by small print size
this is a wonderful story, definitely amazing value for money but next time around i would spend a little more and buy a version with a larger print size, it is very crammed hence... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Mr. Alan Currie

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
I am not quite sure what the other reviewers of this text expected from the world's oldest English novel. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Mr. S. M. Rogers

4.0 out of 5 stars An island paradise
We all know about Robinson Crusoe, or at least we think we do. We know about the shipwreck and the years alone on the island and the footprint in the sand and "Man Friday"... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Melmoth

4.0 out of 5 stars Lengthy, but worth it
The original Robinson Crusoe story is said to have been told by an old sailor in a dark bar in Bristol, and said to be his own. Read more

Published 16 months ago by E. Falaise

3.0 out of 5 stars A worth read
If able to conquer the cold, unfeeling person that Robinson Crusoe is, you may find this book an enjoyable read. Read more

Published 20 months ago by Will Springthorpe

1.0 out of 5 stars Lots To Read But Not Much to Enjoy
Robinson Crusoe has one really appealing story line but not such an appealing writing style. Defoe writes as if you are being told the story by another huuman being. Read more

Published 20 months ago by M. Culmer

3.0 out of 5 stars Part Ray Mears Bush Craft, Part Religious Meditation
Acknowledged to be one of (if not the) first novel, the unexpurgated version of Robinson Crusoe is nothing like the childrens' book that most people grow up with. Read more

Published on 14 Nov 2007 by quippe

3.0 out of 5 stars Traditional and factual. Hard to complete comapared to modern novels
Robinson Crusoe is claimed to be one of the first novel's written in English (1719) and is a fictional autobiography of a man who is from a very average family in England at... Read more

Published on 23 Jun 2007 by Shyne

2.0 out of 5 stars The repetition reminded me of religious books!
I’m about halfway through this book and it is really boring and long winded. There is an incredible amount of repetition to point in which you stop being interested. I. Read more

Published on 13 Jan 2004 by Mr. Brown

3.0 out of 5 stars Long winded but interesting from a humanitarian viewpoint
I found this book really dragged. Crusoe never really has any exciting adventures until way into the book. Read more

Published on 23 Nov 2000 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley

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