Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - Book Review

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Genres: Classic, Historical Fiction

     I am an eclectic reader. There aren't many books that I don't like, but this book I just could not get into at all. It was a chore to read and I felt that I was just plodding on to finish it. I was very tempted to not finish it at all.

     First of all, Robinson Crusoe is a preachy bible thumper, when it suits his purpose. He is quick to judge others, but doesn't hold himself to the same standards. At one point he stops and thinks that it just would not be Christian to slay the cannibalistic savages who have done no harm to him personally. That it is up to God to judge them. Yet later in the book, when different strangers approach, he and his group just starts killing them with no apparent confrontation to proceed this action. While I am not over religious, I don't mind the occasional theological reference or theory, but the apparent hypocrisy in this story just really chafed me.

Robinson Crusoe - First Impression

     I'm not enjoying this book as much as I thought I would. I have finally put my finger on what bugs me though. It's the imagery, or lack of actually. I guess mainly Daniel Defoe doesn't describe the scene very well is my main complaint. I feel as thought I'm half blind as many times I will be reading along and BAM! something is suddenly mentioned. What horses? Where did the horses come from? They were on horseback this entire time? I had thought they were on foot, he usually is. Or maybe he was normally on horseback, the author just hadn't any reason to mention it before. There are several instances of this and I find it so hard to get into the story when I just can't picture in my mind's eye what is going on.

     I also find Robinson to be a complete snob. He is stuck on an island, whining that he has no one to converse with, at the first possibility of another man on the island he thinks, oh good I can make him my servant. Seriously? When he had been captured and made a slave, he escaped at the first opportunity, then turned around and sold the boy that had escaped with him. He sure didn't like being a slave but he didn't mind others being sold. I realize slavery wasn't a social issue, like it is today, when this book was written but that aspect seems very hypocritical to me.