The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Daniel DefoeProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019
Rating 4.7- Word count
- 1.2M words
- Chapters
- 123
Tags
English Originals World Classics Sea ThemePersonal StruggleIsland SurvivalHuman NatureSolitudeGrowing UpSurvival WisdomDiary FormColonial GazeYouth ReadingSummary
Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808) by Daniel DefoeAuthor: Defoe, Daniel, 1661?-1731,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jun 1, 2004Editor's review
This work is Defoe's classic adventure novel written in the first person, telling the long journey of its protagonist Robinson Crusoe, who is stranded on a desert island, survives alone, and eventually returns to society. Its value lies not only in the gripping maritime and survival plot but also in its complex presentation of individual will, the creativity of labor, the relationship between humans and nature, and the mindset of the colonial era. The Project Gutenberg edition is the original English text, whose language carries the syntax and vocabulary habits of eighteenth-century English; reading it offers both the charm of the narrative and a sense of the stylistic features of early English fiction. The detailed descriptions of island life, the reflections on solitude and faith, and the appearance of the character Friday all provide readers with space for discussion at multiple levels. It is suited to slow reading in a quiet setting, and also to use as an introductory original text in English literature or as a classroom discussion text.Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers who enjoy classic adventure novels and desert-island survival themes
- Learners who wish to approach eighteenth-century English fiction through an original English text
- Students who need to read classic texts in English literature or comparative literature courses
- Readers interested in colonial narrative, individualism, and the ethics of survival
Not a good fit for
- Readers who only want simplified versions or Chinese retellings and do not wish to face the original English text
- Readers who expect fast-paced modern thriller narrative and lack patience for eighteenth-century style
- Beginners who need extensive notes and introductions to read English classics
Reading tips
- First read through the main plot; there is no need to look up every unfamiliar word, so as to keep the narrative flow.
- On a second reading, mark passages involving faith, labor, and the colonial perspective, and make thematic notes.
- Use a map or timeline to sort out Crusoe's years on the island and the major events.
- If used in class, organize discussion around the figure of Friday and the power relations of the narrative.
About the publisher
Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.
Contents
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 8
- 9
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- 11
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FAQ
Is this edition in Chinese or English?
According to the information, the book's language is English; it is an English e-book released by Project Gutenberg, and the main text is the original English text, not a Chinese translation.Can I understand it without notes?
The main plot is usually followable, but eighteenth-century English syntax and vocabulary may cause obstacles. It is advisable to keep reading fluently first, then look up words or consult introductory materials for key passages.Is this book suitable for beginner English readers?
Beginner English readers may find it difficult, because the original vocabulary and sentence patterns are older. Readers with intermediate or higher reading ability who are willing to read slowly will find it easier to get into.This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Daniel Defoe Author · British · 1660–1731Daniel Defoe (1661?–1731) was an English novelist, political writer and journalist, and a founding figure of realist fiction in the English Enlightenment. His birth year is recorded variously; the library lists 1660, and he died in 1731. A prolific author, he is represented here by 59 works, the best known being Robinson Crusoe, alongside Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year. His novels often follow individual fortunes and adventures, written in a plain, concrete and realistic style that presents characters' circumstances and choices in unadorned narrative, and his influence on the development of English realist fiction is far-reaching. Commonly classified under inspirational growth, his works are still read today as important accounts of endurance and self-reliance.