I love Crusoe! The book is great
930540
I love Crusoe!  The book is great!  It shows and describes many of Crusoe's adventures, highlighting his many personas.  Crusoe's first-person commentary is hilarious!  Guaranteed to bring smiles galore!
3315402
I am replacing my first book as I loaned it to a friend who loaned it to a friend and then forgot who she loaned it too.  I read the book twice and want to read it again, it is a great book about old Florida that is vanishing.  I wish someone would make it into a movie.
2022032
This is one of those classics that a lot more people know about, and even have opinions about, than have read it.  And somehow I'd missed reading it up till now, myself.  I found it surprisingly readable -- after all, it was published in 1719, in archaic English, and it is notoriously tedious in its repetitive and detailed accounts of Crusoe's planting and other activities to sustain himself on his island.  The detail is almost Thoreau-like, in its accounting of barley-planting and harvesting, bread-making, etc.

You could read the story as a straight-forward adventure.  How does Crusoe come to be marooned?  How can he sustain himself, for over 20 years, most of it alone, on the island?  How will he survive against the native cannibals on other islands?  Will he ever escape the island?  All good stuff, and it helps to make the book more of a page-turner than you might think.

But another way to look at it is as a kind of (fictional) memoir of personal growth, from the perspective of an early 18th century Englishman.  Defoe himself was bound for the ministry as a young man, but changed course.  His character, Crusoe, abandons not the ministry itself but the normal course of life set out for him by his family.  He leaves home at a young age, against his father's wishes, and sets out to sea.  He wanders through adventures along the Africa coast before his fateful trip across the ocean to "the Brasils".

Crusoe's life on the island begins with self-pity, but he undergoes both a spiritual and psychological awakening -- one that inspires him to the hard work and strong mind that support his many years alone on the island.  At first, this awakening is a kind of religious conversion, and Defoe revisits that theme of the lone man's relationship with God throughout the book.  But it comes and goes, self-consciously in the writing.  Defoe does not fall into a simple story of reliance on faith to get Crusoe through his ordeal -- to a great extent, it's Crusoe who gets Crusoe through his ordeal.  In fact, there is a consistent ambivalence toward faith throughout the story right to the end, excepting Crusoe's initial spiritual awakening.

The story can be read as a kind of externalization of the path of self-development that anyone growing into adulthood must take.

The role of Friday was a little surprising to me.  Mainly, what's surprising is how late in the story Friday arrives.  It's hard not to comment on Crusoe's treatment of Friday, how Friday pledges his service to Crusoe after Crusoe has rescued him from (other) cannibals, and how Crusoe first teaches Friday to call him "Master". Much of this has to be seen as a reflection of an early 18th century outlook, including Crusoe's conversion of Friday to Christianity.  It has all the feel of assumed superiority, myths about the spiritual depravity of native peoples, and all the rest.  No excuses for any of that.
673059
I simply love anything that has to do with Literature and Jules Verne is one of my favorite authors and this edition is terrific. I do not like too much the Kindle Book thing, but I am aware that is sort of an ecological tool to prevent the extinction of our forests, even though it also creates pollution. Anyway, just read it. The drawings are superb!
1866092
This is my favorite book of all time, so I had to give it five stars. That said, I was disappointed to realize after purchasing it that I can't read it on my Kindle Classic! I didn't know that before purchasing. If I had, I probably wouldn't have bought it. It does work on my iPad, though, and is as wonderful, moving, and though provoking as ever. If you've never read the book before, please buy this. Just please make sure it's compatible with your device before purchasing!
282794
Crusoe the celebrity dachshund book was very uplifting. It is an easy read intertwined with beautiful photography and stories of his adventures. I highly recommend this book it is definitely a family read and a dog especially dachshund lovers read as well. Thanks Crusoe can't wait for book number two.
3656627
I've been reading for the better part of seven decades, and have to say that books like this are rare finds. The price makes it even better, but I have paid much more for far less entertainment. Thank you, Andy, for crafting this stirring story of a "Robinson Crusoe on Mars". Inventive, detailed, but more than that, nail-biting in the most enjoyable way. Great characters, excellent pacing, and well-written with regard to spelling, grammar and style. I also will be looking forward to future efforts!
3606999
This is one of my favorite books. I like the way the story begins like the surf. Successive waves lap the pages as the story is told and then retold. I like the prominence of Providence. I like the admonition of virtue. I like the layers of irony found in a story whose fictional protagonist warns the reader of the vices which landed him in the calamitous situations of the story that interested the reader enough to read the story in the first place. Perhaps someday keeping the commandments will be as compelling a story as breaking them is.

It is nice that the rest of the Crusoe "trilogy" is getting a little easier to find... I haven't read the third, pseudopigraphical one yet.
2.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Farther-Adventures-Of-Robinson-Crusoe-Being-The-Second-And-Last-Part-Of-His-Life-And-Of-The-Strange-Surprising-Account-Of-His-Travels-Round-Three-Parts-Of-The-Globe/dp/0548263469/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Farther Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe: Being The Second And Last Part Of His Life, And Of The Strange, Surprising Account Of His Travels Round Three Parts Of The Globe</a>
3.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Robinson-Crusoe-Serious-Reflections-During-the-Life-and-Surprising-Adventures-of-Robinson-Crusoe-With-His-Vision-of-the-Angelic-World/dp/1151188913/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Robinson Crusoe; Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, With His Vision of the Angelic World</a>
3436608
Sometimes when you're alone and need something  to pass the time, books like Robindon Crusoe would suffice. After hear ding about Blue Lagoon I had to give it a wirl. I thouroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it for most ages of readers. It may have some things not suitable for younger audiences. Overall though, it's a great book and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
3910386
I love Sci-Fi movies and TV shows, but this is the first Sci-Fi book I've read on my own and not for college/high school purposes. I have to admit, I loved it. The author, Andy Weir, is able to create a relatable quality to the main character despite his VERY unrelatable situation. The way he illustrates problem solving, humor, humanism, despair, and wit make Astronaut Mark Watney feel like an everyday guy who is just stuck in an extraordinary situation. It is a classic tale of perseverance in the darkest of times. Very Robinson Crusoe & Castaway-ish. I am looking forward to seeing the movie, and I hope it does this book justice.
456984
Great book. I thoroughly love it!! One friend said he didn't love it, but I think it was great!!
372845
So while m/m bestseller lists usually disappoint me more often than not, I actually sometimes get really enjoyable surprises from NY times bestseller list and this book was for sure one of them.  Basically I think it is correct to call this book a modern Robinson Crusoe , but I think even closer comparison would be "The mysterious island" by Jules Verne. Those of you who read the book (I read it I do not know how many times over couple decades) know that while it is a story of friendship and survival, the author describes their work on many different things in great detail. And same here, although it is done in scifi settings - if you do not enjoy a person with scientific mind actually running up the math about how much of square feet he can use to grow potatoes, how to make more water, etc, you won't like this book, I cannot stress it enough.

I am not a science geek, not at all, but I love this stuff being explained to me and I think author for the most part made it really fun and easy to understand. Mark is very likeable, and while he is not cheerful all the time (I am surprised he managed to be cheerful at times), there were funny moments I loved. Of course the author gives him some initial help (there are some basic supplies left at the station because initially the whole team was supposed to stay on not just Marc trying to survive), but hey the heroes of "The mysterious island" had some help too - does not diminish lots of work and creative thinking they did.

This is also a story of NASA and the rest of the planet really trying to save Mark. Hey I loved reading about the best of humanity - it was believable and pleasant I won't deny. I hear about the worst of humanity often enough.

Four stars because while very few at times my eyes did  glaze over some computer and science stuff.
1195087
I love this book, and I haven't even finished it yet.  I'll admit I'm biased, as I know the Grenadines well and have long been fascinated with the traditional watercraft.  But anyone can appreciate the way Pyle develops his story, with a low-key humour that bubbles through the text.  Good pics too. The chapter on whaling is fascinating.  Straight out of Moby Dick! A thoroughly good read.
3065534
Robinson Crusoe is a great book and tells how a man with motivation can survive and stay civilized.  Great writing, story, and content.
3262508
I am an island freak and have loved Defoe's Robinson Crusoe story every since I was a kid.

The author, Tim Severin, is an accomplished writer and historian and in "In Search Of Robinson Crusoe" he may have penned his best work.  Drawing from the historical record of the same era, {and his own extensive travels,}  that excited Daniel Defoe's imagination, Mr. Severin weaves a masterpiece of the story tellers art about real life seafarers... all of which could have been right at home in Defoe's book.  All in all this is a great read.  You will want to return to regularly to recharge your wanderlust and fill your head with thoughts and memories of people and places far away and long ago.  They will continue to live on in the pages of this finely honed adventure classic.  The hardcover edition now takes its place in my own library... never to collect dust.
3609344
I have a fervent hope that all 11 books in the series are eventually issued.  I loved the books when they were originally issued and am ecstatic that i will hopefully be able to reread them at the beach etc as ebooks.  Only issue i note is this is actually book 3 in the series not 2--number 2 is entitled "the second voyage of the seventh carrier"

'
250095
I received this as a Christmas gift and I am so looking forward to spending the next year with Crusoe!