Robinson Crusoe

Widely regarded as the first English novel, Robinson Crusoe (Collector's Library) is now one of a number of works of classic literature available for free on the web. Ah, the irony.

Stylistically, this book leaves a lot to be desired. It's plot is plodding and repetitive and repetitive, there's no thrilling climax and the ending seems oddly out of place. The language and moralistic overtones make this a challenging read that most people would probably pass up in favor of some Tom Clancy novel. Sigh.

Defoe tells the story of an ill-fated soldier who sets sail from Britain against his father's advice only to have a series of adventures before ending up shipwrecked alone on a deserted island. Sound familiar? Dozens of crappier authors have taken Daniel Defoe's novel idea and come up with a bastardized version. But this, darlings, is the original, the genesis, the inspiration.

And it's entertaining, after you come to terms with the fact that Defoe is writing to an audience that assumes that Christianity is the Best Religion Ever and that slavery is part of the natural order of life. It's the origin of some of that folk wisdom that's become cliche, like the only thing we have to fear is fear itself or it's better to look on the sunny side of life. For some reason, I thought that was insanely cool, even though I'm sure Defoe probably ripped that stuff off from some other author I haven't read yet.

But uh, what is the deal with the wolves? I must have missed the hidden message revealing why Defoe included Crusoe's canine encounter. I assumed that it was there to show the whimsy of fate--like here's the schmuck who survived 26 years on a deserted island and now he's going to be devoured by wolves in France. HA! Or not. Thoughts on that?

At any rate, Robinson Crusoe isn't for everyone. But it is the original shipwreck story, so if you're into that kind of thing and you have the patience and tenacity to stick with the thick language until you get accustomed to it, it's worth reading. Entertaining and educational, but it's not for everyone.