Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

The book I'm currently reading (The Age of Louis XIV, Volume VIII from Will and Ariel Durant's Story of Civilization) as well as an audio course I'm taking (The English Novel) both included references to Daniel Defoe and his classic adventure story of Robinson Crusoe.  I vaguely knew that this was the story of a man shipwrecked on a deserted island, and I knew it bore some connection to Disney's Swiss Family Robinson and its tree-house at Disney World, but that's about it.

The book was great.  Written nearly 300 years ago when the British nation began its seafaring path towards world domination, the book comes alive with vivid detail.  The book was a huge hit, as it detailed an unknown world that seemed mythical to its early readers, but was based in reality.  If you lived in early 18th century England, not only have you (most likely) never visited a tropical island, you probably don't know anyone who has, you've probably never seen an image from such a setting, and have certainly never been stranded on one.  You might has well be talking about the planet of Mars.

In fact it's incredible to think about how much research Defoe must have had to do before writing the book.  No one had ever conceived of a shipwreck story before, so the many technical challenges faced by Crusoe required ingenuity on the part of both the character and the author.

Crusoe's story puts him on the island for nearly 30 years.  With so much time he overcomes some incredible challenges through wily innovation and experimentation.  He improves his life on the island so much that, in the end, he concedes that he was actually lucky to have been shipwrecked in such a place.

The story brings Crusoe face to face with deep religious contemplation, coupled with vexing societal issues and prejudice.  In fact, the range of issues is all-consuming, as Crusoe is placed into an environment heretofore never conceived.

It's a wonderful read.  These English novels are fascinating.