Thursday, 30 April 2009

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (book review)

The book is about a man who survived the shipwreck and lived on an island for seventeen years.

It is an exciting adventure book. The main heroes are Robinson Crusoe and his friend Friday.

Everything is happening on the island.

Robinson survived the shipwreck and was now safe on shore. He walked about and looked round to see what kind of place he was in. He was wet and had no clothes to change into or anything to drink. He walked inland to see if he could find any fresh water to drink, which he did, to his great joy. As it was growing dark, he decided to get up onto a thick tree and sit there all night. Being very tired, he quickly fell asleep.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was the ship, now very near the shore. During the next thirteen days he made eleven trips to the ship and brought back food, clothes, tools and a gun. On one side of a small hill he found a big rock with a hollow place like a cave. There he decided to put up a tent. He built a fence round it and brought all the things from the ship.

Robinson stayed on the island for many years. It was a hard life and he was all alone. He had to find food. He learned to grow wheat, made his own furniture, wrote in his diary, and the time passed.

Then, one day, as he was returning from the other side of the island, he sat down for a few moments. He was very tired and fell sound asleep. But, what a surprise when he heard a voice calling out his name, 'Robin, poor Robin Crusoe! Where are you? Where have you been?' Was he dreaming? The voice went on, saying, 'Robinson Crusoe.' He was very frightened. Then, he saw his parrot Poll on a nearby branch. He was far from home, but Robinson immediately knew that it was Poll who spoke to him. He held out his hand and called the parrot by the name Poll. He came to Robinson and sat upon his hand. Poll went on talking to him, 'Poor Robinson Crusoe,' and ''How did I come here?' This was the first time Robinson heard any words but his own on the island. Poll seemed happy to see Robinson again, so Robinson carried him home.

Robinson tried to make his life more comfortable. He made a boat and sailed around the island. One day, at about noon, as he was going towards his boat, he suddenly saw a print of man's foot in the sand. He was very surprised. He listened and looked round him, but could hear nothing. He went up a small hill to look round. He went up the shore, but could see nothing. He went back to the footprint to see if there were any more. He was curious how it got there. Very frightened, he went home. Every two or three steps he looked behind him.

He did not sleep that night. He was wondering if there were other men on the island, how they got there and where the ship that brought them was. Then he thought that the footprint could be his. He felt a little better.

A few days later he went back to the beach. The footprint was still there, but Robinson realised that his foot was smaller. Again he was frightened. For the first time in fifteen years he was not alone on the island!

Robinson Crusoe had a lot of adventures before he finally returned home in England.

I suggest that everyone should read the rest of the book because it is fantastic.

Boris Škapik, VIII2, April 2009