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The Dog Crusoe and His Master: A Story of Adventure in the Western Prairies
This is a story of an adventure involving a young man, his dog, and two friends. Together they wander through the Western prairies on a mission to make peace between the "pale-faces" and the "Red men". They face many perils and become heroes many times over. This wonderful story takes the characters (and the reader) on an action-packed journey through the Western prairies during the times when relations between the white man and the Natives were not always peaceful.
489 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1860
84 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
R.M. Ballantyne
626 books115 followersR. M. Ballantyne was a Scottish writer of juvenile fiction.
Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and where he served for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.
Born Robert Michael Ballantyne in Edinburgh, he was part of a famous family of printers and publishers. At the age of 16 he went to Canada and where he served for six years with the Hudson's Bay Company. He returned to Scotland in 1847, and published his first book the following year, Hudson's Bay: or Life in the Wilds of North America. For some time he was employed by Messrs Constable, the publishers, but in 1856 he gave up business for literature, and began the series of adventure stories for the young with which his name is popularly associated.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 20, 2020
3.5 stars
A bit of a swashbuckler in feel but set in the old western plains about a youth and his dog. Ballantyne writes energetic fiction that rarely tends to snooze (Coral Island did snooze a bit, but it was still good) and would be a top favorite author if he didn't occasionally trade believability for yet another action scene. Either way, his books are usually rattling good reads and are perfectly clean except for violence (mostly animal violence in this one).
A bit of a swashbuckler in feel but set in the old western plains about a youth and his dog. Ballantyne writes energetic fiction that rarely tends to snooze (Coral Island did snooze a bit, but it was still good) and would be a top favorite author if he didn't occasionally trade believability for yet another action scene. Either way, his books are usually rattling good reads and are perfectly clean except for violence (mostly animal violence in this one).
March 14, 2015
I am exhausted. I have been so busy with Crusoe and his master Dick Varley, you would not believe. A shooting match to get us all together in the first place, a trip out into the Great Plains when they were still GREAT, hunting buffalo, exploring in the Rocky Mountains, storms, Indians, narrow escapes, and wild horses. I felt I was right there sharing the action on every page....did I mention the tornado? WHEW!!
This was my first Ballantyne book but it definitely will not be the last. This was a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read, with lots of information tucked into the pages in such a way that you don't even realize you are learning a great deal about what life was like back then. Also, the author balances his judgments quite fairly: neither white man nor Indian is portrayed as 100% evil like in some stories about this era.
Anyone with a thirst for adventure would have a grand one with this book.
This was my first Ballantyne book but it definitely will not be the last. This was a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read, with lots of information tucked into the pages in such a way that you don't even realize you are learning a great deal about what life was like back then. Also, the author balances his judgments quite fairly: neither white man nor Indian is portrayed as 100% evil like in some stories about this era.
Anyone with a thirst for adventure would have a grand one with this book.
July 21, 2024
The Dog Crusoe is a story of pioneers versus the wilderness and the savages, published in 1906. The dog in it is a Newfoundland, which is my favorite breed. As far as dog book goes, there are some of the best dog moments in this book and I will share a few of them in this review.
There are details of the wilderness, the animals, and the native Americans which is very authentic. It also displays attitudes against the native Americans that are prejudicial.
Goodreads provides a summary on the author and from that and Wikipedia I learned at 16 (1841) the author went to Canada for 5 years and worked with the Hudson’s Bay Company. He traded with the local First Nations and Native Americans for furs, which required him to travel by canoe and sleigh, experiences that formed the basis of his novel The Young Fur Traders (1856) he wrote after going back to Scotland. Later, he went on to write a series of adventure stories ‘for the young’ and eventually wrote more than a hundred books!
Reading about the relations between the ‘palefaces’ and ‘red-men’ lead me to also look up details on the Indian wars West of the Mississippi (1804 to 1924). I also looked up more about Bison and that ‘Fewer than 100 remained in the wild by the late 1880s,’ so the massive herds described in the book probably was still there for the author to see in the middle 1800’s.
The hero in this book is a young ‘Dick Varley’ who wins Crusoe in a shooting contest along with a silver rifle. Here is a bit on the shooting contest:
‘The sort of rifle practice called “driving the nail,” by which this match was to be decided, was, and we believe still is, common among the hunters of the far west. It consisted in this: an ordinary large-headed nail was driven a short way into a plank or a tree, and the hunters, standing at a distance of fifty yards or so, fired at it until they succeeded in driving it home.’
Wildlife is plentiful in the book, and the wholesale hunting and trapping of them make me cringe but was obviously taken in stride at the time. Along with the great herds of Bison prominent in the book, there was also a part describing riding their horses through large prairie dog settlements. Here is a bit on a partner to the prairie ‘doggies’:
‘We have not been able to ascertain from travelers why the owls have gone to live with these doggies, so we beg humbly to offer our own private opinion to the reader. We assume, then, that owls find it absolutely needful to have holes. Probably prairie-owls cannot dig holes for themselves. Having discovered, however, a race of little creatures that could, they very likely determined to take forcible possession of the holes made by them. Finding, no doubt, that when they did so the doggies were too timid to object, and discovering, moreover, that they were sweet, innocent little creatures, the owls resolved to take them into partnership, and so the thing was settled—that’s how it came about, no doubt of it!’
Great details of life in the wilderness but I am in it for the dog. I will give you some good passages -
‘The love of a Newfoundland dog to its master is beyond calculation or expression. He who once gains such love carries the dog’s life in his hand, But let him who reads note well, and remember that there is only one coin that can purchase such love, and that is kindness. The coin, too, must be genuine, kindness merely expressed will not do, it must be felt.’
It was a peculiar trait of Crusoe’s gentle nature that, the moment any danger ceased, he resumed his expression of nonchalant gravity.’
‘Crusoe did not bark; he seldom barked; he usually either said nothing, or gave utterance to a prolonged roar of indignation of the most terrible character, with barks, as it were, mingled through it. It somewhat resembled that peculiar and well-known species of thunder, the prolonged roll of which is marked at short intervals in its course by cannon-like cracks. It was a continuous, but, so to speak, knotted roar.’
What was really great about the book though was the times Crusoe gets to be the hero. At one point Dick is help captive by the Indians. Things are still friendly, but he can’t leave. At one point a young native child is swept away in a river. Can Crusoe save the child?
‘“Save it, pup,” cried Dick, pointing to the child, which had been caught in an eddy, and was for a few moments hovering on the edge of the stream that rushed impetuously towards the fall.
The noble Newfoundland did not require to be told what to do. It seems a natural instinct in this sagacious species of dog to save man or beast that chances to be struggling in the water, and many are the authentic stories related of Newfoundland dogs saving life in eases of shipwreck. Indeed, they are regularly trained to the work in some countries; and nobly, fearlessly, disinterestedly do they discharge their trust, often in the midst of appalling dangers. Crusoe sprang from the bank with such impetus that his broad chest ploughed up the water like the bow of a boat, and the energetic workings of his muscles were indicated by the force of each successive propulsion as he shot ahead.
In a few seconds he reached the child and caught it by the hair. Then he turned to swim back, but the stream had got hold of him. Bravely he struggled, and lifted the child breast-high out of the water in his powerful efforts to stem the current. In vain. Each moment he was carried inch by inch down until he was on the brink of the fall, which, though not high, was a large body of water and fell with a heavy roar. He raised himself high out of the stream with the vigour of his last struggle, and then fell back into the abyss.’
Another thing I loved about the book is how the author ‘talked’ for the dog. I generally don’t like it when dogs ‘talk’ or narrate books as often it is unrealistic. The following paragraphs from one passage is a good example of the book on how the author writes in a way to sound like the dialect of the time, how he speaks for the dog, and even his rational for dogs speaking:
‘“Now, Crusoe,” said Dick, sitting down on the buffalo’s shoulder and patting his favourite on the head, “we're all right at last. You and I shall have a jolly time o't, pup, from this time for’ard.”
Dick paused for breath, and Crusoe wagged his tail and looked as if to say—pshaw! “as if!”
We tell you what it is, reader, it’s of no use at all to go on writing “as if,’ when we tell you what Crusoe said. If there is any language in eyes whatever—if there is language in a tail, in a cocked ear, in a mobile eyebrow, in the point of a canine nose,—if there is language in any terrestrial thing at all, apart from that which flows from the tongue, then Crusoe spoke! Do we not speak at this moment to you? and if so, then tell me wherein lies the difference between a written letter and a given sign?
Yes, Crusoe spoke. He said to Dick as plain as dog could say it, slowly and emphatically, “ That’s my opinion precisely, Dick. You're the dearest, most beloved, jolliest fellow that ever walked on two legs, you are; and whatever’s your opinion is mine, no matter how absurd it may be.”’
Here is another place where the dog talks:
‘Dick was gazing in dreamy silence at the jutting rocks and dark caverns, and speculating on the probable number of bears that dwelt there, when a slight degree of restlessness on the part of Crusoe attracted him.
“What is't, pup?” said he, laying his hand on the dog’s broad back.
Crusoe looked the answer, “I don’t know, Dick, but it’s something, you may depend upon it, else I would not have disturbed you.”’
One last part before I sum up my thoughts on the book. Dick breaks a wild horse to ride and names him Charlie. Later in the book there is a part where wild horses stampede through the camp of trappers and Charlie breaks free to run away with them. Dick doesn’t know it, but Crusoe does:
Little did Dick think, when the flood of horses swept past him, that his own good steed was there, rejoicing in his recovered liberty. But Crusoe knew it. Ay, the wind had borne down the information to his acute nose before the living storm burst upon the camp; and when Charlie rushed past, with the long tough halter trailing at his heels, Crusoe sprang to his side, seized the end of the halter with his teeth, and galloped off along with him.
It was a long gallop and a tough one, but Crusoe held on, for it was a settled principle in his mind never to give in. At first the check upon Charlie’s speed was imperceptible, but by degrees the weight of the gigantic dog began to tell, and after a time they fell a little to the rear; then by good fortune the troop passed through a mass of underwood, and the line getting entangled brought their mad career forcibly to a close; the mustangs passed on, and the two friends were left to keep each other company in the dark.
How long they would have remained thus is uncertain, for neither of them had sagacity enough to undo a complicated entanglement. Fortunately, however, in his energetic tugs at the line, Crusoe’s sharp teeth partially severed it, and a sudden start on the part of Charlie caused it to part. Before he could escape, Crusoe again seized the end of it, and led him slowly but steadily back to the Indian camp, never halting or turning aside until he had placed the line in Dick Varley’s hand.’
Loved the dog parts throughout the book. Overall liked the rest of the book, but with my modern sensibility to the plight of the Native Americans it made me want to root for the Indians who got such a raw deal out of the settling of the west.
There are details of the wilderness, the animals, and the native Americans which is very authentic. It also displays attitudes against the native Americans that are prejudicial.
Goodreads provides a summary on the author and from that and Wikipedia I learned at 16 (1841) the author went to Canada for 5 years and worked with the Hudson’s Bay Company. He traded with the local First Nations and Native Americans for furs, which required him to travel by canoe and sleigh, experiences that formed the basis of his novel The Young Fur Traders (1856) he wrote after going back to Scotland. Later, he went on to write a series of adventure stories ‘for the young’ and eventually wrote more than a hundred books!
Reading about the relations between the ‘palefaces’ and ‘red-men’ lead me to also look up details on the Indian wars West of the Mississippi (1804 to 1924). I also looked up more about Bison and that ‘Fewer than 100 remained in the wild by the late 1880s,’ so the massive herds described in the book probably was still there for the author to see in the middle 1800’s.
The hero in this book is a young ‘Dick Varley’ who wins Crusoe in a shooting contest along with a silver rifle. Here is a bit on the shooting contest:
‘The sort of rifle practice called “driving the nail,” by which this match was to be decided, was, and we believe still is, common among the hunters of the far west. It consisted in this: an ordinary large-headed nail was driven a short way into a plank or a tree, and the hunters, standing at a distance of fifty yards or so, fired at it until they succeeded in driving it home.’
Wildlife is plentiful in the book, and the wholesale hunting and trapping of them make me cringe but was obviously taken in stride at the time. Along with the great herds of Bison prominent in the book, there was also a part describing riding their horses through large prairie dog settlements. Here is a bit on a partner to the prairie ‘doggies’:
‘We have not been able to ascertain from travelers why the owls have gone to live with these doggies, so we beg humbly to offer our own private opinion to the reader. We assume, then, that owls find it absolutely needful to have holes. Probably prairie-owls cannot dig holes for themselves. Having discovered, however, a race of little creatures that could, they very likely determined to take forcible possession of the holes made by them. Finding, no doubt, that when they did so the doggies were too timid to object, and discovering, moreover, that they were sweet, innocent little creatures, the owls resolved to take them into partnership, and so the thing was settled—that’s how it came about, no doubt of it!’
Great details of life in the wilderness but I am in it for the dog. I will give you some good passages -
‘The love of a Newfoundland dog to its master is beyond calculation or expression. He who once gains such love carries the dog’s life in his hand, But let him who reads note well, and remember that there is only one coin that can purchase such love, and that is kindness. The coin, too, must be genuine, kindness merely expressed will not do, it must be felt.’
It was a peculiar trait of Crusoe’s gentle nature that, the moment any danger ceased, he resumed his expression of nonchalant gravity.’
‘Crusoe did not bark; he seldom barked; he usually either said nothing, or gave utterance to a prolonged roar of indignation of the most terrible character, with barks, as it were, mingled through it. It somewhat resembled that peculiar and well-known species of thunder, the prolonged roll of which is marked at short intervals in its course by cannon-like cracks. It was a continuous, but, so to speak, knotted roar.’
What was really great about the book though was the times Crusoe gets to be the hero. At one point Dick is help captive by the Indians. Things are still friendly, but he can’t leave. At one point a young native child is swept away in a river. Can Crusoe save the child?
‘“Save it, pup,” cried Dick, pointing to the child, which had been caught in an eddy, and was for a few moments hovering on the edge of the stream that rushed impetuously towards the fall.
The noble Newfoundland did not require to be told what to do. It seems a natural instinct in this sagacious species of dog to save man or beast that chances to be struggling in the water, and many are the authentic stories related of Newfoundland dogs saving life in eases of shipwreck. Indeed, they are regularly trained to the work in some countries; and nobly, fearlessly, disinterestedly do they discharge their trust, often in the midst of appalling dangers. Crusoe sprang from the bank with such impetus that his broad chest ploughed up the water like the bow of a boat, and the energetic workings of his muscles were indicated by the force of each successive propulsion as he shot ahead.
In a few seconds he reached the child and caught it by the hair. Then he turned to swim back, but the stream had got hold of him. Bravely he struggled, and lifted the child breast-high out of the water in his powerful efforts to stem the current. In vain. Each moment he was carried inch by inch down until he was on the brink of the fall, which, though not high, was a large body of water and fell with a heavy roar. He raised himself high out of the stream with the vigour of his last struggle, and then fell back into the abyss.’
Another thing I loved about the book is how the author ‘talked’ for the dog. I generally don’t like it when dogs ‘talk’ or narrate books as often it is unrealistic. The following paragraphs from one passage is a good example of the book on how the author writes in a way to sound like the dialect of the time, how he speaks for the dog, and even his rational for dogs speaking:
‘“Now, Crusoe,” said Dick, sitting down on the buffalo’s shoulder and patting his favourite on the head, “we're all right at last. You and I shall have a jolly time o't, pup, from this time for’ard.”
Dick paused for breath, and Crusoe wagged his tail and looked as if to say—pshaw! “as if!”
We tell you what it is, reader, it’s of no use at all to go on writing “as if,’ when we tell you what Crusoe said. If there is any language in eyes whatever—if there is language in a tail, in a cocked ear, in a mobile eyebrow, in the point of a canine nose,—if there is language in any terrestrial thing at all, apart from that which flows from the tongue, then Crusoe spoke! Do we not speak at this moment to you? and if so, then tell me wherein lies the difference between a written letter and a given sign?
Yes, Crusoe spoke. He said to Dick as plain as dog could say it, slowly and emphatically, “ That’s my opinion precisely, Dick. You're the dearest, most beloved, jolliest fellow that ever walked on two legs, you are; and whatever’s your opinion is mine, no matter how absurd it may be.”’
Here is another place where the dog talks:
‘Dick was gazing in dreamy silence at the jutting rocks and dark caverns, and speculating on the probable number of bears that dwelt there, when a slight degree of restlessness on the part of Crusoe attracted him.
“What is't, pup?” said he, laying his hand on the dog’s broad back.
Crusoe looked the answer, “I don’t know, Dick, but it’s something, you may depend upon it, else I would not have disturbed you.”’
One last part before I sum up my thoughts on the book. Dick breaks a wild horse to ride and names him Charlie. Later in the book there is a part where wild horses stampede through the camp of trappers and Charlie breaks free to run away with them. Dick doesn’t know it, but Crusoe does:
Little did Dick think, when the flood of horses swept past him, that his own good steed was there, rejoicing in his recovered liberty. But Crusoe knew it. Ay, the wind had borne down the information to his acute nose before the living storm burst upon the camp; and when Charlie rushed past, with the long tough halter trailing at his heels, Crusoe sprang to his side, seized the end of the halter with his teeth, and galloped off along with him.
It was a long gallop and a tough one, but Crusoe held on, for it was a settled principle in his mind never to give in. At first the check upon Charlie’s speed was imperceptible, but by degrees the weight of the gigantic dog began to tell, and after a time they fell a little to the rear; then by good fortune the troop passed through a mass of underwood, and the line getting entangled brought their mad career forcibly to a close; the mustangs passed on, and the two friends were left to keep each other company in the dark.
How long they would have remained thus is uncertain, for neither of them had sagacity enough to undo a complicated entanglement. Fortunately, however, in his energetic tugs at the line, Crusoe’s sharp teeth partially severed it, and a sudden start on the part of Charlie caused it to part. Before he could escape, Crusoe again seized the end of it, and led him slowly but steadily back to the Indian camp, never halting or turning aside until he had placed the line in Dick Varley’s hand.’
Loved the dog parts throughout the book. Overall liked the rest of the book, but with my modern sensibility to the plight of the Native Americans it made me want to root for the Indians who got such a raw deal out of the settling of the west.
March 26, 2015
This was a great book of adventures. Traveling away from home for the first time, visiting different Indian tribes, some friendly, some not so friendly and some outright hostile. Also I liked the description of the nature around and the encounters of the different animals, especially the first encounter with a Grizzly, and how he tames a horse.
The Frenchman Henri was not so easy to understand, but I have had some training on trying to speak English with some French. They spoke English with French pronunciation. However, I ended up having to look up a few words in a French/English dictionary so I could understand what he meant.
The Frenchman Henri was not so easy to understand, but I have had some training on trying to speak English with some French. They spoke English with French pronunciation. However, I ended up having to look up a few words in a French/English dictionary so I could understand what he meant.
September 11, 2020
4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I really enjoyed this book, just like all of Ballentyne’s books. It was humorous, interesting, exciting, and had some really good spiritual content. I’m enjoying this author more and more! Crusoe was amazing (and Grumps too xD) and the trappers were just hilarious sometimes. ;) Henri, in particular!! xD
A Favourite Quote: “Fear is not cowardice. Acting in a wrong and contemptible manner because of our fear, is cowardice.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Here dwell [many Indian tribes]. Here, too, dwell the wild horse and the wild ass, the deer, the buffalo, and the badger; all, men and brutes alike, wild as the power of untamed and ungovernable passion can make them, and free as the wind that sweeps over their mighty plains.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “[Henri is racing an Indian chief & it’s a close thing]. On they came neck and neck, till close on the score that marked the winning point. Henri ... hurled himself over the score like a cannon shot, full six inches ahead of the little chief! But the thing did not by any means end here. Tarwicadia pulled up the instant he had passed. Not so our Canadian. Such a clumsy and colossal frame was not to be checked in a moment. The crowd of Indians opened up to let him pass, but unfortunately a small tent that stood in the way was not so obliging. Into it he went, head-foremost, like a shell, carried away the corner-post with his shoulder, and brought the whole affair down about his own ears, and those of its inmates, among whom were several children and two or three dogs. It required some time to extricate them all from the ruins[.]”
A Favourite Quote: “Fear is not cowardice. Acting in a wrong and contemptible manner because of our fear, is cowardice.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Here dwell [many Indian tribes]. Here, too, dwell the wild horse and the wild ass, the deer, the buffalo, and the badger; all, men and brutes alike, wild as the power of untamed and ungovernable passion can make them, and free as the wind that sweeps over their mighty plains.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “[Henri is racing an Indian chief & it’s a close thing]. On they came neck and neck, till close on the score that marked the winning point. Henri ... hurled himself over the score like a cannon shot, full six inches ahead of the little chief! But the thing did not by any means end here. Tarwicadia pulled up the instant he had passed. Not so our Canadian. Such a clumsy and colossal frame was not to be checked in a moment. The crowd of Indians opened up to let him pass, but unfortunately a small tent that stood in the way was not so obliging. Into it he went, head-foremost, like a shell, carried away the corner-post with his shoulder, and brought the whole affair down about his own ears, and those of its inmates, among whom were several children and two or three dogs. It required some time to extricate them all from the ruins[.]”
February 24, 2016
When young frontiersman Dick Varley wins a Newfoundland puppy named Crusoe in a shooting contest, he finds himself the best of all possible companions.
Huge like all his breed, trained for two years into a great hunter and swimmer, 'he seemed to prefer a quiet walk with Dick Varley to anything else under the sun. But when Dick was inclined to be boisterous Crusoe’s tail and ears rose at a moment’s notice, and he was ready for anything.'
Which is just as well because when Crusoe, Dick and two other big-hearted adventurers cross the western plains on an uncertain peace mission amongst the native tribes, they face all manor of dangers along the way - grizzly bears, a stampedo of wild horses, avalanches, whirlwinds and, of course, the hostility of some of the more antagonistic 'Red-skins', such as the thieving Banattees or the war-like Camanchee.
A real life adventurer himself, Ballantyne has packed his rip-roaring tale with knowledge and incident that rings with the authenticity of first-hand experience, or at least from stories gathered first-hand.
Bear-hunting, fur-trapping, playful 'cities' of prairie-dogs, 'creasing' (stunning) a wild mustang, the night chorus of two thousand dogs at the indian camp - all rendered in the raw, with plain but thrilling prose.
Through it all, the obedient Crusoe proves to be worth more than his considerable bulk in gold to Dick, helping him survive capture, separation and numerous physical scrapes, understanding everything asked of him and, in his way, communicating back:
'If there is any language in eyes whatever,—if there is language in a tail; in a cocked ear; in a mobile eyebrow; in the point of a canine nose ... then Crusoe spoke!'
Ballantyne is considered to be a 'juvenile' writer. Certainly his stirring subject matter and unadorned style mark him out as an ideal igniter of the more quixotic teenage imagination, but this yarn was pretty enjoyable for a sedentary forty year old too.
Mind you, I always have been a sucker for a courageous canine caper.
Huge like all his breed, trained for two years into a great hunter and swimmer, 'he seemed to prefer a quiet walk with Dick Varley to anything else under the sun. But when Dick was inclined to be boisterous Crusoe’s tail and ears rose at a moment’s notice, and he was ready for anything.'
Which is just as well because when Crusoe, Dick and two other big-hearted adventurers cross the western plains on an uncertain peace mission amongst the native tribes, they face all manor of dangers along the way - grizzly bears, a stampedo of wild horses, avalanches, whirlwinds and, of course, the hostility of some of the more antagonistic 'Red-skins', such as the thieving Banattees or the war-like Camanchee.
A real life adventurer himself, Ballantyne has packed his rip-roaring tale with knowledge and incident that rings with the authenticity of first-hand experience, or at least from stories gathered first-hand.
Bear-hunting, fur-trapping, playful 'cities' of prairie-dogs, 'creasing' (stunning) a wild mustang, the night chorus of two thousand dogs at the indian camp - all rendered in the raw, with plain but thrilling prose.
Through it all, the obedient Crusoe proves to be worth more than his considerable bulk in gold to Dick, helping him survive capture, separation and numerous physical scrapes, understanding everything asked of him and, in his way, communicating back:
'If there is any language in eyes whatever,—if there is language in a tail; in a cocked ear; in a mobile eyebrow; in the point of a canine nose ... then Crusoe spoke!'
Ballantyne is considered to be a 'juvenile' writer. Certainly his stirring subject matter and unadorned style mark him out as an ideal igniter of the more quixotic teenage imagination, but this yarn was pretty enjoyable for a sedentary forty year old too.
Mind you, I always have been a sucker for a courageous canine caper.
October 6, 2011
I loved this book, although I have my reservations about how realistic the supercanine intelligence of the Newfoundland may be. But a thundering good read.
January 28, 2023
I read this book as a 9 - or 10-year old in Ireland, and loved it. I lent it to a friend, and then forgot whom I'd lent it to. I always regretted having lost it, as to me at the time it was a mesmerising and fantastic journey into life on the Western Plains, with vivid descriptions of cowboys, farmers, trappers and Native Americans.
Coming back to it 50 years later (I found it on Project Gutenburg), I have some mixed feelings. It's still a rip-roaring adventure, and I'm not particularly "woke", but I realised that the book is replete with racist references to the native people, for example constant references to them as "savages", "red reptiles" and broad generalisations such as: "Indians are inveterate gamblers". On the other hand, the author does credit the Native Americans with skill, bravery, honesty and other positive attributes, and brings up the unfair manner in which the "pale faces" often treated the "savages".
However, the attitudes expressed by the writer are typical of the time, and leaving aside (temporarily) modern sensibilities about political correctness, the book is still a rip-roaring adventure, and well worth a read. Thoroughly recommended!
Coming back to it 50 years later (I found it on Project Gutenburg), I have some mixed feelings. It's still a rip-roaring adventure, and I'm not particularly "woke", but I realised that the book is replete with racist references to the native people, for example constant references to them as "savages", "red reptiles" and broad generalisations such as: "Indians are inveterate gamblers". On the other hand, the author does credit the Native Americans with skill, bravery, honesty and other positive attributes, and brings up the unfair manner in which the "pale faces" often treated the "savages".
However, the attitudes expressed by the writer are typical of the time, and leaving aside (temporarily) modern sensibilities about political correctness, the book is still a rip-roaring adventure, and well worth a read. Thoroughly recommended!
September 17, 2023
This is much more than a story about a dog. It is. A free ranging adventure of the American prairies in the 1840s. The tale is a sweeping overview of the first adventures that came unto the prairies and the Rockie Mountains at this time. It appears to be correct historically as it was written in close proximity to the time frame describe. The tale is that of three friends and a dog Crusoe as the embark to attempt peace with the Indians they find in their travels. Many adventures are found along the way as the dog Crusoe help and saves those involved. Great read.
Steven Horn
Steven Horn
June 19, 2020
I picked up this book because a 90 year old friend told me it was her very favourite book as a kid. Well. I should have been prepared for it but I wasn't ...I'm talking about the political incorrectness. Yikes. Words we do not use today at all. Made my skin crawl.
Aside from that the language is interesting and very different.
Maybe I would have enjoyed the adventures more as a kid. Not so much as a senior.
Aside from that the language is interesting and very different.
Maybe I would have enjoyed the adventures more as a kid. Not so much as a senior.
April 8, 2022
Una puta mierda racista y aburridísima. El perro Crusoe (Robinson en la versión española que yo tengo, porque la industria editorial es Una Cosa) y su amo Dick van por las praderas del Oeste sufriendo los engaños de los malvados indios, exterminando a especies enteras a escopetazos y... bueno, en realidad eso es todo lo que pasa. Indios traidores y bichos muertos sin demasiada variación entre un episodio y otro.
Espero que me den algo en Wallapop.
Espero que me den algo en Wallapop.
October 11, 2019
I would give it a 7 out of 10 🌟.
December 7, 2019
A healthy dose of biology and historical times with a biblical message as well. Tons of action and adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed.
October 31, 2025
As a child I really loved this old western children's story from the 1850's. A real insight to childrens lives at that time in the USA.
August 9, 2011
The book really is a story of adventure in the early Western prairies not just the dog. Although the dog is fun to read about it is more what it was like to hunt a buffaloes and live at a time the Indians presented a problem and also how the early settlers dealt with them. It touches on things that were new to the people at the time Ballantyne wrote it. Crusoe was won by a young lad in a shooting contest as well as a rifle. And as the boy and dog grew and rode out to see the grand prairie for the very first time and the different animals and great country the reader gets to share the excitement of adventure.
November 17, 2021
This book was written in 1860, and probably set in the 1840's as far as I can tell, and the text reflects 19th-century attitudes toward Native Americans.
Dick Varley is a hunter/trapper/mountain man, who goes out to explore the Rocky Mountains with his dog Crusoe, his horse Charlie, and his friends Joe and Henri. Their adventures are exciting, from Dick's first encounter with a grizzly bear to an avalanche that almost buries Charlie. The dog Crusoe is, from first to last, a central character of the story, and it is a wonderful animal story.
Dick Varley is a hunter/trapper/mountain man, who goes out to explore the Rocky Mountains with his dog Crusoe, his horse Charlie, and his friends Joe and Henri. Their adventures are exciting, from Dick's first encounter with a grizzly bear to an avalanche that almost buries Charlie. The dog Crusoe is, from first to last, a central character of the story, and it is a wonderful animal story.
February 7, 2012
A beautiful walk in the Western plains of USA. Will give you a feeling that you're walking with Red Indians in 19th century. A perfect thriller featuring tribal fights, the dissimilarities, the cruelness they possess, their habits, etc.
Fantastic plot and accurate detailing... A must read! The imagery he paints is realistic.
If you dislike dogs, you may start to love it reading this.
And R. M. Ballantyne, is the best action/adventure writer who's ever walked on earth
Fantastic plot and accurate detailing... A must read! The imagery he paints is realistic.
If you dislike dogs, you may start to love it reading this.
And R. M. Ballantyne, is the best action/adventure writer who's ever walked on earth
February 20, 2014
Loved this book.
I grew up reading Zane Grey. The descriptions in this book reminds me of Grey. Mr. Ballantyne captured my interest from the beginning and held it to the end . I could almost see Crusoe's expressions, and if dogs could talk, I felt Mr. Ballantyne was right on.
I grew up reading Zane Grey. The descriptions in this book reminds me of Grey. Mr. Ballantyne captured my interest from the beginning and held it to the end . I could almost see Crusoe's expressions, and if dogs could talk, I felt Mr. Ballantyne was right on.
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December 18, 2014good
April 11, 2016
the best book i ever read in my teen years
March 10, 2019
A surprisingly well written and exciting story of the “Wild West.” Great adventure of a boy and his dog out on the plains. I probably would never have read it, if I had not been reading chapters of it for Librivox. So, even if you don’t have time to read it, check it out and listen online, free. As always, my dramatic readings are stellar. https://librivox.org/dog-crusoe-by-r-...
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