Haven Squire’s Reviews > Robinson Crusoe > Status Update

Overall, the setting was quite lovely and I could very clearly imagine the home that he was creating for himself, there was some action which was good and I felt the set up was also interesting. There were definitely some good parts, some boring parts and some not good parts. All in all very mid and not the adventure tale I would have imagined.

I am saying all this like I hated it and I actually really didn't. I found the language and story easy to follow in the most part and although boring it kind of plodded along which was quite reassuring in a strange sort of way. There were just definite racist, white supremacy undertones which I did not enjoy and the main character was just slightly annoying. What a shame the entire book was spent with him.

It was nice that he went back to the island at the end as he kind of found a home there. Oh also I was not keen on him looking for gratification when he saved the captain, while when he was saved himself originally the captain refused any sort of payment - again selfish. Also when he escaped enslavement with Xure and they seemed friends that was nice and then he just sold him off like he owned him.

It all got a bit confusing at the end when there were so many people coming onto the island but that was probably because I wasn't paying as much attention. I don't know how I feel about him leaving the island and then seeming to live happily ever after. Like obviously he was going to escape otherwise it would have been a. pointless and disappointing and b. like 'I who has never known men'

The more the book went on the more he claimed himself to be the king and the ruler and the people who came onto the island (to begin with the parrot, then Friday, Friday's dad, the Spanish man etc.) became his 'subjects.' He seemed to feel he had the right to do whatever he wanted with the land and kill whatever he wanted like he wasn't invading.

That is another couple of things I wasn't a huge fan of. 1. Robinson went on and on about not being religious and how could a god have done this to him and then seemed to suddenly decide he was thankful and religious and was praising god constantly for a while (it just seemed like a sudden turnaround). 2. I wasn't a huge fan of how he seemed to claim the island as his own.

It got more interesting when he started suspecting there were savages coming to the island and when eventually Friday was introduced. I really liked Friday for some reason and honestly felt bad for him as he seemed to have been manipulated into thinking Robinson was like literally god.

I also felt like I was flying through it and not forcing myself to read and be bored. That probably made me enjoy the book a lot more than I would have if I had been sat down staring at the pages. I found the middle section rather forgettable as there was simply a lot of talk of Robinson walking around the island, making and killing things.

I decided I might try out the audiobook as I thought that might make the slower parts go quicker. I am not usually one for audiobooks and this is the first book really where I have relied on it more than reading physically. As the language was quite simple and easily understandable (which I was very thankful for) it was really easy to follow which was good.

For example, there was a lengthly description of what happened when he arrived alone and stranded on the island which was followed by extracts from his journal, telling us exactly the same. Separately I did not mind either of these, but when they followed one another it became a bit boring as I already knew everything that I was being told.