Reviews with content warning for Colonisation - Die seltsamen und erstaunlichen Abenteuer des Robinson Crusoe

Entertaining but the religious monologues were extensive, and the ways of thinking were so old I had to remind myself I was reading an older book on purpose to not DNF the book. Glad I read it once, definitely won’t read it again.

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atlantisblauw's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There's a lot about the story I didn't know, e.g. that Robinson didn't get shipwrecked at the start of the story, but after two other voyages. He was captured and enslaved, together with some other men. He escaped together with a black man and when they were rescued by another ship, he sold the man. He felt bad for him and didn't want to at first, but when the buyer told him he'd let him go after 10 years if he converted, Robinson was ok with it. :') That part was hard to read and I hadn't expected it. I had also never realised that Robinson was en route to Africa to buy slaves when he was shipwrecked. I only knew the children's story of a guy on an island. The part about Friday I expected, but it was also a lot worse.

It was an interesting read, I'm glad to have read it because it's a classic, but one time is enough.

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maxreadssometimes's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I will say that this is one of the first "grown up" books I read when I was young, so my rating might probably be affected by a lot of odd nostalgia. A lot of problematic elements, very much a book of its time.

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rock_hyrax's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

A selfish and racist mc. I can see that the book is trying to portray how a good christian should behave, but it really shows how selfish and despicable christians can be.

Even though he is miserable when he is forced into slavery, he has no problem selling other people into slavery, or owning slaves.

. I kept thinking that him getting stranded was a good thing to happen for the rest of humanity.

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autumnk3lly's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

how the hell did this man survive 28 years on an island and not die of dysentery

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natashalg's review against another edition

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I found the events of the book boring, and I couldn't bring myself to care about the main character.

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friendofmarlowe's review against another edition

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reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

sadly just nothing about this interested me at all. which is disappointing for one of the first english novels ever. i wanted to give it more credit for the fact that class discussions have at least been interesting, but i think should give that to my professor and peers and not the book. just so… eh whatever.

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m4rtt4's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

i know the context, but no book has ever made me this uncomfortable with its blatant racism and white supremacism. Even if that was excusable due to the circumstances, I don't understand the status of this book as a classic, as it's so slow and boring and repetitive — the narration is basically just a list of "this year I did that and the next year I did that".

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