Robinson Crusoe

Author: (British) Daniel Defoe adapted by Zi Xia
Country: United Kingdom
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Robinson Crusoe, as a representative work of Daniel Defoe, is the first novel in a true sense in the history of British and even European literature, holding an important position in the history of world literature. This book not only earned Defoe nearly 500 titles but also inspired nearly 700 translations and imitations. It is one of the most beloved novels for young people in the West, engaging and enjoyable for all readers, and has been widely read around the world for over 300 years. The French Enlightenment thinker and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau even included it as a required reading for his 15-year-old student émile in his work Emile.
In September 1704, a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk (1676–1721) was abandoned by his captain on the island of Más a Tierra in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South America. On this desolate island, he spent four years and four months. In 1970, he was found, but he had become a wild man, having forgotten human language. In 1711, he returned to England. The writer Richard Steele (1692–1729) was deeply interested in Selkirk’s experiences and, in 1713, wrote a factual account of his island adventure. After reading this widely publicized report, Defoe took Selkirk’s legendary story as the basis, poured his own literary imagination into it, infused the character with his years of maritime experiences and observations, and transformed it into a literary work. In 1791, he wrote this famous novel.
Daniel Defoe was a British writer born in London. His father was a butcher. Defoe engaged in various business activities, participated in political struggles of the time, and even served as a royal senior advisor. He traveled extensively, faced bankruptcy, went to prison, and founded newspapers. These life experiences brought him honor, fame, wealth, and status. At the age of 59, he wrote Robinson Crusoe (1719), which achieved great success and established him as the founder of the English novel, earning him the title of "Father of the English and European Novel."
The protagonist of Robinson Crusoe, Robinson Crusoe, came from a middle-class British family and was determined to explore the world. During one of his voyages to Africa, he encountered a storm and was shipwrecked alone on a deserted island, where he began a life of isolation. After 28 years, Crusoe was rescued by a passing British ship and returned to his homeland. This book teaches us: no matter how difficult the circumstances, one must persevere and survive. God may abandon you, but never abandon yourself!
This adapted version of Robinson Crusoe is concise and vivid, includes Pinyin annotations, and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations, creating a colorful and adventurous world for children. It is even more suitable for reading together with parents.