Robinson Crusoe

The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe endures twenty-seven years of solitude and deprivation on a remote Caribbean island, his only companion an escaped prisoner who he names "Friday." Together, Crusoe and Friday encounter cannibals, captives and mutineers, before being rescued by pirates and returning home. Written by Daniel Defoe in 1719, The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is thought to be inspired by the true story of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who was rescued after being stranded on a deserted island for four years. Robinson Crusoe is often credited as marking the beginning of the realistic fiction genre, and has become one of the most widely published books in history. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

If ever the story of any private man's adventures in the world were worth making public, and were acceptable when published, the Editor of this account thinks this will be so. The wonders of this man's life exceed all that (he thinks) is to be found extant; the life of one man being scarce capable of a greater variety. The story is told with modesty, with seriousness, and with a religious application of events to the uses to which wise men always apply them, viz. to the instruction of others by this example, and to justify and honour the wisdom of Providence in all the variety of our circumstances, let them happen how they will.

The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe endures twenty-seven years of solitude and deprivation on a remote Caribbean island, his only companion an escaped prisoner who he names "Friday." Together, Crusoe and Friday encounter cannibals, captives and mutineers, before being rescued by pirates and returning home.

HarperCollins is proud to present a range of best-loved, essential classics. 'It happen'd one Day about Noon going towards my Boat, I was exceedingly surpriz'd with the Print of a Man's naked Foot on the Shore.' Shipwrecked in a storm at sea, Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a remote and desolate island. As he struggles to piece together a life for himself, Crusoe's physical, moral and spiritual values are tested to the limit. For 24 years he remains in solitude and learns to tame and master the island, until he finally comes across another human being. Considered a classic literary masterpiece, and frequently interpreted as a comment on the British Imperialist approach at the time, Defoe's fable was and still is revered as the very first English novel.

Having returned safely home, Crusoe marries and starts a family. But despite his prosperous life, he finds nothing to challenge him and suffers from a burning desire to return to sea. Although his wife begs him not to go, Crusoe and his man Friday set sail. When they reach the island, they are surprised to find that things have changed dramatically. When Crusoe and Friday set out for the mainland, they are attacked by vicious cannibals and Friday is killed. Overwhelmed with grief for the loss of his faithful servant and friend, Crusoe embarks on a long voyage around the world. His travels take him to far-flung places from Brazil and Madagascar to Siberia and China. As he continues to journey, it becomes clear that he is happiest when wandering, and we begin to wonder if he will ever return home again.

Years after being rescued from the deserted island, Robinson Crusoe's life is much different from the one he knew during his solitary years as a cast away-he has a loving wife, small children, and a successful career as a plantation owner. But, with echoes of his old adventures sounding in his head, Crusoe feels drawn back to his island, and when his nephew offers to take him on board his trading vessel, Crusoe cannot refuse the opportunity to return to the seas. Unknown to him, even greater adventures lie ahead on this fateful voyage, as Crusoe voyages to exotic locales in Africa, Southeast Asia, China, and Siberia. The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is the second novel written by Daniel Defoe featuring the now well-known character. The book followed the great success of The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, which has become one of the most widely-published books in history. This second installment is written in much the same fashion as the first-in didactic or epistolary narrative style from Crusoe's first-person perspective.

A sequel to Daniel Defoe's legendary Robinson Crusoe story of his adventures and survival on a remote tropical island. In this volume we follow Crusoe's return to his island, his voyages to Brazil, Southeast Asia, China, Madagascar, Siberia, and his adventures with the local tribes.

Daniel Defoe's fantastic sequel to his popular novel Robinson Crusoe is less well known today. Follow Crusoe as he returns to the island he was cast away upon, as well as voyaging to Madagascar, Southeast Asia and China, and even Siberia.