I can hardly imagine my life without books. They are my friends, advisers and teachers. While reading a book I live the life of its heroes. I’ve read a lot of different books, but my favourite one is the novel Robinson Crusoe. Probably no story is better known all over the world than that of Robinson Crusoe. But we must remember that it is not a true story. It was imagined and written years ago by an Englishman named Daniel Defoe. He was the first man to tell a story in such a way as to make people believe it to be true. Although the adventures of Robinson Crusoe are imaginary they might have happened in real life. At the beginning of his story, Robinson Crusoe tells us that his father wanted him to become a lawyer, but that he himself wanted to become a sailor. His father gave him serious advice, saying him that adventures abroad were best fitted either for rough and uneducated men or for men of superior fortune . But young Robinson found it impossible to accept his father’s advice. Without saying ‘goodbuy’ to his father or mother, he went away to sea. A few weeks later, he had his first experience of a shipwreck , but was rescued , and made his way to London. From there, he made a trading expedition to the African coast, and returned to London again after a voyage in which he had gained experience as a sailor and merchant. After some years of adventures he was still dissatisfied . So he spoke to his friends about his early voyage to Africa and how easy it was, in exchange for trifles, to get ivory and gold. As a result of this talk, they decided to fit out a ship, in which Crusoe should go to Africa and start trading. The ship had been sailing only a few days when they were caught in a terrible storm which lasted twelve days. It was impossible to manage the ship, and in the end it ran upon a sand-bank close to an island and began to break to pieces. Crusoe with the other men got into a boat with the object of reaching the island. But this boat was soon upset by the high waves and the men were at once swallowed up by the sea. He was the only one who saved himself. For twenty-three years he saw no other human beings and it was twenty-eight years before he was able to leave the island. The greater part of the book tells us how Crusoe found shelter and food, how he built his ‘castle’, how he made his furniture and clothes, and how he taught himself many trades and became expert in doing all sorts of useful things. According to the author’s mind, it follows that man can live by himself comfortably and make all the things he needs with no other people, no other hands to help him. This novel is a glorification of human labour, a triumph of man over nature.
At the beginning of his story, Robinson Crusoe tells us that his father wanted him to become a lawyer, but that he himself wanted to become a sailor. His father gave him serious advice, saying him that adventures abroad were best fitted either for rough and uneducated men or for men of superior fortune .
But young Robinson found it impossible to accept his father’s advice. Without saying ‘goodbuy’ to his father or mother, he went away to sea. A few weeks later, he had his first experience of a shipwreck , but was rescued , and made his way to London. From there, he made a trading expedition to the African coast, and returned to London again after a voyage in which he had gained experience as a sailor and merchant.
After some years of adventures he was still dissatisfied . So he spoke to his friends about his early voyage to Africa and how easy it was, in exchange for trifles, to get ivory and gold.
As a result of this talk, they decided to fit out a ship, in which Crusoe should go to Africa and start trading.
The ship had been sailing only a few days when they were caught in a terrible storm which lasted twelve days. It was impossible to manage the ship, and in the end it ran upon a sand-bank close to an island and began to break to pieces.
Crusoe with the other men got into a boat with the object of reaching the island. But this boat was soon upset by the high waves and the men were at once swallowed up by the sea. He was the only one who saved himself.
For twenty-three years he saw no other human beings and it was twenty-eight years before he was able to leave the island.
The greater part of the book tells us how Crusoe found shelter and food, how he built his ‘castle’, how he made his furniture and clothes, and how he taught himself many trades and became expert in doing all sorts of useful things. According to the author’s mind, it follows that man can live by himself comfortably and make all the things he needs with no other people, no other hands to help him.
This novel is a glorification of human labour, a triumph of man over nature.