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Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe — book cover
Literature

Robinson Crusoe

Daniel Defoe

Often listed as the most widely printed book in English after the Bible.

Thus I learned to look at the bright side of my condition, and to be content with what I had, rather than to lament for what I had not.

Daniel Defoe

Why It's Lindy

Often listed as the most widely printed book in English after the Bible. The story of a man alone against nature has proved inexhaustible — it defined an entire genre and shaped how Western civilization thinks about individualism.

About This Volume

Shipwrecked on an island for 28 years, Robinson Crusoe reconstructs civilization from scratch — building shelter, growing food, domesticating animals, and eventually rescuing a man he names Friday. The first English novel, it is simultaneously an adventure story, a Protestant meditation on providence and self-reliance, and a thought experiment about what a human being fundamentally is stripped of society.

Frequently Asked

Why should I read Robinson Crusoe?

Often listed as the most widely printed book in English after the Bible. The story of a man alone against nature has proved inexhaustible — it defined an entire genre and shaped how Western civilization thinks about individualism.

What is Robinson Crusoe about?

Shipwrecked on an island for 28 years, Robinson Crusoe reconstructs civilization from scratch — building shelter, growing food, domesticating animals, and eventually rescuing a man he names Friday. The first English novel, it is simultaneously an adventure story, a Protestant meditation on providence and self-reliance, and a thought experiment about what a human being fundamentally is stripped of society.

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