Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1719 and sometimes regarded as the first novel in English.

Reception and sequels

The book was first published on April 25, 1719. The positive reception was immediate and universal. Before the end of the year, this first volume had run through four editions. Within a matter of decades, it had reached an audience as wide as any book ever written in English. It had become part of the literary consciousness of European civilization. It is the most widely read book after the Bible, although the Guinness Book of World Records claims the same rank.

Related Topics:
April 25 - 1719 - European civilization - Bible - Guinness Book of World Records

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No single book in the history of Western literature has spawned more editions, spin-offs, and translations (even into languages such as Inuit, Coptic, and Maltese) than Robinson Crusoe, having spawned more than 700 such alternate versions. There have been hundreds of adaptations in dozens of languages, from the Swiss Family Robinson, to Luis Buñuel's film version. J.M. Coetzee's 1986 novel, Foe, is a reimagining, retelling, and reevaluation of the story.

Related Topics:
Western literature - Inuit - Coptic - Maltese - Swiss Family Robinson - Luis Buñuel - Film - J.M. Coetzee - Foe

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Defoe went on to write a lesser known sequel, The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. It was intended to be the last part of his stories, according to the original title-page of its first edition. However, a third part, entitled Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe, was written; it is a mostly forgotten series of moral essays with Crusoe's name attached to give interest.

Related Topics:
The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe

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more than a dozen pages.

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