The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself.
Against his parents' wishes, Robinson Crusoe sets sail on a voyage that will permanently redirect his life. Thrice shipwrecked, Crusoe ends up alone on a deserted island with the few possessions he salvaged from his ship. After forging himself a makeshift home, he then has to reckon with the island's cannibal intruders. With the help of freed prisoner 'Friday', he hatches a plan to escape from the so-called 'Island of Despair'.
A novel that essentially invented survivalist fiction, this book also addresses pressing questions about faith and the resilience of the human spirit. Bursting with spellbinding adventures and a captivating protagonist, it's no coincidence that only the Bible has been printed in more languages.
- The ultimate adventure story: pirates, shipwrecks, cannibals, mutiny, and trust old Man Friday.
- Defoe describes the beautiful yet grueling reality of the island in stunning detail.
- Through the relatable protagnoist, Crusoe meditates on the ways we cope with hardship.
How it Works
The book will be delivered in 20 instalments (or staves), one every day. The instalments are delivered to your Pigeonhole bookshelf on your IOS or Androidapp, plus you can read on our web reader. You will receive an email letting you know when each stave is available, which will include a link to that stave.
We believe that shared reading leads to new ideas and connections. That’s why we have a dynamic commenting system which allows in-text discussion between our readers. Post a comment and all your fellow readers will be able to respond. You can also choose to receive notifications (customise them here) when someone responds to your comment, or, additionally, whenever a comment is left in the book.
After the serialisation the full book will be available on your bookshelf and you can read it at your leisure.
Any questions? Drop us a line on rebecca@pigeonholepublishing.com
Born in London in 1660, Daniel Defoe, alongside being a journalist, started life working as a merchant and participating in several failing businesses, which led to him facing bankruptcy and aggressive creditors. He was often imprisoned for slander due to his antics as a political pamphleteer.
His first published literary work was a political pamphlet in 1683, and some of his best political works include The True-Born Englishman which shed light on the racial prejudice in England following the attacks on King William II, "William Henry of Orange", for being a foreigner; and the Review which was published from 1704 to 1713, during the reign of Queen Anne, King William II's successor.
In 1719, around the age of 59, he decided to take a new literary path. He published Robinson Crusoe (1719), which had been compiled from several short essays he had composed over the years. A handful of novels that centered around rogues and criminals followed soon after, including Moll Flanders (1722). In the mid-1720s, Defoe returned to writing editorial pieces, focusing on such subjects as morality, politics and the breakdown of social order in England. Some of his later works include Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business (1725); the nonfiction essay "Conjugal Lewdness: or, Matrimonial Whoredom" (1727); and a follow-up piece to the "Conjugal Lewdness" essay, entitled "A Treatise Concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed."
Defoe died in 1731. While little is known about his personal life - largely due to a lack of documentation - Defoe is remembered today as a prolific journalist and author, and has been lauded for his hundreds of fiction and nonfiction works, from political pamphlets to other journalistic pieces, to fantasy-filled novels.