Book description
With Robinson Crusoe, Defoe wrote what is regarded as the first English
novel, and created one of the most popular and enduring myths in
literature. Written in an age of exploration and enterprise, it has been
variously interpreted as an embodiment of British imperialist values, as
a portrayal of 'natural man', or as a moral fable. But above all it is a
brilliant narrative, depicting Crusoe's transformation from terrified
survivor to self-sufficient master of an island.
Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) had a variety of careers including merchant,
soldier, secret agent, and political pamphleteer. He wrote on
economics, history, biography and crime but is best remembered for his
fiction, which includes Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll Flanders (1722)
and Roxana (1724).
John Richetti is Professor of English at the University of
Pennsylvania. He is an expert of 18th-century literature and has
published widely on the subject.
