Daniel Defoe's first novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, is considered by many to be the first novel in English, & its success was so enormous that by the end of the 19th century it had spawned more translations & versions than any other English book. Its central importance to the canon lies not just in being first, but in being one of the best, & in Crusoe, the author created an everyman character who has become part of our cultural heritage. Defoe's castaway
- shipwrecked, imperilled, & facing a host of elemental challenges
- lives an archetypal life of survival, adventure & personal development. On one level a simple adventure story, & on other levels an allegory, a quest novel & a spiritual autobiography, Robinson Crusoe has captured the imagination of readers for nearly three centuries.