Robinson Crusoe: Literature's First Castaway!

The story of Robinson is not only an adventure novel, but also the beginning of the entire genre of Robinsonade.

Daniel Defoe's "The Life and Strange and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" told the story of a man who survived 28 years on a desert island after being shipwrecked. And that wasn't all.

The novel became an instant bestseller. In the first year alone, it was published nine times, which was a literary sensation at the time. So it was no wonder that Defoe added a sequel on August 20, 1719, in which Robinson travels to India, China, and Siberia. And because thirds are best, a third volume was published in 1720, this time with a more spiritual tone: "Serious Reflections on the Life and Strange Adventures of Robinson Crusoe."

Defoe laid the foundations for an entire literary genre with his novel. The Robinsonade, as this type of story came to be called, soon spread like an avalanche across Europe. In Germany alone, 100 Robinsonades were published by the end of the 18th century – and do you know what's spicy about that? According to Otto's scholarly dictionary, Robinson was half German.

Even here in the Czech lands, the story of the castaway had a huge response. The first edition was published in 1797, but it is interesting that it was not directly from English, but from a German adaptation. And this trend persisted for almost the entire 19th century.

The first faithful translation from the English original is considered to be the 1894 edition. They were taken care of by Antonín Mojžíš and Jaroslav Svákovský, who brought Robinson to Czech readers as Defoe actually wrote it. And with illustrations by Walter Paget, who literally became a myth for the young Zdeněk Burian. He even redrawn his drawings in his sketchbook when he was 14 years old. And as is often the case in fairy tales (and great lives), the circle came full circle: in the 1950s, Burian himself created the illustrations for the adaptation of Robinson by J.V. Pleva, which is known to most Czech readers.

And what about you, dear readers? Do you remember when you first opened the pages of Robinson Crusoe's adventures? That mixture of curiosity and tension when he found himself alone on a deserted island?

I admit that I have less time to read these days than I used to. Sometimes in the evenings I fall into bed like a slob instead of a book – you know that! But I still vividly remember the first time I read about Robinson Crusoe. I was sitting curled up in an armchair, it was raining outside, and I was a ghost on a tropical island, building a shelter with him, fighting for survival and looking out for ships on the horizon. I could feel the hot sand between my toes and hear the rustling of palm trees!

For a long time, Robinson was my number one literary hero… until a brave Apache chief galloped onto the scene. Vinetou simply had no competition—at least until I discovered other literary treasures.

What about your childhood book heroes? Do you still keep your fingers crossed for them, or have others replaced them long ago? Do you carry them in your heart like old friends? Do you remember how you couldn't go to sleep because of them, because "just this one more chapter"?

Let's remember the magic of the stories that shaped us. After all, even though we've added a few (okay, maybe more than a few) wrinkles, the little girl who once fell in love with adventure stories is still inside us. She just might prefer a more comfortable chair and reading glasses now... and sometimes fall asleep after three pages of a motivational booksBut that doesn't matter – Robinson and Friday will wait for us until tomorrow!