28 Books -- Day 7

[bluecastle]

The Swiss Family Robinson -- Johann David Wyss (1812)

"Fritz, enterprising and adventurous, persisted in his idea of swimming to land. Ernest, my second son, aged twelve years, intelligent, but timid and indolent, was frightened at the idea of such a venture, and proposed constructing a raft. I shewed him that such a conveyance, besides the time necessary to construct it, was very difficult to guide. These two considerations made him abandon his opinion almost immediately. "Now, my children," said I, "let us explore the vessel; and while reflecting on the means of gaining the shore, let us gather together on the deck everything which may be useful to us on shore." (page 4)

So I wonder when it was I first figured out that this was a book about a family from Switzerland. Probably about the time I figured out that the copy of this book I had been reading for years was an abridged version. I do remember being really pissed off at the nerve "those people" had to cut up a story!

A family of five is shipwrecked on an island, and the ship that they are on just happens to be provisioned to start a new colony in the South Seas. They take the skills they were going to use to build that home and create a new life on this deserted island.

I was always hooked on the ability they had to re-create nearly everything they needed... and let's face it... who doesn't want the adventure of running away to a desert island once in a while. And when you can have pet ostriches to ride??? Bonus!!

The language, and the religious bent never bothered me, but it's not the most accessible book in those areas... but still a great read!!

full text linked off this page: http://books.google.com/books?id=MAcGAAAAQAAJ