Swiss Family Robinson

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

The Swiss Family Robinson reminded me of Robinson Curusoe. And it turns out, the original title referred to a Swiss Family that had adventures like the famous Robinson. the story starts off with a shipwreck. This is nothing more than a quick setup to get the family abandoned and on their own on a remote coast. There they gradually build up their own self-sufficient civilization. The father seems to know all the world's flora and fauna, and spends much of the time instructing his sons in the details of what they have discovered and how they can use it. After many years, the boys grow up and are lucky enough to encounter a woman who was lost nearby. Shortly after that, a ship appears giving them the chance to be rescues. Part of the family is so content with their life that they desire to remain their. Some of the ship's passengers also desire to stay. This made for a perfect balance with the few members of the family that desired to sail back to the old world.

While the story has some bits of adventure, there is very little physical peril involved. Most of the adventure involves resolving problems having to do with wild animals and weather. At times the story does seem to drag on. (Once they become happy and master their surroundings, is there really much that can be added.) It provides a message that happiness can be found in even the most dire circumstances, through hard work and love. Eventually, this happiness can produce the physical happiness that was initially lacking.

Lost World

Mr. Sherlock Holmes also explored the "adventure" genre popularized by the likes of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs. In this story, the journalist narrator joins with a scientist on a quest to a remote part of South America to verify the presence of dinosaurs. They succeed, but purposely hide their tracks so others will not follow. And they also manage to release a pterodactyl out over London. It is well written and engaging, and even reminds me of Chrichton's (much later) Lost World. The plot is tied together with the story of the journalist who's girlfriend does not want to commit because he does not seem brave and adventurous. This drives him to volunteer for the adventure - only to return home to find the girl already married. He then decides adventures are better than lame girls. There are also a number of holes left open. The scientist that leads them to the "lost world" seems to look a lot like the "ape men" they encounter (and be on speaking terms with them.) Are we to imply that he is one of them? And if it is so easy for them to go in and out of the world (including using a tunnel provided by the "savage" humans) why have not more creatures escaped from this lost world? Oh well, its just a century-old escapist yarn, should we even expect plausible science?

Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Robinson Crusoe was the inspiration for Bike Friday, so it must have something going for it. The story reads a lot like the Victorian adventures of Jules Verne - only Defoe wrote his work a couple centuries before Verne.

Crusoe denies the advice of his family and takes to a life at sea. He runs in to trouble but manages to come ahead. Eventually, he is the lone survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island. He luckily is able to get some provisions from the hip and live off the bounty of the land. The bulk of the novel concerns his quarter-century adventures on the island.

Eventually he notices cannibals using the island to consume captives. He eventually chooses to rescue one, and this fins his faithful servant Friday. They later rescue Friday's father and a Spanish shipwreckee from similar fates. Eventually some English mutineers arrive. The island crew return the captain to his post and eventually exit the island.

The return to Portugal where he checks the state of his estate and eventually travels overland towards England. In this travel they have the last adventure fighting wild animals.

DeFoe spends a good deal of time in the head of his main character. His gradual increase in religious faith and optimism help him through what appear to be great challenges. Even with the heavy moralizing, the story moves at an effective pace.