Who Wrote Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a fictional novel written in an autobiographical style. The story revolves around the main character Robinson Crusoe, who is shipwrecked and becomes a castaway on an island for 28 years. It is one of the most popular books of all time and has been translated into many languages. The book has also been adapted into various movies, television series and stage productions. The castaway theme made popular by this novel has inspired many other works of fiction since it was first published and the genre is known today as “Robinsonade”. Let’s find out who wrote this famous book.
Who wrote Robinson Crusoe?
Robinson Crusoe was written by English author Daniel Defoe. It was published on April 25, 1791 and it proved to be so popular that by the end of 1971 the book had already reached the 4th edition. The inspiration for Daniel Defoe to write the novel came from the real-life story of Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk who spent 4 years alone on an island 674 kilometers west of South America. It is also believed that he may have found inspiration in the English translations of Ibn Tufail’s novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan. Further research also suggests that the inspiration for the story could be castaway Henry Pitman who may have actually met Daniel Defoe.
Did you know?
The name of the island where Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk was stranded for 4 years was changed to Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966.
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