Swiss Family Robinson

Written by Johann David Wyss

Narrated by Jack Sondericker

The Swiss Family Robinson recounts the adventures of a father, mother, and four sons marooned on a tropical island. The story unfolds beginning with the tragic storm that claims their ship and the lives of the captain and crew, continuing with their own harrowing battle with the elements and dangerous landing on the remote island shore, and onward through their ingenious use of the materials at hand to survive. They encounter adventure after adventure, with discovery following upon discovery until, at last, they must face the choice of staying on the island that has become their home, or return to a civilization they left behind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books in Motion
• Release date: Sep 15, 2001
• ISBN: 9781581162424

Johann David Wyss

Johann David Wyss (1743-1818) was a Swiss pastor and author who used his works to instill Christian values. He served as a clergyman in the Swiss army where he was also stationed in Italy. Wyss is famously credited with writing the adventure novel, The Swiss Family Robinson. It was originally published in German in 1812, followed by the English translation in 1814. It’s one of the most popular books of all-time, with more than 200 English editions and countless film, television and stage adaptations.

Reviews for Swiss Family Robinson

[wisewoman_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Swiss Family Robinson, first published in 1812, is considered a staple of children's adventure fiction. Somehow I must have missed it growing up, and unfortunately it wasn't the fun read I was expecting. It was—dare I admit it?—rather boring. I was expecting adventure; what I got was a list of inventions and how they were invented. After awhile I grew tired of the descriptions of plants and their uses, the narrator's random useful knowledge and ingenuity, the details of every innovation, the management of their various homes and outposts, etc. And where, oh where are the pirates?This is, of course, one of the more successful imitators of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, and it's fun to think of Johann Wyss's children gathering around him to listen to the adventures of the Swiss Robinsons. And it did inspire the old Disney movie, which is an utterly ridiculous and lovable film. I appreciated Wyss's deliberate inclusion of moral lessons, though I might approach things a bit differently than the narrator with my own children. Despite the general fact-reporting style of the narrative, there are a few humorous bits, like this wry observation:I constructed a couple of hen-coops, too, for the hens and their little chicks which we had brought from Woodlands, for I knew that if I left them unprotected, the inquisitive dispositions of Knips and Fangs might induce them to make anatomical experiments which would be detrimental to welfare of the youngsters. (300)The edition I read from Puffin is the most popular English translation by W. H. G. Kingston, and I didn't find it particularly well done. Misplaced modifiers, comma splices, and other such failings are the order of the day. I found this copy secondhand and it has its own little history, I think. The inside cover is inscribed to "Zoë" from "Papa" for Christmas 2004. I can't help but imagine some fond grandfather giving his granddaughter a book he loved and hoping that she would enjoy it just as he had. Well, it's a paperback and didn't show any signs of ever having been read when I bought it. I hope Papa never found out. Though I can't say I really blame Zoë, either. Disappointing.

[missboyer3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written from the perspective of the father, it chronicles the first-hand account of the shipwreck and survival of a Swiss family of six on a remote island somewhere near New Guinea. The family consists of a Swiss pastor who is a walking encyclopedia on agricultural practices from around the world; his wife who excels in equal measure with culinary skills, and four energetic sons. Displaying remarkable resilience and resourcefulness, they survive completely alone for over ten years until their rescue. In the process, they create their own European civilization, showing complete mastery over animals and plants, and creatively establishing houses. The bulk of the novel consists of their struggle for survival with their endless discovery of new species of plants and animals..

[burnit99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This 1812 novel was made into a 1960 movie that I remember as being pretty wholesomely Disneyfied. To my amazement, the actual book is equally unrealistically wholesome. The family, consisting of a Swiss mother, father, and four boys, are marooned on an uncharted island following a shipwreck in which they are abandoned by the captain and crew, never to be seen again. They embrace their fate with verve and good cheer, emptying the ship of all useful tools and supplies, and creating a mainly comfortable and well-fed life by dint of hard work and a cheerful outlook. The island must be dozens of square miles, supporting a variety of plants and animals that co-exist nowhere else on earth. There are kangaroos, lions, tigers, bears, buffalo, boa constrictors, ostriches and monkeys. The family has spent at least a decade on the island by the conclusion, never despairing of their fate or their isolation. The conclusion itself, after a decade of isolation in which they are only rarely threatened by the island predators, is in equal measure satisfying and unbelievable.

[ireadthereforeiam · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So. A family gets shipwrecked on an island. They happily build some houses, plant food-bearing plants, tame some local animals, and kill one of everything else they see to put in their "museum". The head of the household is a pious man, who luckily seems to know everything about every animal/plant/indigenous custom that ever existed. This father is the narrator of the story. It seems that at every turn there is an opportunity for him to impart some specialised knowledge and moral lesson for his sons. I found him to be stuffy and arrogant, but that was the time I suppose. The only thing saving this story for me was that it was originally a bedtime story told to the authors sons. In that context I can see the fast moving events working, but in the novel form it is repetitive and borderline meaningless

[jonsweitzerlamme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even on a shipwrecked island, you can't really ride an ostrich. Also, how many houses does one family need? Just a fun, wild read.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good family adventure story.

[annawaffles · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

OOF this book lasted forever. I read it mostly out of curiosity (based on others' nostalgia) and I don't think I would have had the patience for it even as a kid. I can see why some are fond of it, but it really didn't do much for me.

[firewild · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very curious reading from a historical perspective. What would life on an uninhabited island in the southern seas look like from a 19th century man's perspective? Apparently it would mostly consist of killing and/or taming any wild beast imaginable from all five continents. On that island the brave Robinson family encounters penguins, lions, walruses, kangaroos, ostriches, lions, elephants, bears, etc. I believe the learned Mr. Wyss felt an immense pressure to be just and not to overlook any creature he may have had a fortune to come across in his studies.

A little spoiler to add drama: some beasts were killed, while riding one of the aforementioned ostriches.

[raykhenberg · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

About as exciting as reading the user manual for a vacuum cleaner. Either way, you're constantly thinking to yourself, 'Well, this sucks.'

[dandelionroots · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This mostly just annoyed me that I'd chosen to read it over its basis, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. I blame Disney World."But in reality, the more there was to do the better. I never ceased contriving fresh improvements, being fully aware of the importance of constant employment as a means of strengthening and maintaining the health of mind and body. This, indeed, with a consciousness of continual progress toward a desirable end, is found to constitute the main element of happiness."^The moral of Wyss's story, with which I agree, but am incapable of appreciating in such a fantastically providential manner. I think I've always been too old for this amount of good fortune.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this aloud to my children and they enjoyed it once the action got going. I think they were a bit credulous at the way the survivors managed so well on the island, yet it was fun to read anyway. Besides, that was one of their favorite places at Disney Land, though I think it has been changed now to something more modern. Loved the discussion in the book of the things seaweed is good for and its various properties.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The main story is quite good, I found the digressions informative but tedious. The book might be a compendium of scientific knowledge of the early nineteenth century. Which gives an interesting viewpoint into the world of that era.

[rodwms · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it's the translation but I tried to read this book (aloud) to my children and it bored us all unremittingly ...

[judyg54 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Copied from the 'description' page regarding this book: "Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and their four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. Thus begins the classic story of survival and adventure that has fired the imaginations of readers since it first appeared in 1812. With optimism and boundless enthusiasm, the Robinson family undertakes the extraordinary task of constructing a home for themselves and exploring the primitive island filled with strange and beautiful creatures and exotic fruits and plants."I liked the story line and the family, but at times the story dealt too much on the animals, their origin, the plants and their uses, etc.. Although the movie I watched of this story did not stick very close to this book, I liked it better.

[michellehewitt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good over all story but the book drags in places and children have trouble relating to the characters.

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Misogynistic drivel.Father knows all. About everything. Animals, plants, trees; how to build, cook, grow, and make things he remembers reading about in some book some time ago. Mother cooks, and cleans, and is incredibly strong and clever for someone who needs so much protection. Boys are clever and kill everything in sight.When I was a kid my brother had a beautiful illustrated edition of this book. (I had Pinocchio.) I read mine, and I wanted to read his books soooo badly. These editions were beautiful, full color, thick paper. And he would not let me. And my parents backed him up, it was his book. I was willing to let him read Pinocchio. He didn't want to. He didn't read his volume either. It just sat there, making me angry. I loved the Little House books, I so wanted to read this beautiful book about the stranded family! Why didn't my mother just tell me it was drivel?(Read on Serial Reader.)

[nx74defiant · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My memories of this story came from the Disney movie. So I noticed the differences. Disney reduce the number of sons to three. In the book they have 4 sons. The later half is quite different from the movie.I was surprised by how violent the boys were toward the animals they met. How they would "punish" an animal. The father really disliked his son Ernest. Ernest was a thinker and more serious not as inclined to physical action, so the father dismissed him as lazy. It made me uncomfortable how the mother wanted then to stay with her. She dreaded her son's going off and having their own lives.

[herethere-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A family finds themselves shipwrecked on an island of plenty. They depend on their own hard work and wits to survive. Father is the all knowing leader, the mother a patient hardworking partner, and the four boys each of their quirks. I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was 12 and didn't cringe at some of the archaic language and ideas. Hard to see using it in class, except to hand to a strong reader for a possible challenge book.

[bigpapageek · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Moralizing tone and all, this was still probably my favorite book growing up. I literally wore a copy out by reading it too much. And now I'm reading it to my daughters (admittedly with some commentary to explain some...incongruous elements, i.e. penguins and flamingos living on an island with water buffalo and at least one anaconda).

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsThis is the story of the family (mom, dad, and four boys) who were shipwrecked on a deserted island and how they managed to survive. It was entertaining, but not believable. The father knew everything about everything, and pretty much everything went right. Every animal they came across they were able to kill or capture for some kind of use – food, eggs, pets, or something else. Not only that, there was quite an international variety of plants and animals: hyena, ostrich, kangaroo, lion, penguin, walrus, boa, pineapple and much more... Overall, I thought it was still enjoyable, but one has to be able to suspend reality. I did (mostly) like the ending.

[azlanshae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a family who gets shipwrecked. They take refuge on the shore of an island and hope someone comes to rescue them. Eventually they decide to begin making a home for themselves. The boys help their father create an amazing tree house. The family spends their days adventuring around the island and their nights playing music and dancing! The littlest brother is my favorite because he likes to catch and train wild animals on the island. The older brothers go off to explore the other part of the island and end up saving a girl (who they think is a boy at first). The brothers vie for her attention and both develop crushes on her. In the end they are rescued by the girls grandfather, but all but one brother choses to stay on the island and continue living the dream life!

[callmechristina · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I dunno...I know the purpose of the book was to teach kids and people how to survive in the wild, and maybe I'd find it more interesting as an adult, but it was so dry! I liked the movie better :-D

[cshoughton · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A story about a family sentenced to live in a paradise of raw materials and quality tools where they enjoy near-constant divine intervention on their behalf. There's no tension or depth in the book, just an inventory of their industry, consumption, and slaughter.

[patty_jansen-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I love the good classics. For example we have all books in the Anne of Green Gables series. They are obviously written in a different time and in a style that was common then: lots of description and day-to-day happenings without a strong plot. But these books give a beautiful and interesting flavour of times past.This book, however... I completely fail to understand why this ever became a classic.It starts well, but soon the book gets bogged in chapter after chapter of problems too easily solved, self-righteous preaching and family wholesomeness that I find unbelievable. In addition to this, the author appears not to have had one ounce of knowledge regarding the world's geography, climate and plant species.If you want to read classics to your kids, find something else.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been a very long time since I read this, but I think I still have my original copy from the Junior Deluxe Editions book club my parents signed me up for. I'm sure I read it more than once, because I have such clear memories of the adventures. I especially loved how they could always find things they needed on the wrecked ship.

[lovinglit · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So. A family gets shipwrecked on an island. They happily build some houses, plant food-bearing plants, tame some local animals, and kill one of everything else they see to put in their "museum". The head of the household is a pious man, who luckily seems to know everything about every animal/plant/indigenous custom that ever existed. This father is the narrator of the story. It seems that at every turn there is an opportunity for him to impart some specialised knowledge and moral lesson for his sons. I found him to be stuffy and arrogant, but that was the time I suppose. The only thing saving this story for me was that it was originally a bedtime story told to the authors sons. In that context I can see the fast moving events working, but in the novel form it is repetitive and borderline meaningless

[mumfie_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As an adult this story is ridiculously irritating.The ship they were shipwrecked from happened to be outfitting a colony and therefore has all the tools and growing crops you could wish for. The island has a good selection of edible plants, trees and animals, as well as running potable water. The family between them can manage everything and know how to do everything they need without having a survival manual to hand.If you can get past all that it's a good and classic novel.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I remember trying to read this book when I was a child. I didn't enjoy it. I did, however, enjoy the movie better. The story concerns a Swiss family's adventure in the South Pacific after being shipwrecked. It's a story of survival. After seeing another person's review here on LibraryThing, I decided to revisit the book to see if my adult tastes in reading made a difference in my like/dislike of the book. Unfortunately I found that the book had not aged well, even though it is considered a classic. It's one of the few books which fall into the category, "Skip the book; watch the movie instead."

[kw50197 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun reading.

[danielle_b_12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book!!! It was difficult to put down therefore this was a "nothing else got done" kinda book. It was wonderful to read about how God came first, as it should be, and how getting back to the basics brings family blessings unmeasurable.