The Swiss Family Robinson (The ^AWorld's Classics) - Softcover

Wyss, Johann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192827243 ISBN 13: 9780192827241

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1992

Synopsis

This children's story about the adventures of a Swiss family shipwrecked on an uninhabited island was inspired by Rousseau's theories of education. Many modern texts excise the more didactic digressions of the text. The World's Classics edition, however, presents the work in full, revealing the adult charm of the original work, with its quaint microcosm of learning and its gentle satire of a father not unaware of his occasional pomposities.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"For many days we had been tempest-tossed . . .the raging storm increased in fury on the seventh day all hope was lost." From these dire opening lines, a delightful story of adventure begins. One family will emerge alive from this terrible storm: the Robinson's -- a Swiss pastor, his wife, and four sons, plus two dogs and a shipload of livestock, hens, pigeons and geese! Inspired by Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Cruesoe," this heartwarming tale portrays a family's struggle to create a new life for themselves on a strange and fantastic tropical island. There each boy must learn to control his own nature -- such as Ernest's bookishness and Fritz's hot temper -- as their adventures lead to amazing discoveries, danger, and tantalizing surprises, including a puzzling message tied to an albatross's leg. But it is the authenticity of the boys' behavior, the ingenuity of the family, and the natural wonders of this exotic land that have made The Swiss Family Robinson, first published in 1812-1813, one of the world's best-loved and most enduring stories of shipwreck and survival.

About the Author:

Johann Wyss (1743–1818) was a Swiss pastor who is best remembered for his book The Swiss Family Robinson. It is said that he was inspired by Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, but wanted to write a story from which his own children would learn, as the father in the story taught important lessons to his children. The Swiss Family Robinson was first published in 1812 and translated into English two years later. It has since become one of the most popular books of all time. The book was edited by his son, Johann Rudolf Wyss, a scholar who wrote the Swiss national anthem. Another son, Johann Emmanuel Wyss, illustrated the book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0192827243
• ISBN 13: 9780192827241
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 556
• Editor: Seelye John