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The Swiss Family Robinson
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Treasure Island
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance3 out of 5 stars 1
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Story3 out of 5 stars 1
Piracy, mutiny and buried treasure are the ingredients of this seafaring adventure. You'll meet unforgettable characters such as Jim Hawkins, Old Blind Pew and one of Stevenson's greatest creations - Long John Silver.
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Joe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler who is also an orangutan. He's the wealthiest 12-year-old in the land. But Joe isn't happy. Why not? Because he's got a billion pounds...and not a single friend. But then someone comes along, someone who likes Joe for Joe, not for his money. The problem is, Joe's about to learn that when money is involved, nothing is what it seems.
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Summary
Inspired by Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, this uplifting tale relates a family's ingenuity and courage as they struggle to survive on an exotic tropical island.
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What listeners say about The Swiss Family Robinson
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Margaret
- 19-09-14
appalling narrator
What would have made The Swiss Family Robinson better?
A different narrator. You cannot change the story but the narrator read this as a diary not a novel. Perhaps this was as it was meant to be read but a less conceited and pompous approach with a more interesting narrator would have been a great improvement.
What was most disappointing about Johann David Wyss’s story?
Not disappointed in story, wanted to read the original as opposed to the Disney Film version.
Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Frederick Davidson?
Davina Porter for one. I am amazed at how many voices she can do and how she injects feeling into the narrative (Diana Gabaldon novels).
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Apathy
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Love to read
- 19-08-14
Dated Rubbish
What disappointed you about The Swiss Family Robinson?
Almost everything ,the basic idea of a family of Robinson Crusoes on a desert island is a good one but oh boy! Didn't he get it wrong
Would you ever listen to anything by Johann David Wyss again?
Not if it is on this level
Would you be willing to try another one of Frederick Davidson’s performances?
Not if I was paid to listen,he was dreadful.A would be Brian Sewell soundalike who pronounced shone to rhyme with mown.He also kept pausing when a pause wasn't called for,asthma or lack of technique ?to call his voice pompous& boring would be an understatement
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Swiss Family Robinson?
Every new animal,bird,reptile or whatever the first reaction even among the children was to kill it,I'd edit all those out.Every subject under the sun that was mentioned Papa was a world class expert on it & gave the reader/listener a full lecture on it,boring & incredibly irritating.
Any additional comments?
I read the book many years ago when the glaring improbability of the story didn't register with me.A tropical island with animals who didn't belong on the same continent let alone an island.The same island is almost a floating supermarket everything you need on the shelves.A man who although his actual calling is never mentioned is a genius at everything he attempts,I was expecting him to instal double glazing & Central heating at any moment.A awful,unbelievable piece of tripe.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- B. Junkin-Mills
- 29-12-04
A review from my (10 year-old) son:
"Mom - quick, go to the audible website and give this one 5 stars. I loved it!"
16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ron
- 28-01-05
Great Story, recording has flaws
The story is a classic and well worth listening too. My son really got into it and started looking for excuses to go for car rides (which is where I keep my iPod). The only fault I can give is in technical merit... there are numerous repeats, some up to a minute long. If not for that, this would be a five star review.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douglas
- 02-01-13
An Entertaining Novel...
which extols the virtues of moral behavior toward other humans and animals as well as industry and critical thinking in tight situations. Wyss devised this novel as something of an instructional manual for right living, a kind of didactic Robinson Crusoe, to be read and followed by his sons, but the wonderful adventure makes this also an entertaining and enjoyable read. A great classic for both children and adults!
6 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Curtis D.
- 05-12-05
A literary classic, but I was disappointed.
The story disappointed me because things always seem too convenient and coincidental. I guess I'm just used to a little more hardship and struggle for this to appear realistic.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story, and was able to stay interested, but I guess it just was not _compelling_.
I also found the reader to be a bit dull, probably a good choice for a classic, but I think the story would benefit from a different reader, which are available here.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lindsay morrow
- 23-09-20
bad reader hard to listen to
bad reading, hard to listen to horrid reader. needs to be reread without overacting
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- danielle sanderson
- 23-03-18
Good Book but...
I loved the book so much but the narrator stops frequently. Although what I said earlier, the narrator is a perfect person to narrate. It was a great book to listen to but the background noises kind of seemed a bit distracting. I would recommend this book to my friends because it good book to read/listen. This was a great book but the narration needs work. :-|
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Juliab
- 17-11-17
Home school tool
This book was great to listen to. Would be hard to read with my 10 year old .. but was great to listen to !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. Spencer
- 12-02-16
One of my favorite books of all time
Would you listen to The Swiss Family Robinson again? Why?
Sure. I love this story and have read it several times as a child and as an adult. I purchased the audio book to keep up with my son who is reading the book for school. It is unabridged, as far as I can tell, and has chapter divisions the same as other less edited versions of the book (44 chapters, rather than the 20-something in some other versions) which makes it easy to follow along.
What did you like best about this story?
The story and the language are old-fashioned, of course, and our modern sensibilities may be offended by some of the action in the story. You have to read it from the perspective of a fairy tale: yes, we as modern people know that kangaroos and penguins and tigers don't live on the same island and yes, we as modern people know that the killing of whales is horrible.
There are tons of reviews who are quick to point out how horrified the reviewer was by the blatant sexism and the overt "christian-y" tones, not to mention how the family seems to kill practically every animal it comes in contact with. To this I say, get over it - if you can. There is so much to this story that is lovely and educational and inspiring. If you are truly offended that the Mother does all the sewing, doesn't go on all of the adventures and never has a name (The Father never has a name either, funny how that never pops up in any reviews) or that monkeys die, or that kids have (gasp) guns that they use, then this book is not for you.
What about Frederick Davidson’s performance did you like?
I chose this version because it was not abridged and because the chapter divisions matched the chapters in my print version. The narrator was a second thought, but it turned out pretty well. You can hear the papers in the background and there are some awkward pauses, but his accent is a nice touch.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
As a child, I loved this book because I wanted a pet monkey and to live in a tree house and a crystal cave. As a mother re-reading this book ( who would also still love to live in a tree house, but no monkeys, please) I was particularly moved by the beginning of the book when the father seems to accept that he and his family were maybe going to die in the storm that was destroying their ship around them. I don't remember who said it, but there is a quote I read once about how a great book grows with you, and that you should read a great book as a child, as an adult and then again when you're old - it is certainly true with this book.
Any additional comments?
This book is not politically correct. It isn't even biologically correct. It's not a survival manual, it's not a realistic portrayal of hardship. It's a fairy tale; a lovely story about a family living on a magical island without the interference of society. I would move to New Switzerland in a heart beat and take my sons (and livestock, tools, seeds, etc. with me.)
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Overallout of 5 stars
- Lana
- 05-09-09
good book
I like this Book
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Craiger
- 17-07-07
disapointed, but entertained
I have memories of the Disney version of this novel as a child. I guess I anticipated reading a version of that movie in this book. I was still entertained by the novel though.
1 person found this helpful