The Swiss Family Robinson (Signet Classics)

The Swiss Family Robinson was initially written in German by Swiss author Johann Wyss in 1812, and then soon after an accurate English translation was completed by William Godwin in 1816. The Godwin translation remained the standard in English for a generation or two, but by the mid-19th century the number and variety of English translations began to multiply - there were no enforceable copyright laws and translators freely added episodes, changed names (and even genders) of some of the characters and cut portions of the text to conform to changing views on education and aesthetic tastes. There are probably over a dozen such variations and most who read the novel today are not reading the original (the 2007 Penguin Classics edition, edited by John Seelye, is the 1816 Godwin translation, which is the closest to the original). I have now read two: William Kingston's 1879 adaptation (one of the more common adaptations) and Godwin, and I believe the original translation of Wyss by Godwin is better. It's not abridged like most later versions so certain scenes just make more sense - for example some of the characters are more dynamic, like Ernest shows himself to be a capable bloodthirsty killer like his brothers (a scene cut from later editions to maintain his "bookish" nature) - and the theories on education are classic Rousseauian (he is mentioned twice in the narrative). This isn't your childhood Swiss family. Godwin's 1816 translation has rarely been in print until recently - most versions floating around are some variation of Isabelle de Montolieu's 1824 French adaptation ( William H. G. Kingston's 1879 English translation of Montolieu's French adaption is probably the most common). In Montolieu/Kingston's version, the original ~400 page that Wyss wrote has been abridged to about 150 pages, with an additional 150 pages or so of new material added to the end (with an entirely different ending, new characters, etc). So if you've read Swiss family as a child, and are looking for an "unabridged" version, you may find Godwin's 1816 translation missing a lot of material - simply because Wyss never wrote it in the first place. What version to read? I would say Montolieu/Kingston's version (and others) are more "kid friendly" mainly because the Godwin translation is from 1816 and as such uses some language that is dated and has passages that would probably be boring or not make sense without historical context. So in a way there is no "right" version since most readers for the past 150 years have not been reading the "original" anyway. I would probably recommend the Montolieu/Kingston version for juvenile readers and the Godwin version for adults - or even better, read all of Godwin plus the second half of Montolieu/Kingston which is all new material, the first half just being an abridged version of Godwin. In the end I enjoyed the novel for what it is - a great adventure and inspiring family story. Many classic stories are challenging and interesting but not always "fun" - this one is just a great story and fun to read. It's even more fun knowing there are is a whole world of alternative versions available, with more adventures and different endings, but I'm glad to have read the original as it was written by Wyss (and his sons).

We love this edition. We are a homeschooling family with eight children and I have a dual BS in elementary and special ed. So for our family, they have cut their teeth on unabridged verions of classics and good reading. This is nothing they can't handle. For those who have purchased this edition for their children and complained it was too dull and boring for them, this does make sense. When your children are not used to hearing an English accent or to listening to stories with vocabulary they don't understand, they are not going to enjoy this. It doesn't mean the edition isn't any good - it means your children simply aren't ready for it yet. It is the same when reading the KJV of the Bible verses the NIV. Some people are simply not familiar with higher vocabulary or different sentence structure. I agree that this edition is probably not the best for a 4-8 year old average child. But those who have grown up with higher vocabulary and having their parents read to them for long periods will do fine with this version (this version is like having a grandfather read aloud from the book). Also, let us not forget that book is a novel and not a play. It is meant to be read through the author's eyes - not played out like a movie, which many books-on-tape do now. They turn the book into a taped version of a play or full-fledged movie. Although engaging, it is a completely different feel between reading the book and having the book played out for you. If you are wanting full-fledged entertainment instead of hearing the entirety of the book, then you will be disappointed with this edition. However, when you are entertained you are not exposed to the depth of the story nor the rich vocabulary nor the author's reason for writing - all of these are lost when "entertainment" takes over.

My 11 year old son was required to read this book for school. Here's what he has to say: The book is very interesting though it is long. The chapters could go slowly sometimes but it's worth it. This book consists of a lot of old English so it's best if you use the dictionary and highlight words and phrases. The book has an intriguing plot to it. The story keeps you interested. You can't predict things very well in this book so it makes it a little suspenseful. The book is not based on a true story but is based on true personalities. Look in the note in the beginning by Edward Packard. I reccommend that this book is read with multiple people. It seems to be a book for that kind of purpose. First of all, it's more fun that way. Second of all, as said by Edward Packard, the writer made the book as a fun book to read to his sons. That's multiple people. I also like that it brings references of God and the Sabbath. They respect Him and these events. This book is great. It has very good morals for life.

Only half of the book arrived. It starts on page 73, chapter 11. There's 72 pages missing.

Very good quality book

My 10 year old boy, an advanced reader, who enjoys adventure, said this was a fantastic book and one of the best he's ever read. The language is a bit old fashioned at times and more challenging than modern children's books, but that's not a bad thing.

Sebbene in passato godesse di buona fama, negli ultimi tempi questo romanzo non viene più tradotto, quelle poche traduzioni risultano estremamente ridotte, scorciate rispetto all'originale. Si tratta del romanzo da cui è stato tratto l'anime Flo, la piccola Robinson. Interessante.

Remembering my childhood