A shipwreck; a deserted island; a single family, wondering if they can survive. Rich in suspense and surprises, The Swiss Family Robinson entices young readers to come along on a wonderful adventure, where each moment brings a new thrill. Featuring amazingly resourceful characters and a wondrous landscape bursting with exotic wildlife and plants, it’s an irresistible tale of ingenuity.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Special Offers and Product Promotions
- This item is eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. Eligible products include select Books and Home & Garden items. Buy any 4 eligible items and get the lowest-priced item free. Here's how (restrictions apply)
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
UNabridged??,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Swiss Family Robinson (Sterling Classics) (Hardcover)
I read this classic long ago and it left enough of an impression on me, through multiple childhood readings, that I still remember some of the lines word for word. The only problem is... they're not in here.
Now, I understand are that there are multiple translations and recensions of this work, so this COULD be an "unabridged" version of something closer to the original than what I first read - but if it is, then the original is nowhere near as charming and riveting as the version I recall. Everything here moves too quickly and simply, without suspense or detail; entire conversations are missing... and, most telling, "jumps" occur in which you think, "How did we get HERE?" This last is what makes me suspect that the "un-" was either an editor's mistake or a blatant bit of false advertising... but again, I'm no expert and don't have an "original" version to consult, nor could I read it except in an English translation anyway. Another point that makes the "unabridged" tag suspect is that some of the "lessons" are missing (i.e. Fritz getting scolded for "lying" that he brought nothing home with him, when his hands were obviously hiding something behind his back), and my understanding is that the author originally wrote this thing as one big lesson. (I may not agree with all the lessons, but why remove any part of a classic text?) The language, at least, hasn't been "dumbed down" for children (what an insult to children when we do that!), but it still reads like a simplified version of the story. So I now own a book which I have little interest in reading, and have had to order another one... THIS time I used the "search inside this book" feature to find the exact lines I recalled from my childhood reading - and yes, I DID remember them exactly, they ARE in there. If you're curious, I looked at the scenes with Ernest classifying the agouti - "... listen to the great professor lecturing! He is going to prove that a pig is not a pig!" - and Franz objecting that "I should not much like to taste glue soup" - both in chapter 1, easy to find, and in this version completely missing. If, like me, you recall a richer version of the tale, try ISBN 0440415942. That said, it's a nice solid hardcover edition with a ribbon bookmark. 1 star for a nice physical presentation. Now maybe I can find someone to pawn it off on.
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother; get the real book even for younger children,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Classic Starts: The Swiss Family Robinson (Classic Starts Series) (Hardcover)
I bought three of the Classic Start books, Swiss Family Robinson being one. After reading all three (SFR, Treasure Island, and Tom Sawyer) with my young child (age 6) I was so disappointed at the lack of "meat" in the story, the prose so altered because so much of it was simply deleted that the stories -- in all three cases -- were very flat. I bought these books to read to my child because of the excellence in writing of the originals. In the "Retold" versions in the Classic Start Series, there is no breadth of vocabulary, it being so watered down that it left me sorry I had spent the money. To shorten the stories, so many details are left out that the stories just aren't the same and much of the meatier vocabulary is gone.
If your intent is to widen your child's vocabulary by exposing them to good writing and lyrical prose, do not opt for the "retold," condensed versions of these classic stories. Get the originals and read every word. They will get the meaning from the context and will be enriched. I cannot say the same for the Classic Start Series. I suppose they serve a purpose and that because of the price point there will be children who will hear the stories that otherwise might not. For that point alone I gave the two stars.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Mislead,
By BillyBobJoe "Keep Reading Challenging" (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Swiss Family Robinson (Sterling Classics) (Hardcover)
Looking for the orginal and this is not it. I heard the original on a Librivox recording and absolutely loved it. In my opinion this is a poor substitute. There should be a law against calling this the unabridged version.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
