The Swiss Family Robinson (Signet Classics) [Paperback]

Johann D. Wyss (Author), J. Hillis Miller (Introduction), Elizabeth Janeway (Afterword)

Book Description

Series: Signet Classics | Publication Date: December 7, 2004

With a new introduction by J. Hillis Miller

Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and 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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451529618
• ISBN-13: 978-0451529619
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Check the publisher very carefully before you buy "Swiss Family Robinson.", July 21, 2010

By 

Kiwi (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Swiss Family Robinson; Or Adventures in a Desert Island (Paperback)

Check the publisher very carefully before you buy "Swiss Family Robinson." One of the versions available, published by General Books LLC, has reviews associated with completely different imprints of the book from genuine publishers.

Be warned that the contents of the version of Swiss Family Robinson published by General Books LLC is completely unedited garbage. Also be warned that when you do the "Look Inside," you're not looking at the General Books LLC version, you're looking at an image of the book from a genuine publisher that actually edits and checks their work. And the reason is....

General Books LLC puts together books using an OCR automated scanning device which misses complete pages. There are numerous Typos and there's no table of contents. There is ABSOLUTELY NO EDITING of any kind done to the book, and the scanning is done by a robot (which the publishers website says can miss pages).

This is all stated on the publishers web site (google them and read - you'll be as stunned as I was when you get all the details). The Almost every review of books published by General Books LLC (around 500,000 of them from one imprint or another now listed on Amazon) by buyers is negative, many are extremely so.

If you have bought the version from General Books LLC by mistake, you can return to Amazon within 30 days(but check Amazon's Return Policy for the details) .

Personally, I always liked Swiss Family Robinson, my one star review is for the General Books LLC version.

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete translation / conversion, December 7, 2009

By 

Robert L. Huggins "shadowjack" (Central OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island (Kindle Edition)

The story is, of course, a classic! I doubt many would finish reading it in these days given how dated the language and story line feel. My one-star rating is solely due to the fact that this particular version is incomplete. The missing pages have a profound impact on enjoying / gaining a full understanding of the story. I feel the version description should mention the missing text!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful adventure and nature story, October 8, 2008

By 

Mark E. Baxter "Inquirer" (Layton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Swiss Family Robinson (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

I rarely give 5 star reviews but this 200 year old book deserves it. It is well-written, well-paced, full of adventure, and is a wonderful book on man's interactions with nature and the environment.

A shipwreck strands a family headed for the new world with nothing but the ship's supplies and each other on a desert isle. Through hard work and knowledge of the natural world, they are able to not just survive, but thrive on the island. There is no better adventure in the natural world survival story.

This book is so good and so well-regarded that there have been multiple schmaltzy movie versions over the years. DON'T SEE THEM UNTIL YOU READ THE BOOK! The writing moves well and the plot line includes plenty of excitement. Although this book is 200 years old, the author wrote it as an action book and it does not drag like other works of the time like "Last of the Mohicans" or "Robinson Crusoe". Robinson Crusoe is another famous survival story written prior to this book, but it suffers from being a morality play with little action and long descriptive sections that are frankly boring. The Swiss Family Robinson is a much better book.

This is a particularly clean book also and is perfect for younger readers as well. Highly recommended.