Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth (1719, Scribner, 1920; repr., 1983), 368 pages, $29.00.

Having read this remarkable adventure in a thin Oxford edition many years ago, I am amazed that I had forgotten the power of this high adventure infused with gospel truth and written by a master storyteller. Abridged versions that remove the gospel message are not recommended. Great literature should never be abridged in any case. The N. C. Wyeth illustrations in the nicely published hardback that I recently read, made this a very enjoyable read.

This is one of the greatest shipwreck and survival adventures ever told, because it gives the poignant moral lesson of a wealthy, young man’s rebellion against his father’s kindly, Christian advice that ends with God’s grace intruding into his life in a dramatic way.

Crusoe reminds us of the prodigal in the gospels. I will say no more because I want you to enjoy the many surprises that await you in this tale.

Gregory E. Reynolds is pastor emeritus of Amoskeag Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Manchester, New Hampshire, and is the editor of Ordained Servant. Ordained Servant Online, February, 2024.