Audiobook · read by volunteers
Dog Crusoe and His Master
R. M. Ballantyne (1825–1894)
Read by Allyson Hester · 27 chapters · 9 h 02
About the book
A young man, his dog and two friends set out across the western prairies on a mission to make peace between the white settlers and the Native peoples, and the dog of the title is no mere follower. Crusoe is faithful, clever and brave, and the perils the party meets on the way, from long journeys through wild country to meetings with both friends and enemies, put every one of them to the test. R. M. Ballantyne wrote for young readers, with a mixture of action, nature description and moral purpose, and he knew something of frontier life from his years in Canada. The result is a vigorous outdoor adventure in the Victorian manner. Twenty-seven chapters, read by one LibriVox volunteer, fill around nine hours of listening. A classic tale of friendship, courage and the open country.
Introduction
Robert Michael Ballantyne, who lived from 1825 to 1894, was a Scottish author of adventure stories for boys. As a young man he worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company in Canada, and the experience gave him material for many of his books, including Hudson’s Bay, an account of his years there, and this one, which he published in 1860. His best-known book is The Coral Island, from 1857.
The Dog Crusoe and His Master is an adventure set on the western prairies. It follows a young man, his dog and two friends who wander through the territory with the aim of making peace between the white settlers and the native peoples. Along the way they face many dangers, and the dog proves a loyal and resourceful companion. The book is classed as action and adventure fiction and general fiction, and it is an example of the Victorian boys’ adventure story, written to entertain and to instruct.
Ballantyne was known for his attention to practical detail, and the book includes descriptions of hunting, travel and survival that were meant to be accurate. At the same time, it reflects the attitudes of its time, including its portrayal of native peoples, which a modern listener may find dated and sometimes troubling. It is best enjoyed with that awareness.
The recording has twenty-seven chapters, all read by a single LibriVox volunteer, and lasts about nine hours. Today it is worth hearing as a representative of a once hugely popular genre, and for the enduring appeal of a story that puts a clever dog at its heart.
Public domain
R. M. Ballantyne died in 1894: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text