Audiobook · read by volunteers
Robinson Crusoe in Words of One Syllable
Lucy Aikin (1781–1864) · Daniel Defoe (1660–1731)
Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) · 12 chapters · 2 h 59
About the book
Everyone knows the story of Robinson Crusoe, the sailor who is cast away on a lonely island and has to make a life there, but here it is retold with a special rule: almost every word has only one syllable. Lucy Aikin, writing under the name Mary Godolphin, wanted young readers to enjoy a gripping plot at an early stage of reading, rather than the dull fare of many beginners' books. The result keeps Daniel Defoe's tale of shipwreck, survival, ingenuity and loneliness, told in short, plain words. The meeting with the footprint and the arrival of a companion are all here. Twelve chapters, read by a single voice, fill about three hours. It makes a charming curiosity for adults and a gentle listen for children, showing how a great adventure can be carried by the smallest words.
Introduction
Daniel Defoe, who lived from 1660 to 1731, published Robinson Crusoe in 1719, and it became one of the most widely read novels in the English language. Lucy Aikin, who lived from 1781 to 1864, was an English writer and historian. Under the pseudonym Mary Godolphin she produced simplified versions of classic works.
The special task she set herself was to tell the story in words of a single syllable. Writers of her day were interested in finding reading material that was both easy and interesting for children, and this experiment reflects that concern. She gave the same treatment to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and to Wyss's Swiss Family Robinson, and Defoe's tale, often counted among the first English novels, was a natural candidate for it. Compared with the long, detailed original, the retelling is much shorter, but it keeps the main events of the voyage and the island life.
The LibriVox recording has twelve chapters and lasts about three hours, read by one volunteer. The restricted vocabulary gives the narration a particular rhythm, almost like a long poem. It will interest those who enjoy the history of children's reading, as well as anyone who simply wants to revisit a favourite adventure told in a new and unusually simple way. Because the sentences are short and the words are plain, the text is easy to follow even for those listening in a second language or very young listeners. Adults may enjoy noticing the clever ways in which the author works around longer words, which sometimes produces unexpected and charming phrases.
Public domain
Lucy Aikin died in 1864: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
Daniel Defoe died in 1731: 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