Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (c. 1660-1731) was an English writer, journalist, and merchant, often regarded as one of the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile author, he is best known for Robinson Crusoe, one of the most famous and influential adventure stories ever written.
Robinson Crusoe tells of a shipwrecked sailor who survives for decades alone on a desert island, using ingenuity and determination to build a life — a tale so vivid and convincing that many first readers took it for a true account. Defoe also wrote Moll Flanders, the story of a resourceful woman's turbulent life, and A Journal of the Plague Year, a strikingly realistic account of London's great plague.
Defoe led a busy, often precarious life as a tradesman, political pamphleteer, and pioneering journalist before turning to fiction late in his career, helping to invent the realistic novel.
His storytelling is vivid and convincing. Our editions present it clearly for modern readers. Read the opening free, and read or listen with a membership.
Daniel Defoe in the library · 2 works
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Frequently asked questions about Daniel Defoe
What did Daniel Defoe write?
Defoe's most famous work is Robinson Crusoe. He also wrote Moll Flanders, A Journal of the Plague Year, Roxana, and Captain Singleton, along with an enormous quantity of journalism, pamphlets, and essays. Robinson Crusoe is his best-known and most influential book.
What is Robinson Crusoe about?
It tells the story of a sailor, Robinson Crusoe, who is shipwrecked and stranded alone on a remote desert island for nearly thirty years. Through resourcefulness and hard work, he survives, builds a home, and eventually befriends a rescued native man he names Friday. It is a gripping tale of survival, self-reliance, and endurance that has inspired countless imitations.
Why is Robinson Crusoe important?
Robinson Crusoe is often considered one of the first English novels and helped establish the realistic, first-person narrative style. Its powerful theme of an individual surviving through ingenuity and will has resonated for three centuries and given rise to a whole genre of 'castaway' stories. It remains one of the most widely read and adapted books in the world.
Where should I start with Daniel Defoe?
Robinson Crusoe is the essential starting point — his most famous work and a gripping adventure. Moll Flanders is a great next choice, following a very different kind of survivor. A Journal of the Plague Year is a fascinating, eerily realistic account of disaster. Begin with Robinson Crusoe.
Was Robinson Crusoe based on a true story?
It was likely inspired in part by the real experience of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor who was marooned alone on a Pacific island for over four years. Defoe transformed such real castaway accounts into a much longer, richer fictional story. Its convincing realism led many early readers to believe it was a genuine memoir.
When did Daniel Defoe live?
Defoe lived from around 1660 to 1731. A merchant, journalist, and political writer for much of his life, he published Robinson Crusoe in 1719, when he was nearly sixty, followed by his other novels in quick succession. He is regarded as a pioneer of both the novel and modern journalism.
Where can I read Daniel Defoe for free?
Defoe's works are in the public domain and freely available. His original 18th-century prose can feel dense. Here you can read the opening free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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