Robinson Crusoe – In Words of One Syllable

Description

Although most young readers love Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, which, written in 1719, was believed to be the first English novel, Crusoe’s tale of adventure and solitude has been found as a difficult read for some of the younger members of Defoe’s readership, particularly because of the language.

Robinson Crusoe – In Words of One Syllable was Lucy Aikin’s remarkable attempt at writing an entire work using only words of one syllable each, in order to help children understand and connect with the story more easily. Writing under the pseudonym of Mary Godolphin, Aikin wrote several books in a similar style, including the works of John Bunyan and Johann David Weiss, or the famous collection of children’s tales, Aesop’s Fables.

Born in Warrington, England, Aikin came from a distinguished literary family that helped her maximize her potential and become an accomplished writer even at a young age. Absorbed by the challenges of early education, Aikin set her goal to try and help young readers better understand the stories and books that would serve as formative lessons as they grew up.

This was her main drive for rewriting Daniel Defoe’s novel, but also for producing her own works designed to help young readers connect to literature at a more pleasant level. Some of them included titles such as Juvenile Correspondence or Letters, An English Lesson Book, for the Junior Classes and The Acts of Life: of Providing Food, of Providing Clothing, of Providing Shelter.

Rewriting an entire book using only one-syllable words is a truly impressive feat in and of itself. However, as soon as you start to read Aikin’s version of Robinson Crusoe, you will see the full extent of the author’s talent and of the immense amount of work she had put into writing the book. A gripping tale in any format, this version of Daniel Defoe’s novel will be even more enticing, and it will leave a lasting impression on all its readers.
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