Reader discussion: Swiss Family Robinson

Public reader discussion about Swiss Family Robinson in the WeRead Catalog by Johann David Wyss.

Fellas, I am really struggling with Swiss Family Robinson.

By Mystax

I usually like classics, and I thought I’d probably enjoy this one too since I liked Lost in Space (which I think is based on it). But I don’t know if I can actually finish it. The whole “they’re on a deserted island and everything is basically fine” thing just keeps bugging me. And I know it’s from a different era, but the animal abuse and the sexism/racism really turned my stomach. Has anyone actually finished it? Does it get any better later?

I loved Swiss Family Robinson as a child, I’m looking for something similar for kids but without the racism/sexism? But also maybe suggestions for other adult books in a similar genre?

By FallenTurtle

I read Swiss Family Robinson a few weeks ago and honestly I was expecting worse, but I didn’t really see any blatant racism or sexism in it. Yeah, the mom usually ends up doing the cooking stuff instead of hunting or whatever, but it never feels like it’s being called out or pushed hard, and it doesn’t come off as super brutally sexist, so I think it’s probably fine for kids. The bigger downside for me is that it can feel a bit preachy—at least compared to how kids are now—but that might depend a lot on their age. If you want similar stuff for adults, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is an obvious one, though it’ll show the racial attitudes of the time and place it was written in. For something with a more feminist angle, Foe by J.M. Coetzee might be worth trying. From what I remember it’s pretty weird and off-kilter, but in a good way. And if you’re curious about the whole “living with locals” thing, The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost is interesting—it covers two years he and his girlfriend spent on a small island in Kiribati, and you get both what they thought was odd and what locals thought of them. There’s also a follow-up, Getting Stoned with Savages, but I haven’t read that one.

Books for pre-teen with ultra-conservative parents

By RedWinter2005

I’ve got a younger cousin who actually likes reading, but his mom is super strict about what he’s allowed to watch/read. I’m trying to find a book I can give him that he’ll genuinely be into, but that she won’t immediately ban. I can’t really do the “get it behind her back” thing either—he’s not the type to keep secrets, and I don’t want to start drama. He tends to like the more adventurous stuff, lots of friends, and lots of excitement. He said he likes characters who go to new places and explore. He loved the Famous Five series, and he also really liked Katherine Rundell’s books… but those got banned later. Apparently his parents were worried it would “give him ideas” about transgender people and violence. His mom will let him read Harry Potter, Little House on the Prairie, and most classic books published before 1950. What I’m stuck on is that his mom is really touchy about stuff like: - anything that even brushes up against transgender/LGBTQ+ stuff - “modern tech” (internet, phones, that kind of thing) - any violence at all (her rules change depending on the day, which makes it harder) - people talking openly about mental illness - and physical illness too (The Fault in Our Stars would probably be a no-go) Basically, it feels like if you took a very conservative / holistic type person, that’s her. So… does anyone have suggestions for books that could fit? I’d really appreciate it. Edit: they’re not a Christian or religious family. Edit 2: thanks for all the replies—there are a lot of good ideas here, and I’m going to pick out some books for him.

Can anybody help me find anything on this edition of Swiss Family Robinson?

By bluewindow

We’re mainly trying to pin down the publication year, but honestly any details would help. I can’t seem to find anything solid for this specific edition, though we did turn up a super vague mention of the publisher being A.L. Burt. My husband just started collecting copies of this book, and I added a photo at the end showing what he’s found so far, if anyone wants to take a look.

What's an anime adaptation with a non-Japanese source material?

By library_looks53

It’s kind of funny how a Japanese studio can take a non-Japanese property and still make it feel like it’s their own thing, unless they just copy the source almost 1:1 like a lot of anime do. Like Deltora Quest—those were originally Australian books. Man, that anime totally takes me back…

The Mysterious Island, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson - Suggest me your all time favorite “stranded on a desert island” book!

By delta-hare91

It’s not like I’m only talking about those three—just examples of stuff I’ve read that I really liked. I’d love to find some more like that too.

Family lives like 100 years in the past

By ivy_paperback6645

I brought this up in my book club because we were talking about stuff we read back in high school, and I honestly can’t remember the title for the life of me. I think it was about a young couple with two kids who quit their city jobs (maybe New York?) and move out to the country like they’re living 100 years ago. I’ve only got scattered details—like they still had a car and a phone for emergencies. And I vaguely remember a scene where one of the kids gets bitten by a snake or some kind of poisonous bug and they have to get help. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Books similar to Swiss Family Robinson?

By amber-fish

I’ve reread Swiss Family Robinson a bunch of times—the whole thing about the family making do and building stuff out of what they had was just so interesting to me. Does anyone know of books like that?