"Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe is a novel first published in 1719. After ignoring his parents' wishes, young Robinson Crusoe pursues a life at sea that leads to disaster. Shipwrecked and alone on a remote tropical island, he must survive for decades using salvaged tools and his own ingenuity. As years pass, he discovers he is not as isolated as he believed—cannibals visit the island, and dangerous encounters test his resourcefulness and faith in unexpected ways.