The Swiss Family Robinson

＂This high-action novel is perfect for young readers’ libraries.＂ - The Guardian.

＂A rousing, humorous and gentle-hearted tale.＂ - The New York Times.

The Swiss Family Robinson, first published in 1812, is an enduring tale of resilience, imagination, and domestic harmony. Written originally to entertain and instruct Wyss’s own four sons, the novel follows a Swiss family-father, mother, and four sons-who are shipwrecked on a deserted island while en route to a new life. Unlike many survival stories steeped in grimness, Wyss’s narrative leans toward optimism, presenting the family’s predicament not as tragedy but as an opportunity for ingenuity and growth.

With patience and resourcefulness, the Robinsons tame their unfamiliar surroundings. The family constructs treehouses, bridges, and gardens; they tame animals, even riding an ostrich, explore the terrain, and adapt with remarkable ingenuity. Eventually, they even wonder whether they want to be rescued. The father, a Rousseauian guide, teaches his sons botany, zoology, and moral philosophy as they transform the island into a thriving homestead.

There is a charm in the novel’s blend of practicality and gentle fantasy, all built on an unobtrusive Christian foundation. This adventure story displays the value of cooperation, curiosity, and faith in human ingenuity. In this age of digital saturation, The Swiss Family Robinson is sure to spark a delight in the natural world, the joy of discovery, and the satisfaction of creating.

The Wyss family read and discussed Robinson Crusoe, and this inspired Johann Wyss to write The Swiss Family Robinson. Jules Verne so enjoyed Johann Wyss’s creation that he wrote a sequel, The Castaways of the Flag.

Johann David Wyss (1743-1818) was a Swiss clergyman and served as the rector of the Reformed Protestant Cathedral in Bern. He enjoyed spending time outdoors with his four sons, hiking, hunting and studying nature. Reading Robinson Crusoe as a family, he imagined how he, his wife and sons would fare if they were shipwrecked on a deserted island. The result was The Swiss Family Robinson.