Defoes writing style is akin to Jane Austins although his is more concerned with the intricacies of survival vs success in society. This book was even better than the original and really could have been made into 2 stories. The 1st half concerns itself with Crusoes return to his island whereas the 2nd 1/2 deals with merchant ship companies and is also a fascinating recount of his travels through China along the silk road- all with a 1765 ish perspective! A really good read.