Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Mackfam
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Posted: June 10 2014 at 12:13pm | IP Logged Quote Mackfam
The Godwin version is much more adult-ish in content, Melinda. So...if you can find it as an ebook to preview, I would. I don't know of one in ebook form to link you to, or I would. Fair warning: the Godwin translation is likely to be rather jarring to you and your kids because it almost has an entirely different feel than the versions you have. And...since it isn't one of my all time favorite books anyway, I probably wouldn't spin my wheels re-reading it just so I could expose the kids to the Godwin version. But that could just be me!! If I hadn't read the book already, I probably would seek out the Godwin version. If you're familiar at all with Rousseau's educational philosophies, you'll see them pretty heavily as an influence in the Godwin translation. And the characters will develop more with Godwin - some of them in ways that are completely unfamiliar to you based on your reading in the other versions.

If you've already sort of enjoyed the adaptations of SFR and the kids have a feel for it through those, I'd just move on to other books. You could move on to Robinson Crusoe, for whom the book is named (that's what Wyss was referring to in the title - Wyss was trying to write a Swiss version of Robinson Crusoe, Robinson was not their family name). The two books share remarkable similarities including the fact that Robinson Crusoe probably has MORE adaptations than Swiss Family!! In each book you'll find - fleeing cultural/familial expectations via the sea toward a new life, shipwreck, gather all the things you can from the shipwreck to survive, overcome fears and challenges to survive, moral themes, thrive in your environment, have adventures. Defoe was Puritan which accounts for the strong moral tones in the book, but be aware that the original book contains strong language against the Catholic church (not sure this is in some of the adaptations). And there is also a scene which involves cannibalism - so do be aware of that. Without reading it, one wouldn't understand the cultural context of "his man Friday."

Just as a way of providing a little "reading list" context. AO lists Robinson Crusoe as a Yr 6 additional read, and Swiss Family as Yr 4 Literature.

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SeaStar
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Posted: June 10 2014 at 12:42pm | IP Logged Quote SeaStar
Hmm... I think I will let it rest then with the SFR "light" book that we have already read, since there are so many other wonderful books in the world to pursue.

Basically I just wanted my kids to be familiar with the story as part of the broader view of literature.

On another note, I did also have a "movie night" featuring the Disney version of the movie, but, alas- ds is just not a movie guy. We only made it about an hour before he drifted away to legos.

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