Robinson Crusoe Chapters

Some versions of Robinson Crusoe don't have any chapter divisions; they're just one long chapter. I have two copies of the book, an Oxford Pocket Classics, and Wordsworth Classics, and they have the exact same layout. Their text matches word for word against the Project Gutenberg etext, which has chapter divisions. If you have a chapterless book, perhaps your copy has the same layout and these page numbers will match your book. If so, you can use this to divide your book into chapters for easier scheduling.

Table of Contents with page numbers

These are the chapter titles with their page numbers:
Chapter 1 Start in Life pg 1
Chapter 2 Slavery and Escape pg 18
Chapter 3 Wrecked on a Desert Island pg 35
Chapter 4 First Weeks On The Island pg 59
Chapter 5 Builds a House - The Journal pg 88
Chapter 6 Ill and Conscience-Striken pg 106
Chapter 7 Agricultural Experience pg 124
Chapter 8 Surveys His Position pg 137
Chapter 9 A Boat pg 151
Chapter 10 Tames Goats pg 173
Chapter 11 Finds Print of Man's Foot On Sand pg 189
Chapter 12 A Cave Retreat pg 207
Chapter 13 Wreck of a Spanish Ship pg 230
Chapter 14 A Dream Realised pg 248
Chapter 15 Friday's Education pg 270
Chapter 16 Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals pg 290
Chapter 17 Visit of Mutineers pg 313
Chapter 18 The Ship Recovered pg 334
Chapter 19 Return to England pg 357
Chapter 20 Fight Between Friday and a Bear pg 377


Text to identify where each chapter begins and ends

To help you locate these chapter divisions in your personal copy of the book, here is the text from the beginning and end of each chapter:

Chapter 1. Start in Life - pg 1
from "I was born in the year 1632,"
to "I quite laid aside the thoughts of it, and looked out for a voyage."

Chapter 2. Slavery and Escape - pg 18
from "That evil influence which carried me first away from my father's house"
to "and it afterwards served me to lie upon."

Chapter 3. Wrecked on a Desert Island - pg 35
from "After this stop, we made on to the southward continually"
to "and found myself more refreshed with it than, I think, I ever was on such an occasion."

Chapter 4. First Weeks On The Island - pg 59
from "When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated, so that the sea did not rage"
to "as long as it lasted; for having no more ink, I was forced to leave it off."

Chapter 5. Builds a House - The Journal - pg 88
from "September 30, 1659.--I, poor miserable Robinson Crusoe, being shipwrecked during a dreadful storm"
to "and went on upon the sands, as near as I could to the wreck of the ship, to look for more."

Chapter 6. Ill and Conscience-Striken - pg 106
from "When I came down to the ship I found it strangely removed."
to "more dangerous than the rain which fell in September and October."

Chapter 7. Agricultural Experience - pg 124
from "I had now been in this unhappy island above ten months. All possibility of deliverance"
to "business took me up more time than it could be imagined I could spare."

Chapter 8. Surveys His Position - pg 137
from "I mentioned before that I had a great mind to see the whole island, and that I had travelled up the brook"
to "performing all the operations necessary for making the corn, when I had it, fit for my use."

Chapter 9. A Boat - pg 151
from "But first I was to prepare more land, for I had now seed enough to sow above an acre of ground."
to "was not better than the utmost enjoyment of human society in the world?"

Chapter 10. Tames Goats - pg 173
from "I cannot say that after this, for five years, any extraordinary thing happened to me,"
to "where I saw nothing at first but to perish for hunger!"

Chapter 11. Finds Print of Man's Foot On Sand - pg 189
from "It would have made a Stoic smile to have seen me and my little family sit down to dinner."
to "though I foresaw nothing at that time more than my mere fear suggested to me."

Chapter 12. A Cave Retreat - pg 207
from "While this was doing, I was not altogether careless of my other affairs; for I had a great concern upon me"
to "than to drag him out; so I interred him there, to prevent offence to my nose."

Chapter 13. Wreck of a Spanish Ship - pg 230
from "I was now in the twenty-third year of my residence in this island, and was so naturalised"
to "England, it might lie here safe enough till I come again and fetch it."

Chapter 14. A Dream Realised - pg 248
from "Having now brought all my things on shore and secured them, I went back to my boat"
to "I cared not if I was never to remove from the place where I lived."

Chapter 15. Friday's Education - pg 270
from "After I had been two or three days returned to my castle, I thought that, in order to bring Friday off from his horrid"
to "would carry "much enough vittle, drink, bread;" this was his way of talking."

Chapter 16. Rescue of Prisoners from Cannibals - pg 290
from "Upon the whole, I was by this time so fixed upon my design of going over with him to the continent"
to "I would have ventured upon a hundred of them, fairly in the open field, at any time."

Chapter 17. Visit of Mutineers - pg 313
from "In a little time, however, no more canoes appearing, the fear of their coming wore off;"
to "and call upon our friends the Spaniards in my way, for I had them still in my thoughts."

Chapter 18. The Ship Recovered - pg 334
from "While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by main strength, heaved the boat upon the beach"
to "and bade them be sure to sow and increase them."

Chapter 19. Return to England - pg 357
from "Having done all this I left them the next day, and went on board the ship. We prepared immediately to sail,"
to "we did not presently discern what kind of creature it was he had killed."

Chapter 20. Fight Between Friday and a Bear - pg 377
from "But never was a fight managed so hardily, and in such a surprising manner as that which followed between Friday"
to "All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my own, for ten years more I may, perhaps, give a further account of hereafter." [end of book]


A 14-week breakdown of the book using this version

If you're using the Project Gutenberg etext, disregard the page numbers, but the chapters and text will be the same.

week 1: ch 1 and ch 2 to "more merciless savages of human kind? (pg 28)
week 2: ch 2 from "But as soon as it grew dark (pg 28) and all of ch 3
week 3: ch 4 (pg 59)
week 4: ch 5 (pg 88) and ch 6 to "all the rest of my life was like it." (pg 113)
week 5: ch 6 from "Even when I was afterwards, on due" (pg 113) and ch 7
week 6: ch 8 (pg 137) and ch 9 (pg 151)
week 7: ch 10 (pg 173) and ch 11 to "whimsies came into my thoughts by the way." (pg 197)
week 8: ch 11 from "When I came to my castle" (pg 197) and ch 12 (pg 207)
week 9: ch 13 (pg 230)
week 10: ch 14 (pg 248) and ch 15 to "kill the devil, so make him no more do wicked?" (pg 280)
week 11: ch 15 from "I was strangely surprised" (bottom of pg 280) and ch 16 (pg 290)
week 12: ch 17 (pg 313)
week 13: ch 18 (pg 334) and ch 19 to "I would never have a penny more from him." (pg 364)
week 14: ch 19 from "When this was passed, the old man" (pg 364) and ch 20 (pg 377)

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