La isla de Robinson / The Island of Robinson
Novel , 1981
Drácena
Pages: 312
The Island of Robinson is a historical and travel novel that narrates the life of Simón Rodríguez, an extraordinary man who, from his childhood as an abandoned child to his death, becomes the teacher and mentor of Simón Bolívar. The work portrays his intellectual formation, his influence on Bolívar, and his role as a precursor and activist, while also revealing the contradictions of his character: a solitary, irreverent, eccentric being, but deeply visionary. Through a novelized biography, the story takes us from his native Caracas to Europe and St. Petersburg, before following him on his journey through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, where he faced both misadventures and his ambitious ideals.
Beyond the unique figure of Rodríguez, the novel also exposes the shipwreck of the Enlightenment project he and Bolívar dreamed of for the newly independent America. Therefore, the story not only revives a fascinating man but also reflects the turbulent origins of the problems that would shape the destiny of Latin America after emancipation.