When I was doing my schooling, there were only two libraries open in my home town. One was my school library and other one – Sowdambika Library was located in the market area. But both had very few story books and few Tamil weeklies. In my school library, they were lending Thirukkural and Bharathiyar poem books. To read other story books, we had to go to the Sowdambika library, which was located in a very small building. Only 5 to 6 people can sit and read books from there. But still, they had some good comic books. So, the library building was always crowded by school children. I used to go to that library every day with my friends.
I read the book Robinson Crusoe there. It was some 10 years back, but I could still remember the excitement I had when I read this story. It was Tamil translation of a famous book “The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe“. As you can get from the book name, the story was about the experience of Robinson in an unmanned island, after his ship destroyed in a storm. In the Island he lives alone for years, then he meets a tribesman Friday. At the end, a ship comes to rescue Robinson. This is the plot of the story.
Yesterday in Star Movies, they showed Robinson Crusoe – movie taken based on the above book. I should say that the excitement I had after reading the book is definitely missing in seeing the movie in screen. It’s always been tough for the directors to bring a successful book story alive in screen. Because the expectation is more, story is already known and directors can not do anything more.
But there is a scene from this movie, which I liked most. Robinson and Friday (the tribesman) were chatting after the dinner. Robinson was trying to explain about God to Friday, who worships crocodile. Robinson was trying hard to say Friday that Crocodile is not god and Love is the true god. Now Friday tells back Robinson “I show My God – Crocodile. You show your God. Then I believe”. 
Anyhow, the book Robinson Crusoe is a wonderful one. Read it, if you never read it before.
