Paul reviewed Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Penguin classics)
An old-fashioned classic
3 stars
An enjoyable classic tale of pirates and treasure, though now very dated (no female characters other than someone's mum for example).
Paperback, 324 pages
English language
Published Nov. 19, 2016 by Vintage.
Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story, Treasure Island is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, characters and action, and also as a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality — as seen in Long John Silver — unusual for children's literature then and now. It is one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perceptions of pirates is enormous, including treasure maps marked with an "X", schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen carrying parrots on their shoulders
An enjoyable classic tale of pirates and treasure, though now very dated (no female characters other than someone's mum for example).
I remember as if it were yesterday. Astounded how familiar this was and I first read it about sixty years ago. The apple barrel and the Captain Billy Bones arriving at the Admiral Benbow inn were as vivid as all those years ago. A truly gifted storyteller.
Not a badly written novel, but when everyone has an agenda and secrets, there's very little empathy one can build up. Enjoyable enough though, and by no means a blot on the genre of invisible people.