Kidnapped and Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Kidnapped and Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
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Kidnapped and Treasure Island
A Robert Louis Stevenson Collection

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrator: Ralph Cosham

Unabridged: 12 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/19/2021


Synopsis

Enjoy two seafaring adventures by a beloved classic adventure writer in Kidnapped and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the early masters of the action and adventure genre. His books were adventurous and smart, and written to entice audiences into indulging in high-seas fantasies. Both titles in this collection focus on young men sent on difficult journeys aboard ships as they search for things amid a cast of quirky, dangerous characters.

Kidnapped – This book’s narrator is David, a 17-year-old orphan who is set into the world to make a place for himself. He winds up living with his uncle at a family estate, but soon learns that he is the true heir to the estate. Unwilling to give up his wealth, his uncle arranges for David to be kidnapped into service aboard a ship. This event sends him on a perilous path around the seas, trying to get back to his rightful home.

Treasure Island – Treasure Island is a coming-of-age story that follows Jim Hawkins, a young man on a journey to find a legendary treasure. Jim leaves his home in search of the treasure after a pirate gives him a map. He assembles a crew to explore the seas and find the treasure, but along the way face dangers and betrayal. This is one of the most beloved adventure novels, and has been adapted countless times for stage and screen.

About Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson, a Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh. As a child, he suffered from tuberculosis and spent much of his time in bed composing stories before he could even read. His father was a prosperous joint-engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses. Stevenson studied engineering at Edinburgh University but, due to his ill health, had to abandon his plans to follow in his father's footsteps. He changed to law and passed the Scottish bar in 1875. Stevenson then took some time to travel to warmer countries in an attempt to improve his health. These experiences provided much material for his works.

Instead of practicing law, Stevenson devoted himself to writing travel sketches, essays, and short stories for magazines. While on a trip to France, he met Fanny Osbourne, whom he married in California in 1880. They later returned to Scotland but moved often, in search of better climates.

Stevenson is especially known for his adventure novels. His first success was the romantic adventure story Treasure Island. His other prominent works include Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Black Arrow. Characteristic of Stevenson's novels is a skillful use of horror and supernatural elements. His stories are often set in colorful locations, where his characters can forget the restrictions of Victorian social manners. Arguing against realism, Stevenson underlined the "nameless longings of the reader," or the desire for experience.

In 1885 Stevenson published A Child's Garden of Verses, which was dedicated to his childhood nurse and has since been made into popular songs. His last work, Weir of Hermiston, was left unfinished, but it is considered his masterpiece. From the late 1880s until his death, Stevenson lived with his family in Samoa. He enjoyed a period of comparative good health but died of a brain hemorrhage in 1894.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex

The reviews on here surprise me as most if not all only refer to Treasure Island, and not Kidnapped. Either people have not read the second story, or maybe they've only got a copy of Treasure Island, and mistakenly selected this version on Goodreads. I'm not sure. This book contains both stories in......more

Goodreads review by Jonas

ein weltklasse klassiker, den jeder einmal lesen sollte......more

One day, a captain shows up at the "Admiral Benbow" inn, and he makes his home there. He is a private man, and a fierce one. Upon his death, the young Jim Hawkins finds himself in possession of a treasure map. Then he is off, sailing across the ocean for the island. However, things take a dangerous......more

Treasure Island: What a contrast from Robinson Crusoe! I don’t know why the two are mentioned together so often. I couldn’t bear to read that one, but this had me hooked from the very beginning. The old seaman, Billy Bones, whose appearance sets off the whole story, is terrifying. From there, the act......more

Goodreads review by Patrick

I'm surprised that of all the novels in this collection (aside from his poetry) I liked "Jekyll and Hyde" the most, when "Treasure Island" is arguably the author's most famous work. But while I liked "Treasure Island" and parts of it were thrilling, I feel like Stevenson's real strength was in horro......more