Monday, January 29, 2018

Classics Challenge 2: Treasure Island


Thanks to a mention in my last read as a book that corrupted young readers, I have just finished my second Back to the Classics Challenge read -- Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson, my pick for "A Children's Classic". Though I had seen film versions over the years (Muppet Treasure Island is one of Z's favorites), I realized that I had never actually read the book. The story was originally released serially under the pseudonym of Captain George North in a publication for boys. It chronicles the adventures of young Jim Hawkins, from his tame life as the son of modest innkeepers to the perilous search for buried treasure.

I was just reading that Stevenson wrote this book quickly because, as it was for children, he felt he didn't have to be so careful about quality. Luckily, his inherent talent as a writer shone through and this became a well-told tale. I was surprised by the violence but more-so by the moral ambiguity of Long John Silver. His ability to quickly see which way the winds were blowing, so to speak, and change sides in a conflict to his benefit seems like a far more dangerous lesson than discovering the many different ways in which men can kill one another. I still don't think this book contributed to the delinquency of Victorian minors though. If anything, the lesson I came away with is that islands with buried treasure on them and the ships that get you there are all full of perils that make the gold barely worth it.

Not feeling adventurous,
K

6 comments:

  1. Haha! I’ve actually never read this book either, although I do collect editions of Treasure Island and have seen as many film adaptations as I can find

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    1. You collect editions but haven't read it? Funny! There are some great covers for Treasure Island. I was noticing as I looked for an image for this post that there are quite a few that I wouldn't mind substituting for the Puffin Edition I have.

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  2. I remember being surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Just a rollicking good tale, as they say.

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    1. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much either. I thought it would be a slog but it was quite easy to get through!

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  3. TI will always be a sentimental favorite for me. I reread it a few years ago, and like you was surprised at the moral ambiguity of Long John Silver--I remembered as nicer, but then I think he hoodwinked me, just as he did Jim, at first.

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    1. He was definitely a master of deception. Such a rich character for a "children's" book!

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