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bookswithmackie 's review for:
Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So we’ve all heard of this one, right? - Well, if you haven’t, that’s alright too.
This seagoing adventure takes the reader on a quest alongside a young boy called Jim Hawkins on the search for buried treasure. The tale begins with Jim working at the “Admiral Benbow Inn”; a family business owned by his father. He soon encounters a rough and rouge-ish buccaneer by the name of Billy Bones. The outcome of this chance meeting sets off a chain reaction of numerous escapades. In short, Jim finds himself in possession of a treasure map and in the company of like-minded folks who wish to discover treasure (including the famous Long John Silver). They all get on-board a schooner with a motivated crew and set sail for Skeleton Island. Of course, not everything goes to plan. Met with mutiny and battling with buccaneers, all whilst trying to survive and track down the treasure, Jim is unexpectedly exposed to a myriad of fearsome experiences.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was my first Robert Louis Stevenson experience. Sadly, I was not a fan of it. While the synopsis and idea of the tale was a very interesting one, it was Stevenson’s execution which made it fall short. This primarily came down to the overwhelming use of outdated and unnecessarily fancy language; this was accompanied by the lacking of simplicity, and the overall dominating presence of grandiloquence. I understood that Stevenson’s works might not be for me, and thus, approached Treasure Island with a bit of trepidation.
In reading Treasure Island, these familiar limitations associated Stevenson’s writing were found once again. I struggled with the superfluous vocabulary which had me checking my dictionary more times than Suzie Dent on cocaine. Despite being a short novel, it is surprisingly slow-paced and a little challenging to get through. The plot of this story itself was very enjoyable, but again, just like my first Stevenson experience, it was mostly the overuse of archaic and grandiose language which interrupted the flow and continuity of the story, as well as, impairing some of the more enthralling components of the narrative. Overall, it hindered my reading experience. I remain uncertain if this fault falls entirely with Stevenson, or if I share some of the fault as a reader for failing to grasp the nature of his vernacular.
- Jib, boom, luffing, spars, jib-booms, hawser, capstan, gig, keelson, down-hauling, bowsprit, bulkhead, gunwale, halyards, mizzen, mizzen-top, warping.
These and a bunch of other similar sailing/ship-related terminology also appear quite often. It can be intimidating or off-putting to an unsuspecting reader. To get the most of out this book, I would recommend being familiarised with this kind of terminology before sailing away with this novel.
In spite of such limitations, Stevenson masterfully stimulated my imagination. I could envisage the appearance of the pirates, the scenery of the island and what it must have felt like being there experiencing the fear and chaos that ensued. As stated before, with Stevenson’s grandiose language cast aside, the story itself was actually rather intriguing and exciting. The complexity of the themes such as betrayal, greed, and the dubiety which exists between the good and bad were all carried out very well. I also enjoyed witnessing Jim coming out of his shell as the story went on. His progressive transition from a frail little boy to a valiant chap was very fulfilling to observe.
It is amusingly how this is considered a children’s book. There must have been some mighty intellectual kids back in Stevenson’s day with reading capabilities exceeding mine. Nonetheless, this novel should stretch beyond that categorisation. It holds plenty of promise. If the language was amended with a more simplistic vernacular, I believe it could deliver a much more favourable impact.
This seagoing adventure takes the reader on a quest alongside a young boy called Jim Hawkins on the search for buried treasure. The tale begins with Jim working at the “Admiral Benbow Inn”; a family business owned by his father. He soon encounters a rough and rouge-ish buccaneer by the name of Billy Bones. The outcome of this chance meeting sets off a chain reaction of numerous escapades. In short, Jim finds himself in possession of a treasure map and in the company of like-minded folks who wish to discover treasure (including the famous Long John Silver). They all get on-board a schooner with a motivated crew and set sail for Skeleton Island. Of course, not everything goes to plan. Met with mutiny and battling with buccaneers, all whilst trying to survive and track down the treasure, Jim is unexpectedly exposed to a myriad of fearsome experiences.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was my first Robert Louis Stevenson experience. Sadly, I was not a fan of it. While the synopsis and idea of the tale was a very interesting one, it was Stevenson’s execution which made it fall short. This primarily came down to the overwhelming use of outdated and unnecessarily fancy language; this was accompanied by the lacking of simplicity, and the overall dominating presence of grandiloquence. I understood that Stevenson’s works might not be for me, and thus, approached Treasure Island with a bit of trepidation.
In reading Treasure Island, these familiar limitations associated Stevenson’s writing were found once again. I struggled with the superfluous vocabulary which had me checking my dictionary more times than Suzie Dent on cocaine. Despite being a short novel, it is surprisingly slow-paced and a little challenging to get through. The plot of this story itself was very enjoyable, but again, just like my first Stevenson experience, it was mostly the overuse of archaic and grandiose language which interrupted the flow and continuity of the story, as well as, impairing some of the more enthralling components of the narrative. Overall, it hindered my reading experience. I remain uncertain if this fault falls entirely with Stevenson, or if I share some of the fault as a reader for failing to grasp the nature of his vernacular.
- Jib, boom, luffing, spars, jib-booms, hawser, capstan, gig, keelson, down-hauling, bowsprit, bulkhead, gunwale, halyards, mizzen, mizzen-top, warping.
These and a bunch of other similar sailing/ship-related terminology also appear quite often. It can be intimidating or off-putting to an unsuspecting reader. To get the most of out this book, I would recommend being familiarised with this kind of terminology before sailing away with this novel.
In spite of such limitations, Stevenson masterfully stimulated my imagination. I could envisage the appearance of the pirates, the scenery of the island and what it must have felt like being there experiencing the fear and chaos that ensued. As stated before, with Stevenson’s grandiose language cast aside, the story itself was actually rather intriguing and exciting. The complexity of the themes such as betrayal, greed, and the dubiety which exists between the good and bad were all carried out very well. I also enjoyed witnessing Jim coming out of his shell as the story went on. His progressive transition from a frail little boy to a valiant chap was very fulfilling to observe.
It is amusingly how this is considered a children’s book. There must have been some mighty intellectual kids back in Stevenson’s day with reading capabilities exceeding mine. Nonetheless, this novel should stretch beyond that categorisation. It holds plenty of promise. If the language was amended with a more simplistic vernacular, I believe it could deliver a much more favourable impact.