Title:
Treasure Island Title:
Treasure IslandNature: Fiction
Genre: Novel
Sub genre: - Sea Literature / Children's Literature
Nationality: - British
Time Period: - 19th Century
First read by Dr. Rearick: 1983 (?) / March 2001 (Read to Andy, age 7)
Rated: A
Location: - The Rearick Home Library
Used for: Personal Entertainment
Scripture which Comes to Mind:
Andy's Comments: "My favorite part was when Jim cut down the black flag [the jolly roger] from the mast [of the Hispania] and threw it overboard where the wind caught it so it fluttered up, up into the sky.".
Dr. Rearick's Comments: This is the unquestionable granddaddy of all sea adventures! People everywhere know this story basically even if they haven't cracked the work itself at all. It centers on the adventures of young boy, Jim Hawkens, as he is pushed towards manhood by circumstances beyond his control. He never overtly says what age he is, but I envision him about 10 to 12.
How Appropriate for Young Readers?
Since the main protagonist in this work is a boy, it is reasonable to assume that Stevenson wrote this with young readers in mind. (There are no such clues in his other famous work, The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.) But young audience or not, don't expect Stevenson to remain non-violent. One thing I constantly said as I was reading this to Andy was "Gee, I forgot how bloody this book is!" People die a lot! Still, this should not discourage the concerned parent because human life is clearly considered precious by all the good characters. The doctor Liversey, Jim's family friend, visits and helps the buccaneers as regularly as he does his own true sailors. And even when Jim is forced to kill in self-defense, he is wretched, and the last description of the man who tried to kill him is pitiful in its detail especially of a bald head exposed beneath the transparent bay waters.
There is also no doubt in the book that Long John Silver is a villain. In fact Jim finds him especially despicable because he recognizes that the kindness the old pirate had initially shown him was just that. . .a show. Silver kills shipmates as easily as he compliments them. In fact he is the most dangerous pirate of them all since he is not bound by passion and can hide his evil continence in a jovial outer face.
Still, I can see why Long John Silver remains a favorite among readers. He is strong, intelligent, and capable-- a good man to have on one's side if he can be trusted (which Jim learns he can if Silver believes his own welfare is bond to another). Furthermore, although I am not certain that Stevenson meant to do this, but most of the good characters are downright stuffy and strutting in their goodness. The doctor tells Silver he would gladly risk his life to get the pirates sick with fever over their illness so that they can make it back to the docks for excecution. When Silver is among the good guys again, he once more becomes a friendly chatterer but Jim notes that all the others treat him with abusive contempt. Even Jim can't help but preach at pirate he is holding at bay with a gun. And the pirates words about there being little evidence in this world that God takes a hand on the good side sound far more true than Jim's naive assurance otherwise.
It's a grand tale filled with action and treasure and the sea.
I'm sure my students will find it worthwhile.
Now as to particular editions, this hard covered, 1911 edition is, with
its sister volume Black Arrow, one of the prizes of my personal
library. It feels like a book, heavy and well illustrated.
I am especially pleased that this is still available for the children.
The images provided by Wyeth are undoubtedly the stuff of childhood imaginary
voyages.
In Wyeth's work the buccaneers are grim and powerful looking and yet
there is this golden kind of background which calls the reader to his or
her sunrise in life when romance seemed for more probable.
Meanwhile this is the edition which I read to my son and which is now
a part of his library. Calling it a paperback does not really do
this edition justice since it is an unusually hard and full. Furthermore
this edition is filled with details like actual historical descriptions
of pirates, who to tie sea knots, types of ships, and pieces of eight.
All wonderfully illustrated with 
actual
engravings or photos. Furthermore the text is itself actually illustrated.
They are not as appealing as Wyeth's but as an over-all learning tool this
edition is unsurpassed. It is the one I hope to use if I am given
the chance to actually teach a sea literature class.
The following links and rankings came from 
at http://www.suite101.com/links.cfm/folklore
Buccaneer Sites
Blackbeard
the Pirate
North Carolina's own legendary pirate.
Was he really one Edward Teach?
Pirates
The romantic pirates, buccaneers and
privateers we grew on may bear little resemblance to the reality, yet the
myth that was born of Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island remains
compelling. This is a guide to fact and fiction.
National
Geographic Pirate's Page
Great stuff to see and do from "the
makers of National Geographic".
Pirate
Site of Fun and Games
For adventure with Blackbeard up the
Atlantic Seaboard.
Pirates
of the Bahamas
Not only tropical storms liked the
Bahamas!
Ultimate
Pirate Links
Links and more links to pirate sites.
Real Sea Sites
Isle
of Shoals
Tales and whales from ten miles out
to sea. Take a virtual tour of the islands, then read the tales of past
and present. A great link for my Appledore article of last August.