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Treasure Island (Penguin Popular Classics)

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

14 reviews
Sales Rank: 2140

Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.6

ISBN: 0140620834
EAN: 9780140620832
ASIN: 0140620834

Publication Date: May 26, 1994
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: IN STOCK - BRAND NEW - SENT FIRST CLASS - IMMEDIATE DISPATCH

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Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Treasure Island - A Fantastic Read July 27, 2008
At 45 I had never read this book but remember thinking it was depressing and grey, probably because there was a series which was shown on TV on a Sunday and Sunday always seemed depressing when we were young especially when we only had a BW television.. Now a primary school teacher I wanted my year 6 to study a classic adventure story full of description, suspense, anticipation and with real rounded characters.... and in Treasure Island I got it....Beautifully written and with brilliant character interaction it is an easy read ( but with some words which may need looking up.. unless you are a pirate). I could not put this book down, it created an escapism I have not experienced for a long time.

5 out of 5 stars

Swashbuckling adventure April 1, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

A fabulous book that has stood the test of time. Pirates, treasure and mutiny all make for a wonderful swashbuckling adventure. One fact that I wasn't aware of and that I found it interesting was learn that the story developed from a map that Stevenson and his stepson Lloyd Osbourne had drawn on holiday. I bet they never imagined that their tale would have grown to be so well loved for so many years

5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant March 26, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

It's a truly amazing book - it's hard to see how Stevenson succeeds in packing so many unforgettable characters and remarkable incidents into such a short book. Superb writing, not a word wasted.

5 out of 5 stars

Arrrr....a fine book, me hearties September 24, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

RL Stevenson was born in 1850, and died in 1894. "Treasure Island" was first published in 1883, though was originally written for the amusement of Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne.

Set in the 1700s, the book's hero is Jim Hawkins. Jim is, apparently, an only child whose parents run the Admiral Benbow - a quiet inn, though with a good reputation, not far from Bristol. His troubles begin with the arrival of a mysterious sailor - a rather intimidating, poorly dressed and generally filthy character, though not one who was short of money. He's reluctant to give his name, though claims to hold the rank of captain, and he generally says little. However, occasionally his tongue is loosened a little by his fondness for rum - upon which he would either burst into song or tell the most terrifying stories. At the mysterious sailor's request, meanwhile, Jim keeps an eye out for another salty old sea dog the nameless captain seems keen to avoid : the unwanted visitor's most notable feature is his one leg.

Things change with the arrival of an even nastier sailor named Black Dog. He's obviously acquainted with the Admiral Benbow's resident sailor - whose name, Billy Bones, is soon revealed - though they're not on the best of terms. Things turn nasty, one thing leads to another and before you can say "oh, arrr", Billy has died of a stroke. Jim and his mother quickly rifle Billy's sea chest - he'd left a substantial bar bill, and Mrs Hawkins meant to collect payment - though among his possessions they also find a mysterious sealed packet. When eventually opened, the packet proves to hold treasure map of a notorious pirate called Captain Flint. Shortly afterwards, Jim joins Squire Trelawney and Dr Livesey on a mission to retrieve the treasure. Unfortunately, their ship proves to be manned by a crew of treacherous pirates - including the one-legged Long John Silver...

A very easily read, fast-moving and enjoyable book - and one that (presumably) has had a huge impact on how we still see pirates : lots of songs about rum (naturally with a few yo-ho-hos thrown in), treasure maps where X marks the spot and one-legged salty old sea dogs with parrots that scream "pieces of eight". Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars

Smart as paint September 9, 2006
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

I first read Treasure Island when I was about 9 or 10 and although it was a fairly challenging read for a child whose literary excursions up to then had largely been confined to The Famous Five, I loved every page of it. There was adventure, violence (loads of it), tall ships, tall tales, goodies, baddies, maps, treasure and, best of all, pirates! At that age there's something deeply evocative about word like pirate, stockade, musket and so on and I remember ed Jim's adventures with great fondness over the years.

In a fit of nostalgia I decided to read it again, although I was genuinely worried that I would n't like it now. If anything it's even better as it has all the great elements I remember from my childhood, but now I appreciate it on a different level and see that it's not all adventure on the high seas, but Treasure Island is a book with vivid and complex characters. Long John Silver remains the charismatic rogue I remember and even though he's a rotten villain and tricks Jim at every turn, you can't help but like him. Similarly, Blind Pew remains the terrifying character I remembered him to be and he should rattle more than a few big kids and little kids with his fierce roaring and cursing.

Some might say that Treasure Island won't appeal to today's children but this book is immediately accessible to any child with an imagination and an attention span longer than 2 minutes. In the same way, it will appeal to overgrown kids keen to live a bit of their childhoods again. It remains, as Long John Silver would say "smart as paint".