Treasure Island ~ A Book Review

Treasure Island

Book By Robert Louis Stevenson

Review by Janelle A. Spiers

“It was Silver's voice, and before I had heard a dozen words, I would not have shown myself for all the world. I lay there, trembling and listening, in the extreme of fear and curiosity, for, in those dozen words, I understood that the lives of all the honest men aboard depended on me alone.” ~ Treasure Island

“One more step, Mr. Hands,’ said I, ‘and I'll blow your brains out! Dead men don't bite, you know,’ I added with a chuckle.” ~ Treasure Island

WARNING:  Please be aware that if you continue reading this Book Review, you may be subject to reading spoilers and or secrets of the original book.  However, all attempts shall be made to hide the crucial points, in the event that this review encourages you to read this book.  Any information divulged will be deemed by the author of this review necessary to the review, or, not capable of ruining any major surprise. 

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, has made a lasting impact on children’s fiction. From dark and frightening travellers to swash buckling pirates, Stevenson left us a thrilling tale that has inspired children of all ages since its first publishing.  Fanciful images of the uncouth Billy Bones, the shocking conversations of Long John Silver’s parrot, and the breath-taking danger young Jim Hawkins finds himself facing gives only one explanation: Treasure Island is indeed a treasure.

            Pirates, mutineers, and thieves make a book a tricky place to include a lot of moral guidance, but there are some pieces of gold to be found.  The main character is taught to be very respectful to his elders and especially thoughtful of his mother.  There is also a great amount of trust and betrayal swindled amongst the characters, but when it comes to the young hero, he is completely loyal to his word.  When Jim Hawkins swears to a pirate that he will not try to escape, he holds true to that, even though he had a perfect opportunity.

            When a drunken sailor stumbles into the Admiral Benbow Inn and tells young Jim Hawkins to keep an eye out for a man with one leg, life becomes a bit out of the ordinary for the innkeeper’s son.  Jim keeps a sharp eye out for a one-legged man, but instead, an old blind man appears.  Shortly after, following a quick and deadly duel, old Billy Bones is left dead in the inn and no one to claim his belongings. Jim finds a treasure map in the old man’s sea chest, and after securing the help of some wise friends, they all set off to find the treasure.  There’s one big problem, however; the one-legged cook aboard Jim’s ship may be hiding a secret that will cost the brave young character and his friends their lives.

            Jim Hawkins is the noble main character of Treasure Island, and it is he who tells the story in a first person narrative.  He is described as a boy, and though his age is never mentioned, he is probably a young teen.  With a lot of brain and brawn for his young age, he manages to save the majority of the loyal crew from mutineers, but he never boasts about his bravery or success.

            Long John Silver is the primary antagonist of this gripping pirate novel.  As he hobbles about on a crutch, with a talking parrot on his shoulder, he appears to be a pleasant cook for the ship’s kitchen.  However, he has a mutinous, greedy mind, and when he tries to take over the ship from the captain, his true colors are revealed.  He is possibly the most dynamic character of the book, because he doesn’t often get furiously angry, as most pirates seem to do.  He keeps a cool, even head, carries out his plan with deadly precision, and can almost be kind and caring to young Jim.

            The writing quality of Treasure Island is very fine.  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the narrative simply and boyishly, as if a young lad were indeed recounting his adventures.  There are some pieces, which could be hard to understand, due to the archaic English that Stevenson used.  When characters talk, however, that’s when the real struggle begins.  Stevenson wrote his characters dialogue exactly as they might have spoken it in real life, and so when reading the pirates or uneducated people, the language is hard to understand, because it is not written nicely.  The well-to-do Englishmen are easy to follow, but for anyone else, it can be hard to know exactly what is being said.

            Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850, an only child to his parents.  Stevenson was often very sickly in his childhood and his illness continued until his death.  He was raised as a Christian, since his father was a preacher, but at a young age, Stevenson abandoned his early doctrine and became an atheist.  He published Treasure Island on May 23, 1883. Previously, it had been published periodically in a journal for children.  After years of writing, marriage, and traveling, Stevenson finally died in 1894, on December 4^th.  It is suspected that he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

            Considering the piracy side of Treasure Island, the story is fairly clean.  There’s very little swearing, which is quite a pleasant surprise, and there is no romance or hint of intimate relationships.  Perhaps the only mature content would be the amount of death.  Quite a few characters die, either from sickness, wounds, or murder, however none of the deaths are graphic or overly morbid.  Some sensitive readers may not enjoy the story, but for young, adventure-loving readers, it should be safe.

            Another stroke of genius that Stevenson used was the complete congruency of his characters, plot, and writing style. Though it’s not a very long story, Treasure Island is completely consistent in character development over the course of the story.  The same is true for his well-executed plot line and writing style.

            From the cozy Admiral Benbow Inn, to the mysterious Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson left the world with one of the most familiar children’s fiction books in history.  His colorful tale of adventure, gold, and pirates have inspired many other people to follow in his legacy and write similarly.  Treasure Island is a book that will awaken the fading imagination and bring life, intrigue, and mystery back into the heart of any reader, young, or old.

(Based on a rating system entirely made up of pros and cons, I judge by different categories to ensure that the reader of this review can aptly choose if this book is an appropriate for themselves or others.)

Theme ~ Positive! (For excellent topics that are meaningful and applicable to life.)

Plot Line ~ Positive! (Memorable and exciting for all aged readers)

Characters ~ Positive! (Very memorable and extremely consistent)

Writing Quality ~ Negative! (For some difficulty, especially in dialogue)

Mature Content ~ Positive! (Topics should be suitable for a young or sensitive audience.)

Congruency ~ Positive! (For extreme consistency in plot, characters, and quality)

The total score for Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is 5 out of a possible 6 positive points.

A History Lesson

A History Lesson

Janelle Spiers

A man huddled over his desk, scribbling away at a dark piece of parchment.  The paper was wet with black ink and the room smelled of it.  Eventually, he sat back and crossed his arms, reading over the words he had written.  He nodded knowingly and took up his pen again, dipping it in the inkwell. 

At that moment, the door creaked open softly and a small head poked inside.  The man looked up at his son and smiled.  "Come in, son."

"Sorry, Dad.  I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to see how the story is going."  The boy closed the door quietly behind him and hurried over to where his father sat writing.  

“Ah, well, it’s tiring work.  You see, son, the problem is that none of these little people do what I want them to do.  I created them with a willful mindset, and they sure are stubborn.” He said, rumpling his son’s dark hair.

“Why don’t you just make them behave?  Can’t you just tell them what to do?”  The boy asked with a hopeful gaze as he looked over the neatly formed letters.

“No, son, I cannot do that, for that’s not how I intended my little people to act.  I give them all a choice.  I will not force them to do anything against their will, although I try to remind them the right way.”

“Who are you writing about now?”  The boy asked, climbing up into his father’s lap. 

“Noah,” the man answered, taking up his pen again. “He’s still on the boat that he built and all the animals are getting restless. His wife has been grumbling and his sons are starting to get agitated with each other.”

“Dad, how much longer will you leave him on the boat?  Hasn’t he been on it for a long time?”

“Well, the rain has stopped already, but all that water has to go somewhere, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, dad, but…”

“What is it, son?”  The man asked, resting his chin on the boy’s head.

“I just don’t want Noah to sin because of his family.  He’s got to make a good new start to the world, right?  Can’t you help him, somehow?”

“What would you suggest?”

“I think you ought to send Patience to help him.  She could help him to be gentle with his grumbling wife and his grumpy sons.”

“That is a wonderful idea, son.  Here, you write it.”  The man handed his son the quill pen, fresh with dark ink.  The boy set the pen to the page and began to write in big, bold writing.  The man smiled as he read the boy’s words spread out across the parchment.

After a few silent minutes, the boy said, “How’s that, Dad?”

“It is good, son. Very good.”

The boy scrambled out of the man’s lap and looked up into his father’s face.  “I think Noah will do the right things, Dad.  He will behave.”

“I hope so, son.”

The boy ran out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving his father alone with his pen and his thoughts.  He bent back over the page and smiled at his son’s writing compared to his own; they were exactly the same.  The father read over his work again, took up his pen, and began again to write...

Happy Birthday, To a Childhood Hero!

Tomorrow, December 5, is the birthday of one of the most famous names in the history of cinema.  No, he's not a poet or a novelist or a classic character that one would expect to find on this blog.  He is responsible, however, for creating one of the most iconic characters in all of animation and  creating a world so famous that people everywhere know of it.

Can you guess who it is?

Tis the famous Walter Elias Disney, commonly known as Walt Disney, or just his last name which has been a popular brand of movies, merchandise, and magic.  I chose Disney to celebrate because of the massive legacy he left us through his animated films, which I have enjoyed since my early childhood.  So without further ado, applause for Disney: cheers for his life, celebrating for his brilliance, and thanks for his willingness to share his wonderful ideas.

"A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive."

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main... and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life." 

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

"Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk — especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going, pioneering an adventurous spirit to blaze new ways, often, in our land of opportunity."

"Somehow, I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. The special secret it seems to me is summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Courage, Confidence and Constancy. And the greatest of all is Confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

Stargazing

Stargazing

Janelle Spiers

The world would be a boring place without six-year-olds.  How many kids do you know that just hit age six or are working through it?  Sometimes, they can be a pain to teach and take care of all day and every day, but have you ever stopped to think about what the world would be like if all children skipped the age of six?

Two year olds are adorable toddlers that run around the house and are falling down as often as they get up.  That's a lot of tears, tissues, and runny noses.  But they are just learning to talk and walk and make all sorts of cute pictures on every surface but the paper in front of them.  If kids stayed as toddlers, yeesh, life would be a funny nightmare.

Then they get older and celebrate their fourth birthdays.  By this time, they can probably walk rather steadily, but they are forever getting hurt because they like to dance or wrestle or even just innocently walk down the hallway.  They know enough words to be curious and most of their vocabulary is limited to, "What's that?  Why?"  They always want to know what's going on, what will happen next, and why whatever-it-is does whatever it's doing.  

But by the time they grow out of these trying stages, they make it to age six.  Age five was fine, but they were in an awkward stage between a young, adorable child of age four and a child who ought to know what's expected of them, because they're not toddlers anymore.  Six years old is the place for suspended youth; in between the childhood days and right at the brink of falling into the place of "growing-up."  A six-year-old is like a giant ear, mouth, and hand.  They hear everything you don't want them to hear, and are very likely to repeat that conversation to whomever would like to listen and they want to try everything and feel it, and touch it, and hold onto it tightly.  They are eager learners and their minds are young; the people around them are super influential in their up-bringing.  They're like little stars, flames of energy shining with so much vigor and enthusiasm that their faces are glowing and their spirits are twinkling.  

But for good and for bad, it doesn't last long.  The children grow up, go to school, learn to be a part of the adult world, and they soon lose something they won't even remember having.  Imagination, innocence, and inquisition are gone from them, replaced by facts, expectations, and rebellion.  They lose the happy imaginings of rainbow unicorns that dance in the clouds mixed with pirate robots from outer space; it's all boiled down into, "No, unicorns are make-believe and clouds are actually made of water vapor."  They lose their innocent questions and very honest demeanor and they are no longer interested in discovery, because they are forced to learn it whether they want to or not.  

A six-year-old has something really special.  They are little children with ideas as far-out as they can be, voices that long to be heard, and eagerness swirling around in a small, tiny frame.  I think that we should all be like six-year-old's again; we should shoot for the stars, blast like a rocket, and search for our dreams amongst the clouds.  Let's learn to be children and see the world from a child's eyes; they know how to dream big, search for answers, and try to achieve their secret goals.  Let's observe the "stars" of our world and try to grow up to be just like children.