Kidnapped

by Robert Louis Stevenson, Donald McFarlan (Editor), Donald McFarlan (Introduction), Donald McFarlan (Noted by), Alistair Gray (Foreword by)

Overview

At once a rollicking adventure story and an earnest political allegory

Orphaned and penniless, David Balfour sets out to find his last living relative, miserly and reclusive Uncle Ebenezer. But Ebenezer is far from welcoming, and David narrowly escapes being murdered before he is kidnapped and imprisoned on a ship bound for the Carolinas. When the ship is wrecked, David, along with the fiery rebel Alan Breck, makes his way back across the treacherous Highland terrain on a quest for justice. Through his powerful depiction of the two very different central characters—the romantic Breck and the rational Whig David—Stevenson dramatized a conflict at the heart of Scottish culture in the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion, as well as creating an unforgettable adventure story.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141441795
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/18/2007
Series:	Penguin Classics Series
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	164,055
Product dimensions:	5.13(w) x 7.73(h) x 0.68(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ian Duncan has written widely on Scottish literature. His books include Scott's Shadow: The Novel in Romantic Edinburgh (Princeton UP, 2007) and The Edinburgh Companion to James Hogg (with Douglas S. Mack) (Edinburgh UP, 2012). For Oxford World's Classics he has edited Doyle's The Lost World, Scott's Ivanhoe and Rob Roy, Hogg's Confessions of a Justified Sinner, and Travel Writing 1700-1830 (with Elizabeth Bohls).

Date of Birth:

November 13, 1850

Date of Death:

December 3, 1894

Place of Birth:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Place of Death:

Vailima, Samoa

Education:

Edinburgh University, 1875

Read an Excerpt

Introduction by Margot Livesey
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Kidnapped"
by .
Copyright © 2007 Robert Louis Stevenson.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Crossley reads this tale as its author might have. Adept at the language of the region and times, Crossley deftly brings one of literature's best-known stories to the ears of contemporary listeners." —-AudioFile

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7 Up
This retelling of Stevenson's classic hits the high points of what was originally a densely written story, making it more palatable for reluctant readers or those who want to revisit the original. The text and dialogue retain the spirit of the novel, but the hard-to-read Scottish accents are softened and the passages in which characters speak to each other in Latin have been removed. On the whole this is an engaging adaptation, aided by Kennedy's vibrant illustrations in a palette dominated by blues, greens, and sepia tones. The action scenes are exciting, and readers will get a good feel for the dangers of the sea and the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. However, adapting some parts of the book and using other parts verbatim can be confusing. For example, the last sentence, about David Balfour finding the doors of the British Linen Company's bank, is quoted verbatim. Earlier mention of this bank is not included, which might leave readers wondering why it is significant. Quibbles aside, this book would make a good bridge to the novel for readers who want to delve deeper into the story, and will also prove to those readers who think they hate classics that some of them are actually kind of cool.
—Andrea LipinskiCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Stevenson's best book."—Henry James

From the Publisher

The workmanship was admired and the horrors were related with such charm and freshness, joined to refinement, that readers of fine taste found the work a source of genuine pleasure.”

1894 New York Times

A masterpiece.”

Henry James

This tale of high adventure, told simply but colorfully, is woven around a true incident; Stevenson’s characters, from all classes, noble and ignoble, are skillfully drawn and develop convincingly as they pass through kidnappings, battles at sea, murders, and other adventures…David and Alan have contradictory points of view and antithetical sociopolitical commitments; yet they work together and form a lasting bond on the basis of friendship and loyalty that transcend their differences. Here is Stevenson the novelist at his best—forsaking dogma and eschewing ideology in favor of humanistic values. Stevenson was a master storyteller.”

Masterpieces of World Literature

One of the best-loved adventure books of all time.”

Guardian (London)

In an attempt to collect his inheritance from his father's estate, young David Balfour finds himself pressed aboard the ship of an evil captain and crew. His eventual escape during a shipwreck leads to even more exciting travails and danger. Since much of the Stevenson's writing centers on Scotland and the Scots character, narrator Steven Crossley reads this tale as its author might have. Adept at the language of the region and times, Crossley deftly brings one of literature's best-known stories to the ears of contemporary listeners. His renditions of the sea chanteys and poetry mixed into the prose showcase his breadth of talent. Those who enjoy the classics will find both story and performance delightful. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2010 - AudioFile