Treasure Island [with Biographical Introduction]

TREASURE ISLAND

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

A Digireads.com Book

Digireads.com Publishing

Treasure Island

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-2258-5

Ebook ISBN 13: 978-1-59625-014-7

This edition copyright © 2011

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

There are few people, avid readers or not, who are unacquainted with the work of Robert Louis Stevenson. His iconic stories have been translated into dozens of languages, adapted for film and television and been referenced and reinterpreted in media around the world. It is a tribute to Stevenson's gifts as a storyteller that his works appeal to both adults and children. Readers have found in his tales of adventure and suspense an appealing mixture of excitement, imagination and escapist fantasy. But Stevenson wrote more than just lighthearted entertainment. He also produced an impressive body of nonfiction that examined the craft of fiction writing and the role of art in society. Stevenson matured in both his writing and ideology over the course of his career, and there are few authors who have adapted to popular and critical pressures as well as he did. Outside of his writing, Stevenson's life embodied the spirit of adventure that was the focus of so many of his stories. He travelled the world and ended his life on the islands of Samoa. His fertile imagination was fueled by many exotic experiences in his travels. His stories illicit the same thrill for today's reader that they did for the readers of his own time.

Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father came from a long line of Scottish engineers that were famous for having built many of the largest lighthouses in Scotland; his mother, from a line of the Scottish gentry. Stevenson's early childhood was characterized by a lung condition that would haunt him throughout his life. Modern scholars believe that he likely suffered from tuberculosis. The Stevenson family moved around the city several times to accommodate Robert's consistently poor health. Both his parents were devout Presbyterians, a branch of Calvinism, but his family was not strict in its adherence to its principles. Rather, Stevenson's early religious education came primarily from his Calvinist nurse who had dedicated herself to the strict doctrine of predestination. Calvinist principles like the duality of man and the eternal conflict between good and evil were themes that would appear throughout his later work

Owing to his illness, Stevenson was a gaunt and frail looking young boy. He had difficulty fitting in at school and was frequently isolated from his peers. This was exacerbated by the fact that he was often absent from school for long stretches due to his health and had to be taught by private tutors. Stevenson did not learn to read until he was 7 or 8 but showed an early aptitude for storytelling. He would compose stories based on biblical passages and Scottish history. His father was delighted by his son's creative streak and paid for Robert's first publication at 16: a retelling of an integral piece of Scottish history

In November of 1867 Stevenson started at Edinburgh University where he intended to study engineering as most of the men in his family had. He was quickly bored by his studies and spent far more time pursuing the bohemian lifestyle that was gaining popularity in Britain at the time. He rejected his family's religion and politics and began to dress in a flamboyant style. He frequented cheap pubs and brothels and attended the meetings of a debating society that often reached radical conclusions. This caused a significant amount of tension within the family, but his parents were reluctant to sever their relationship with their only child. In 1871 he announced his intention to become a man of letters – one who supported himself through writing and commenting on the issues of his day. Stevenson's father was supportive, but insisted that his son study law and pass the Scottish bar in order to secure his financial future.