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A review of Treasure Island

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Classic swashbuckling story of pirates, buried treasure and deceit

Reviewed by: Paul A. Paterson
About Paul A. Paterson

Treasure Island While working at a seaside inn, young Jim Hawkins finds himself in possession of a mysterious map. Upon further research, he finds it gives the location of a buried pirate treasure and, within weeks, a ship is commissioned and sets sail in search of the fortune. Unfortunately, the crew is made up of a collection of criminals, murderers and general riff raff, led by the ship's cook, Long John Silver. When they reach the island, the crew stages a mutiny, locks expedition leaders Squire Trelawney and Captain Smollet in the brig and sets out to find the treasure for themselves. Jim must now find the courage and ingenuity to rescue his friends and bring the pirates to justice.

Treasure Island has become a classic, but the many screen adaptations -- from Walt Disney to The Muppets to a rarely-seen early Japanimation effort -- have played fast and loose with some plot elements. Most recently, the story has been remade and placed in outer space in the visually stunning Treasure Planet. But there is nothing like the original. Treasure Island contains some thrilling sequences, especially during the mutiny and subsequent island scenes. Young readers will relate to the brave and resourceful Jim Hawkins, and chuckle at the colorful Ben Gunn.

This is a pure adventure story with plenty of swashbuckling, double-crossing and daring rescues for everybody. If your children think they know Treasure Island from what they've seen on TV, take the time to read the original aloud to them. Stevenson's writing style makes the book easy to read and a joy to hear. Some books become classics. Read Treasure Island, and find out why.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Treasure Island

Copyright © by Paul A. Paterson, 2003

Reviewed by Paul A. Paterson:
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