Both because I was training for a marathon and because I was growing tired of only listening to music or podcasts on my daily commute, I decided to peruse the free audio books available at Librivox. And I was delighted to find this old childhood classic. I first read this novel when I was 10 or 11 I believe, and it was one of my favorite adventure stories from one of my favorite authors. After listening to this nearly two decades later, I continue to love it.
The story centers on the young heir David Balfour whose uncle pays to have him kidnapped rather than have to share the family fortune. Stolen on the high seas, rebelling from the crew with the aid of a Scottish highlander Alan Breck Stewart, shipwrecked, and pursued as a murder suspect, Balfour has quite the adventure for a sixteen-year old. It is no wonder that as a young boy this novel conjured up many images of adventure and intrigue. And I am not embarrassed to admit that I felt the same emotions again while listening to this book.
Stevenson is a descriptive author to say the least. I have never been to Scotland, nor did I live in the 1700s shortly after the Jacobite uprising. Yet, the author's attention to detail, effective use of first person, and captivating plot line draw me deeply into the setting. I was particularly impressed with the descriptions of hardship and trial found in the book. Rarely do modern day authors seek to detail just how hunger feels or what sleep deprivation or physical suffering is like. And even rarer too is the protagonist who must battle with physical and mental trials without ever fully overcoming them. Balfour is particularly likable because he has suffered in identifiable ways and yet ultimately emerges triumphant. In that, Kidnapped mirrors (and complements) Stevenson's other great masterpiece Treasure Island. I look forward to reading this novel to my son and filling his mind with adventure.
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