Kidnapped door Robert Louis Stevenson

Home reading

I. The work:
Book number: 1
Title: Kidnapped
Year: 1886 first published
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Number of pages: 103

1. Genre:
- Historic novel

2. Subjects matter:
- Adventures

3. Basic idea:
- Heroism because on the “Brig”, a ship, a fight occurred with David and Alan against captain Hoseason and his crew, they were in the minority and still they won.

4. Tone:
- It’s realistic but it isn’t based on a true story.

5. Name of main characters:
- David Balfour: he is a lad of 17 years old. His father died and he gets a letter of minister Campbells which he has to deliver to his uncle Ebenezer. This is the begin of his inheritance of the family property.

Characteristics:
- docile: he always followed Alan in the escapes and he never shared his opinion about the escape route.
- helpful: he always wanted to help other people on the way, he even wants help his uncle Ebenezer.

- Alan Breck: he is a Jacobite, these are people who want to bring king Stuart back, but they failed so he deserted from the English army and joined the French army. He was collided in his rowing-boat by the brig when he escaped from Scotland to France to bring the second taxation of the Jacobites for the French king.

Characteristics:
- Proud: he always talk full of his French king and the Jacobites.
- Presumptuous: when they are escaping from the red-coats (army of England) he always cleans his clothes after the run yet they are a little bit dirty.

6. Summary:
- The story is about a boy David Balfour. When his father died he met minister Campbells who gave him a letter which he had to bring this to “the Shaws”: the property of his uncle Ebenezer in Cramond. David never knew that his poor father was related to such a high family. The minister also gives him a gave of a bible, a schilling and a medicine, which later will be used in the story. When David arrived at the Shaws he met an old man with a blunderbuss, it was his uncle who later let him in after a identification. When David was in he got porridge and then his uncle let see him his room. The next day a cabin-boy of captain Hoseason, Ransome, came in with a letter. The letter said that they are invited to the brig. When they arrive at the brig, Ebenezer kidnapped David for some money by captain Hoseason. He did not like David because there was an old quarrel with David’s dad about a girl, David’s mother, when David’s dad has to choose between the money of the Shaws or David’s mother, of course David’s father chose for David’s mother. At the ship David was locked up but Mr Riach helped him, Riach was an officer at the ship. Later that day they collided with a rowing-boat with Jacobites on it, two died and one survived, it was Alan Breck. The Captain won money of him so they wanted to kill him but David heard it and told it to Alan.
So they decide to challenge the crew of the brig and they win. Only the captain and mister Riach were alive, the rest of the sailors were badly wounded and many died. But there was a heavy storm so the both camps decided to help each other, but is was in vain. The brig was going down. Alan, David, Riach and the captain survived and went on.
David was alone on an island and had lost his friend Alan. On his trip home he met the Red fox, the leader of the red-coats (English army), when they talked he was been shot and died. David was suspect to be an accomplice, so he began to run away. At his run he met Alan again. At their journey to escape from the red-coats because they suspect Alan and David, they have a lot of adventures. At the end they were back at David’s village Essendean. There David met sir Rankeillor (a lawyer) about his inheritance. Later they trick David’s uncle and get his inheritance.

7. The scene of the action:
- Scotland
- Essendean at the west of Edinburgh

8. Social setting:
- David was a poor boy because his father was an schoolteacher and his uncle had all the family money because (look summary)

- Alan Breck:
-He was a deserter of the English army but work now in the French army.
-He was a fine gentleman with a neat wetcoat.

9. Era:
- 1750’s

10. My opinion:
10.1. In general:
- It was a good book because it was full of adventures and fights.

10.2. The content:
- The story was mostly about adventures, I like that and feel sometimes the fair when I read the book and certainly one time when I was reading on the toilet when it was raining and thundered.

10.3. Suspense:
- p14: I crept very slowly forward on my hands and knees Bats flew about, and beat on my face and hands, but I crept on. The tower was a square. In every corner the step was great stone of a different shape, to join the straight stairs. I was moving round one of these corners, and put my hands out to feel way. It slipped on an edge. There was nothing it- only empty space! The steps ended here, in the air. These were the good stairs! My uncle had sent me here, into danger.

11. Choice of an extract:
- “No, David,” Alan said, “ if one door is open, they will come that way. I shall see my enemies in front of me. That is better He gave me a cutlass from the wall. He said I must load all the pistols with gunpowder. Then he drew his own great sword and swung it up and down. “The room is too small,” he said. ”I can only use the point of the sword. It is a pity. Now, listen to me.” I said I was listening. My chest was tight, my mouth was dry. My heart was beating hard. I thought I was going to die. “How many are there against us?” he asked. I counted. “fifteen,” I said. “Well,” he said,” “they are enough! I will defend the open door. Don’t shoot this way, because you will hit me.” “There is the other door behind you,” I said. “yes,” Alan replied, ”you must watch that one. Climb up into the berth by the window. If they attack that door, you must shoot.”

 Motivation:
- This is one of the most creepy moments in the book because they are ready to defend themselves for the seamen and there captain. I like this part the most because it’s the biggest fight in the book, and I like fights. In books of course.

II. The author:

-Biographical notes:
1) Date of birth:
- November 13th, 1850 in Edinburgh.

2) Death:
- He died on 3rd December, 1894.

3) Nationality:
- Scottish.

4) Parents:
- He was the son of Thomas Stevenson.

5) Educations:
- Edinburgh university to study engineering, but changed to law.

6) Wife and kids:
- May 1880 he married with Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne ,she already had a son Samuel Lloyd Osbourne.

7) Job:
- Full-time author