Kidnapped

By Robert Louis Stevenson. Barnes & Noble's Library of Essential Writers Series, 2006. 1156 pg (Kidnapped being pages 399-567). HC. Link.

Kidnapped was a most interesting adventure, set in Scotland in the mid-18th century. David Balfour, a young man of eighteen, is the main character. Both parents are now dead and he takes off to his formerly unknown uncle with a letter from his father. The uncle turns out to be a miserly old man of no reputation, who at first tries to kill David by an "accident" and when that did not work, through trickery David winds up on an ship bound for the Carolinas. The captain, Hoseason, was paid 20 pounds to take the boy.

At sea the ship strikes a small french boat, and there is only one survivor, Alen Breck, who offers the captain a large sum for taking him to France. The officers plan to kill the man and take his money, but David warns him and the two take up arms against the rest. They come to a truce, with David and Alan secure in the officers quarters. A few days later the ship goes through a storm and David is washed off, the ship is later shipwrecked and Alan escapes.

David ends up on a small islet, and not having ever seen the see before he came to the ship, he had no idea that the tide would go out and allow him to cross at one end to the main land, and so he spends several days in agony.

David and Alan are falsely accused of murder and have to make a run for it. This part makes up the largest portion of the book, which I won't spoil for you.

One minor drawback to the book is that Stevenson included some of the Scottish language when the characters spoke, so sometimes it was difficult to understand what they were saying. One curious thing about this edition is that the publisher defined some of the odd sayings on the bottom of the page, but they were very selective. One of the most confusing ones for me (though after a while you figure it out) is that "ken" means "know," and when you add "nae" or just "ae" to the end of a word it means not, so "I kennae" would mean "I don't know." "Mair" is more, and a "bairn" is a son/daughter.

I absolutely love the Library of Essential Writers Series. At $12.95 each (cheaper if you can get them on clearance) it's hard to beat the price. The binding is tight, and for such a large volume that's an important feature. The paper is a very light cream color and makes it easier on the eyes. I have several of these volumes in my library, and I hope they make many more. They make a fine addition to any library.