April A-to-Z: must-read books
Treasure Island (1883)
Treasure Island (1883)
(1850-1894) Scotland
This is simply the ultimate boy’s adventure story; the perfect, quintessential adventure story
for boys around twelve or so. That I never convinced any of the boys I started
more-or-less mentoring at that age, who are now in their late teens, to read
this book (as far as I know), is probably the most resounding failure of my
life; nothing short of tragic!
If you know a boy in grade school, You have to get him this book. You
just have to!
Jim Hawkins
is roughly that age; perhaps a year or two older, and gets caught up in
high-stakes, high-seas, life-threatening, nineteenth-century pirate affairs in
a gripping, unputdownable tale! I haven’t read it in thirty-five years and I
surely won’t read it again. The details are vague in my head but they radiate a magic which I will not compromise by submitting the book to adult perspectives!
The language
of the original version is a bit archaic but remains suitable for brighter,
more curious boys, according to tests I actually conducted with live boys! There are texts with modernized language for
those who are not up to the challenge.
Treasure Island
is historically notable as the origin of such ingrained pirate lore as X’s on
treasure maps and parrots on shoulders. Also it was prodigiously morally
complex for children’s literature.
A passage:
In I got bodily into the apple barrel, and
found there was scarce an apple left; but, sitting down there in the dark, what
with the sound of the waters and the rocking movement of the ship, I had either
fallen asleep, or was on the point of doing so, when a heavy man sat down with
rather a clash close by. The barrel shook as he leaned his shoulders against
it, and I was just about to jump up when the man began to speak. It was Silver’s
voice, and, before I had heard a dozen words, I would not have shown myself for
all the world, but lay there, trembling and listening, in the extreme of fear
and curiosity; for from these dozen words I understood that the lives of all
the honest men aboard depended upon me alone.
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4 comments:
I was very intrigued by the excerpt. I think in this day and age, girls would find this book appealing as well.
I don't know how well I would push and get others to read a book I admit *to not reading for 35 years and *never intending to again.
Intrepid: It's such an all-male cast of characters. I guess I feel like girls deserve some girl characters to read about!
Cammies: Sorry I didn't explain that concept well enough. I tend to write with a brevity that is aimed at a fairly literate audience. But thanks for dropping by and do remember to take your underthings with you on the way out.
Love the excerpt! Makes me want to read it! I'm ashamed to say that I haven't yet!
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