Sunday, June 24, 2018

Book review - "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson

I first became familiar with this as a kid reading an abridged version with plenty of pictures. But you know something? I don't think my judgement's changed. It starts off fantastically - with David Balfour orphaned, going to his uncle, uncle tries to kill him by sending him up stairs, he's sold into slavery, meets Alan Breck, helps fight against the crew, winds up shipwrecked, a blind man tries to kill him.

Then things get let sure - the plot ambles as the characters amble through the heather. David meets Breck, they are near an assassination, they meet some highlanders - but it's really kind of a lot of walking and became less interesting. I felt a specific person needed to be after them or something.

Breck is a great character - Han Solo of his day, doing a little dance after a fight because he loves war so. Really, David should be a girl in this - they even have a lovers tiff.

A very strong first third, but then I lost interest.

No comments: