Spirited, romantic, and full of danger, Kidnapped is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic of high adventure. Beloved by generations, it is the saga of David Balfour, a young heir whose greedy uncle connives to do him out of his inherited fortune and plots to have him seized and sold into slavery. But honor, loyalty, and courage are rewarded; the orphan and castaway survives kidnapping and shipwreck, is rescued by a daredevil of a rogue, and makes a thrilling escape to freedom across the wild highlands of Scotland. Acclaimed by Henry James as Robert Louis Stevenson's best novel, Kidnapped achieves what Stevenson called, "the particular crown and triumph of the artist...not simply to convince, but to enchant."
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"I'm sorry that I had not read this book before now. A long stay in Scotland is on my bucket list, especially to the Heberdies. The descriptions of the lonely landscape and the Highland society took me to this special place. The twists and turns of the story had a rhythm that was suited to the way the book was originally published which feels a bit choppy to us now. Sadly, hard copies of the book could not be found in either my local bookstore nor my public library . Happily the Gutnburgh project has made it available electronically."
— Joan (4 out of 5 stars)
" The first of five volumes of a graphic adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped." Tells the tale of sixteen-year-old David Balfour, whose uncle has him kidnapped. David escapes and is caught up in the rebellion of Scottish highlanders against English rule. "
— Tweller83, 2/11/2014" You just have to love RLS. He is the master of classic action-adventure. The kind of book that stuffy critics love to refer to as "boys'" novels. Well, I happen to love boys and their novels. :) "
— ChristinaRae, 1/30/2014" Wow, what an adventure! I recommend this book to anyone--and if you're turned off by the complicated language of old (as I sometimes am), give in and listen to it on audio. Jim Weiss does a pretty fantastic reading. "
— Dudley, 1/14/2014" Very good indeed. Never boring and very well written, schools should prescribe this for every student of English. "
— Andrew, 1/13/2014" I read this several times when I was younger. "
— Bryan457, 1/12/2014" This took me about 40 minutes to read. Surprisingly, quite a bit happened in that time. Good for elementary school kids. "
— Luke, 1/10/2014" IT WAS AWFUL!!! I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON HALF THE TIME I READ IT. "
— Willow, 12/17/2013" I tried, but it just didn't radiate enough interest for me. "
— Mister, 11/2/2013" A really fun adventure story. Robert Louis Stevenson has such a great way of using language that otherwise boring occurrences are interesting, and interesting occurrences are exciting. "
— Brandon, 10/15/2013" There was just too much misfortune for Davy, I grew tired of reading of one mishap following another. "
— Karen, 9/27/2013" I really liked this book. It is entertaining and feeds your imagination. Now I really need to go to Scotland! "
— Shelley, 9/16/2013" read at school and loved it then. "
— Alan, 9/15/2013" Two thumbs up from me and my son. A nasty greedy uncle, an orphaned heir to a fortune, a ship wreck during a storm, and then chased by British soldiers in the Highlands...lots of action and a great story about friendship. "
— Nicol, 5/5/2013" Fun book, easy to read. Another book I was forced to read in high school and one of the ones I was glad I was forced to read it. "
— Raleighhunter, 10/7/2012" A classic story that's a fun read. It's by the same author as Treasure Island and I think I like this one better because it's not quite so dark. "
— Jeniann, 10/6/2012" I learned about Scotland, it's history and complicated rivalry. "
— Cindy, 9/24/2012" I listened to an audio recording of this. I found the book to be just ok. Treasure Island was better. "
— Emily, 5/22/2012" Interesting from a historical perspective but otherwise kind of boring and pointless. "
— Matt, 4/19/2012" I listened to this on a drive across the country. It was interesting enough to keep my attention, but was by no means an epic adventure. Maybe it would have been better read the old fashioned way? "
— Eric, 1/2/2012" Scotland, 1751. David Balfour, an orphan betrayed by his uncle travels on a ship around the coast of Scotland and meets Alan Breck during this travel. Later their journey continues in Highlands. Great book written in darker and less adventureous manner than Treasure Island. "
— Anna, 12/23/2011" Stevenson was called "Tusitala" -- Story Writer -- in his last home on a Samoan island, and that he was. Was it his sickly childhood that made him such a fine adventure-story writer? Although Treasure Island is my favorite, I also enjoyed Kidnapped. "
— Nikki, 10/27/2011" Kind of too long. Tells the story of David Balfour. Talks all about clans in Scotland and the King. "
— Sue, 7/16/2011" LOVED it! It was more than I hoped for. Colorful characters, great language, great insight into mid-18th-century Scotland. :) I learned a lot about the people, language and topography. RLS rocks. "
— Sharon, 5/18/2011" Lots of fun in this RLS adventure/travelogue/history of Scotland. After reading this I must conclude <br/>that the ultimate movie Alan Breck would be Robert Downey Jr. "
— Chris, 5/16/2011" I can never really get into classics, but I made it through this one because the movie was interesting so I though the book might be also. "
— Samantha, 5/14/2011" I've been listening to this with my son as we commute to/from various places. The story is gripping and the prose is delicious. "
— Geoff, 5/13/2011" I enjoyed reading this short book in the ebook version. It only took a few nights to finish. I really liked all the old Scottish vocabulary, and the story was engaging. The ending was somewhat abrupt, and left me a bit disappointed, but overall it was a fun and quick read. "
— Mara, 5/11/2011" another great book from robert louis stevenson "
— David, 5/10/2011" Seventeen-year-old David Balfour's villainous uncle has him kidnapped in order to steal his inheritance. David escapes only to fall into the dangerous company of rebels who are resisting British redcoats in the Scottish highlands. "
— Nur, 5/8/2011" I have a huge collection of RLS, and this is the first one I read. Interesting story but just didn't capture me. "
— Amy, 5/1/2011" Really good! It wasn't depressing as I was expecting it to be, and there was plenty of adventure!!! "
— Rachel, 4/19/2011" Pretty good. Not as entertaining as Treasure Island, but in the end I grew to really like the main characters and their interaction together. "
— Devin, 3/28/2011" They called this a kid's book when it was written. I find it hard to believe, but it was a fairly good read for adults. As with all books written so long ago, you have to get through the language. "
— Karenbike, 3/22/2011" Good classic story, but I prefer Jack London and his "Sea Wolf" novel which to me goes in the same vain. "
— Josh, 3/11/2011" I didn't care for the narration of the story. "
— Megan, 2/28/2011" I did not like this book at all. It was very boring and difficult to read. It is about David Balfours adventures from the actions of his evil uncle. Some characters had really thick accents so it was hard to read. I would not recomend this book, only to experienced readers. "
— Michael, 2/27/2011Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) was born in Scotland. He studied engineering and law at the University of Edinburgh and then began writing while traveling in France. The publication of Treasure Island in 1883 brought him fame and entered him on a course of romantic fiction beloved by young and old alike.
Kieron Elliott, born and raised in Airdrie, Scotland, has appeared on television and in film. A voice actor for over twelve years, he has had roles in numerous video games and was the voice of Hoark the Haggard in the film How to Train Your Dragon.