Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1881) is set in the days of sailing ships, pirates and treasure maps marked with an X. It recounts the adventures of Jim Hawkins and his search for the buried treasure of Captain Flint, an evil pirate. Treasure Island is one of the most frequently dramatised of all narratives.
“Like the best of children’s literature, then and now, Treasure Island looks to lure its young readers into the adult world, not to cosset them from it. For all the violence, Jim learns to be brave and resourceful, to stand up to bullies, to keep his word, to help his impoverished mother, to deal with loss and betrayal. He learns not to trust strangers and even to be merciful.”
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New York Times