Treasure Island

Robert Louis StevensonSpeaking Tiger Publishing Pvt LtdApr 2015

4.4

Word count: 83K words
Chapters: 41

Summary

Following the demise of bloodthirsty buccaneer Captain Flint, young Jim Hawkins finds himself with the key to a fortune. For he has discovered a map that will lead him to the fabled Treasure Island. But a host of villains, wild beasts and deadly savages stand between him and the stash of gold. Not to mention the most infamous pirate ever to sail the high seas... With a wonderfully funny introduction by award-winning author Eoin Colfer, "Treasure Island" is one of the twelve brilliant classic stories being relaunched in "Puffin Classics" in March 2008.

Editor's review

Treasure Island is the founding work of the adventure novel. Stevenson uses a treasure map to set young Jim on a voyage and to lead readers into a world of blurred morals. What truly rewards rereading is not the thrill of the hunt but the character of Long John Silver: capable and dangerous, courteous and ruthlessly decisive at once, he keeps the whole book under a cloud of uncertainty. Told from a boy's perspective, the novel is clean in language and tight in pacing, leaving a new suspense at the end of almost every chapter—an ideal case for seeing how a coming-of-age novel combines with genre adventure. This edition includes an introduction by Eoin Colfer that helps readers enter the text's historical context. One caveat: the depictions of so-called "savages" and other others carry the prejudices of the nineteenth-century colonial era and should today be read as period traces to be examined, not accepted as fact. It is perfect for reading in one sitting on a holiday or journey, and works well as an entry point to classic English fiction; reading it alongside maps and nautical background material makes it all the richer.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers aged ten to fourteen who are just beginning with full-length adventure stories
Learners who want to approach a classic English original in a shorter length
Adult readers who enjoy seafaring, treasure-hunting themes and strong plotting
Parents and teachers choosing a shared-reading text and material for discussion

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer gentle, lyrical literary fiction without action
Readers sensitive to nineteenth-century colonial discourse and unwilling to examine period prejudice
Readers expecting rigorous historical accuracy or authentic nautical technical detail

Reading tips

Start with Eoin Colfer's introduction to learn the book's background and the origins of its characters, then move into the text
Follow the treasure map as you read, marking the route of Jim and his companions and the key locations
Watch how Silver's wording shifts each time he speaks, and note the passages where his position wavers
After finishing, discuss with your child: at which moments did Jim's judgment save everyone, and when did it nearly bring disaster?

About the publisher

Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd

Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt Ltd is a publishing house about which limited public information is available; one title from it is currently included in our database. Based on the existing catalogue, its publishing direction touches on inspirational and coming-of-age reading, with Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson as a representative title. This work, an adventure story, is often categorized as coming-of-age reading, which echoes the inspirational growth classification noted in our records. Because verifiable information is scarce, it is not yet possible to confirm its fuller publishing scope, series structure, or author base. Its editorial orientation can therefore only be broadly inferred from this single book: a preference for classic narratives and youth growth themes. Further bibliographic information would help supplement its publishing characteristics.

版权信息
PART ONE— The Old Buccaneer
1 The Old Sea-dog at the Admiral Benbow
2 Black Dog Appears and Disappears
3 The Black Spot
4 The Sea-chest
5 The Last of the Blind Man
6 The Captain's Papers
PART TWO— The Sea-cook
7 I Go to Bristol
8 At the Sign of the Spy-glass
9 Powder and Arms
10 The Voyage
11 What I Heard in the Apple Barrel
12 Council of War
PART THREE— My Shore Adventure
13 How My Shore Adventure Began
14 The First Blow
15 The Man of the Island
PART FOUR— The Stockade
16 Narrative Continued by the Doctor: How the Ship Was Aband
17 Narrative Continued by the Doctor: The Jolly-boat's Last
18 Narrative Continued by the Doctor: End of the First Day's
19 Narrative Resumed by Jim Hawkins: The Garrison in the Sto
20 Silver's Embassy
21 The Attack
PART FIVE— My Sea Adventure
22 How My Sea Adventure Began
23 The Ebb-tide Runs
24 The Cruise of the Coracle
25 I Strike the Jolly Roger
26 Israel Hands
27 "Pieces of Eight"
PART SIX— Captain Silver
28 In the Enemy's Camp
29 The Black Spot Again
30 On Parole
31 The Treasure-hunt— Flint's Pointer
32 The Treasure-hunt— The Voice Among the Trees
33 The Fall of a Chieftain
34 And Last

FAQ

Is this book suitable for English beginners to read in the original?

The original dates from the nineteenth century, and its sentence structures and vocabulary pose some difficulty for beginners. Those with basic English can first read a Chinese translation to become familiar with the plot, then tackle the original; readers with some foundation can use an annotated edition and focus on nautical terms and the dialect in the characters' dialogue.

Are the pirates in the book too simply stereotyped?

Not entirely. Silver is the most complex character in the book; his kindness and calculation often appear together, making it hard for readers to judge him simply as good or evil. Some minor pirates are indeed more types than characters, which has to do with the way the novel was written for serial publication.

What is the purpose of the introduction in this edition?

The introduction is by Eoin Colfer. Its tone is light, and it mainly explains the work's place in the adventure-novel tradition and the pleasures of reading it, helping readers establish basic bearings before entering the text and pointing out narrative techniques worth noticing.

What should be explained to a child before reading?

The book contains violence and death, and it also includes nineteenth-century stereotypes of foreign peoples. Parents are advised to explain in advance that these are limitations of the era and to help the child distinguish the narrator's stance during reading, so that the book's prejudices are not taken as objective description.

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About the author

Robert Louis Stevenson Author

Robert Louis Stevenson was a widely read and much-loved writer in nineteenth-century English literature, known for his works of adventure, suspense, and exploration of human nature. This site collects nine of his works, among which Treasure Island is presented in multiple volumes, telling the classic adventure story of the boy Jim Hawkins, who unexpectedly obtains a treasure map, sets sail in search of treasure, and matches wits with pirates; with its tight plot and tense atmosphere, it is a representative work of maritime adventure fiction. Another major work, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, revolves around the dual identity of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, probing the coexistence and conflict of good and evil in human nature while combining suspense with philosophical depth. Stevenson was skilled at shaping characters through fluent narrative and vivid scenes, and his works are often classified under foreign literature and inspirational growth, enjoying wide circulation among young readers. Because public information is limited, details of his life are not elaborated here.