Abduction

Author: [British] Stevenson
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This novel is a classic work by the renowned British writer Robert Louis Stevenson. It narrates an adventure, exile, and growth through the lips of a 17-year-old boy. The Scottish orphan David seeks his uncle for the family's inheritance but is lured onto a ship and transported to America as a slave. The ship runs aground at sea and sinks, and he finds himself alone amidst a murder investigation, being pursued by the authorities as a suspect. On the run, he encounters Allen, another refugee from the ship, and the two travel together, spending a thrilling escape in the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. Finally, he returns to the place where he was lured, and with the help of friends, he outsmarts his uncle to reclaim the inheritance he deserves. The story unfolds in a fictional autobiographical style, filled with a sense of immediacy, making the reader feel as if they are living it. It actually tells the story of a boy's longing for the world, his reactions to the dangers he encounters, his attitude toward friendship, and his process of recognizing, judging, and growing amidst the starkly different human natures of bravery, justice, kindness, and cowardice, selfishness, and greed. The historical backdrop of the Scottish Rising and the rich Scottish atmosphere also make this story particularly captivating. Since its publication in 1886, this work has been continuously published and reprinted in countries around the world over more than a century. The British literary critics generally regard it as one of Stevenson's "best novels."