My Favorite Reads: Treasure Island

At Home With Books has a weekly meme where we can all talk about books we read and loved before we started blogging. Hope you enjoy my reminiscences!

The book: Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson - published in 1883 - 224 pages

What is is about: This is the story of young Jim Hawkins and his adventures with the pirate Long John Silver in his search for buried treasure.

Why I love it: This is an adventure story meant to be enjoyed by children but it is not "just" a kids story. There is fun and adventure, yes, but there is also friendship and a blurred line between right and wrong. Is Long John Silver "all" bad? If he is a pirate, how can he be "good" in any way? What is the "right thing" for young Jim to do? These are not simple questions to answer nor are they simply the problems of children. Of course, for the most part I love the book because it is FUN ... but the morality issues it weaves in are what make it an enduring classic.

Other thoughts: Two things come to mind ...

First, there's a relatively new book out called SILVER, by Edward Chupack that is a retelling of this book. I have it on my shelf waiting to be read.

And second, I've seen many of the movie adaptations of this book but my favorite will always be The Muppets Treasure Island. Here are a few clips for your viewing enjoyment:





Do I own it? I fell in love with this book in middle school. I'd check it out from the library over and over again, reading it at home and in class (stuffed in my desk so the teachers couldn't see) until I finally lost it. That was the first book I ever had to pay the library for ... I was mortified. I never did find it, and I've never bought a copy for myself. I might get one for Kiddo one day though ...

Would I recommend it? Oh yes, most certainly. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book (but of course I'm biased!).