“A thrilling adventure story, gripping history and fascinating study of the Scottish character, Kidnapped has lost none of its power.” — The Guardian
“Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson has it all: murder, intrigue, crime, danger, blackmail. This lesson is about the story of the amazingly unlucky Davie Balfour, who is on a quest to claim his destiny. Kidnapped is one of the most enduring novels in the English language.” — Study.com
David Balfour, a young Scottish boy whose parents had both died, leaving him an orphan, travels on foot to his ancestral home known as the House of Shaws. Upon his arrival, his wicked and suspicious uncle Ebenezer locks him away in a dark room. After several attempts to kill the boy and make it look like an accident, Ebenezer arranges to have him kidnapped by the seafaring Captain Hoseason.
This begins a saga of treachery, danger and close scrapes with death as David is forced to grow up quickly and live by his wits amidst rough seaman on the ship. A little at a time he learns of his true rights to the House of Shaws and determines to return to his homeland by whatever means necessary.
His adventure to claim his inheritance is filled with peril. Will he overcome the dangers and enjoy his family estate?
Read KIDNAPPED and find out!
Author Biography
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. His most famous works are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr, Jekyll and Mr, Hyde.
A literary celebrity during his lifetime, Stevenson now ranks among the 26 most translated authors in the world. Many other writers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Marcel Proust, Arthur Conan Doyle, Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, J. M. Barrie, and G. K. Chesterton, have admired his works.
Born in Scotland to stalwart working class parents, young Stevenson broke away from his conservative roots and ventured into the world to enjoy the bohemian lifestyle. He wrote in maniacal fashion at times, and some literary experts suspect that his energy was fueled by cocaine and the use of other drugs.
Stevenson used the money from his success as an author to establish an estate on the island of Samoa. His lifelong health struggles overcame him at last at age 44 and he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The Samoans insisted on surrounding his body with a watch-guard during the night and on bearing him upon their shoulders to nearby Mount Vaea, where they buried him on a spot overlooking the sea.
About the Publisher
Authors Jacob Nordby and Aaron Patterson founded Stonehenge Classics to restore timeless classics for the digital age and provide modern readers with new reasons to rediscover books that connect us to our past treasures of truth, beauty, and wisdom.
More Titles in the Stonehenge Classics Literature Series
don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes
Call of the Wild – Jack London
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
Kidnapped – Robert Louis Stevenson
The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
Dracula – Bram Stoker
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Washington Irving
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells