Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" (Graffex)

by Fiona Mac Donald (Author), RobertLouisStevenson (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2007

  $5.41

  Follow David Balfour's thrilling adventure as he survives and attempt on his life, only to be kidnapped and destined for a life of slavery. A violent storm offers a means of escape, but the adventure doesn't end there - he goes on to witness a murder, then forms an unlikely alliance with the exiled Allan Breck and becomes a fugitive on the run. Vibrant full-colour artwork adds fresh appeal to this classic tale. Speech bubbles work with the main text to emphasise and enhance the retelling. A running glossary at the foot of each page helps young readers with any challenging vocabulary without disrupting their reading experience. Endmatter provides information about the author, the historical background to the period in which the author lived and a timeline of world events that places the work in historical context. It fits into Key Stage 2 English and supports Key Stage 3 English. It helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14.

• Used

  Paperback
  1993

  $3.23

  Set in Scotland in 1751, Kidnapped remains one of the most exciting stories ever written. Young David Balfour, orphaned then betrayed by his Uncle Ebenezer, his so-called guardian, falls in with Alan Breck, the unscrupulous but heroic champion of the Jacobite cause. Shipwreck, murder and dramatic escape through the Highlands are just a few of the ingredients of this highly charged tale of intrigue, action and adventure. Catriona, the lesser-known sequel, immediately continues David's story. Back in Edinburgh, he is caught up in the aftermath of the Appin murder; certain of the accused man's innocence, David's determination to testify on his behalf is impeded by a series of adventures, not least of which is hid passionate but problematic romance with Catriona, granddaughter of Rob Roy MacGregor. Alan Breck features again, becoming involved in the thrilling attempt to reunite the lovers. One of his own favourites, Stevenson said of Catriona that he would 'never do a better book'.

• Used

  Hardcover
  1985

  $3.23

• New

  paperback
  

  $10.71

  Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped is at once a rollicking adventure story and an earnest political allegory. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction and notes by Donald McFarlan and a foreword by Alasdair Gray. Orphaned and penniless, David Balfour sets out to find his last living relative, miserly and reclusive Uncle Ebenezer. But Ebenezer is far from welcoming, and David narrowly escapes being murdered before he is kidnapped and imprisoned on a ship bound for the Carolinas. When the ship is wrecked, David, along with the fiery rebel Alan Breck, makes his way back across the treacherous Highland terrain on a quest for justice. Through his powerful depiction of the two very different central characters - the romantic Breck and the rational Whig David - Stevenson dramatized a conflict at the heart of Scottish culture in the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion, as well as creating an unforgettable adventure story. This new edition includes a foreword by Alasdair Gray discussing Stevenson's life and literary career and how he came to write Kidnapped . In his introduction, Donald McFarlan considers the novel's realism and a depiction of Scotland. This volume also includes a historical note, a map, notes, new further reading and a glossary. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Edinburgh, the son of a prosperous civil engineer. Although he began his career as an essayist and travel writer, the success of Treasure Island (1883) and Kidnapped (1886) established his reputation as a writer of tales of action and adventure. Stevenson's Calvinist upbringing lent him a preoccupation with predestination and a fascination with the presence of evil, themes he explored in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), and The Master of Ballantrae (1893). If you enjoyed Kidnapped , you might like Jack London's The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and Other Stories , also available in Penguin Classics .