Treasure Island
Pure, adventurous delight. Stevenson's writing is direct and straight-forward. Writers like Dicken's who could effectively make use of the baroque in their narratives are rare, and Stevenson doesn't bother to try. 'Treasure Island' reads as clear as any modern YA novel without neglecting rich characters or adventure. There is none of the bloodless adventure of the Hardy Boys here. From "the Captain's" entrance into the old "Admiral Benbow" to that final cry of "Pieces of Eight!" the story is quick with new discoveries, breathless gunfights, adventures by moonlight, and life or death struggles on the deck of the Hispaniola.
The snobbery of the modernists be damned, literature owes a great deal to Stevenson's writing. Here, at least, is one that unconditionally lives up to its reputation. I would not hesitate to put this in the hands of any ten year old, or for that matter, any adult.
