Book Description

Never out of print since its first publication in book form in 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is a thrilling narrative of pirates, hidden treasure, and peril on the high seas that is as popular with adults as with children. Here, at last, is a worthy sequel, written in the same spirit as Stevenson's brilliant original.

Now a sturdy young man of twenty-one, Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy who narrated Treasure Island, is content with his quiet life as landlord of the family inn. Nothing could induce him to return to the accursed island. But when a mysterious and beautiful stranger comes begging for his immediate assistance in locating the pirate Joseph Tait, Jim is powerless to resist. Last seen marooned on Treasure Island, Tait was the roughest pirate of the lot. What could a woman of Grace Richardson's elegance and refinement want with such a reprobate? The answer leads Jim back to the South Seas, to violence, mystery, and dangers he never dared imagine.

A brilliant re-creation of the high style and spellbinding suspense of the original, The Curse of Treasure Island is destined to become a classic in its own right.

From Publishers Weekly

This sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 classic packs a great deal of adventure into a relatively small package. However, escapades and high melodrama are nearly all that's offered. Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy who narrated Treasure Island, is now 21; he helps to operate the Admiral Benbow Inn, where he regales travelers with tales of his seafaring adventures. Enter a beautiful young woman named Grace Richardson, who, traveling with her son, is being pursued by sinister types. She begs Jim to help her find the pirate Joseph Tait, last known to be marooned on Treasure Island. Hawkins initially demurs and offers her accommodation at the Admiral Benbow, but after a series of hair-raising events, he finds himself a fugitive and is soon on his way back to the island. Grace stubbornly refuses to provide any details about why she must find Tait, or who her pursuers are, and this is where the story falls apart. It is impossible to believe that everyone involved would set off on an expensive and dangerous voyage with so little to go on. At least a dozen men die, which probably could have been avoided had Richardson explained herself. Long John Silver and his famous parrot make an appearance, and Bryan offers plenty of swordplay and spilled blood. A key problem is that the too-good-to-be-true Hawkins narrates, so no matter how perilous his situation, we know he survives. Stick with the original.

From Library Journal

One of the greatest adventure stories in all literature is Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Now, here is a sequel, and a grand book it is. As in the original, the main character is Jim Hawkins; ten years have passed, and Jim is helping his mother run the Admiral Benbow Inn. A mysterious young woman named Grace arrives at the inn with her son and begs for Jim's help without disclosing the motivation. Suffice it to say, he must return to Treasure Island, a place he has come to dread. Complicating things is Jim's attraction to Grace. Various characters Long John Silver, Ben Gunn, and Squire Trelawney, to name a few reappear. There are two separate villains, both of whom chase Jim at various times, providing some very exciting moments. Jim escapes one villain by jumping on a raft into the sea and is rescued days later by the other villain, who (plausibly) does not recognize him. As in the original, there is never a dull moment. Written pseudonymously by a British journalist, this adventure story is recommended for public libraries, but all will enjoy it. Fred Gervat, Concordia Coll. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Lib., Bronxville, NY

From Booklist

Bryan approaches the delicate task of writing a sequel to a literary classic with healthy doses of both caution and respect. Devoured by generations of armchair adventurers, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is too beloved to be imitated casually. Breathing new life into a host of original characters, including the memorable Long John Silver and the villainous Joseph Tate, the author transports an adult Jim Hawkins back to the uninhabited island where he cheated fate and made his fortune some 10 years earlier. Moved by the mysterious plight of Grace Richardson, an attractive and obviously refined young woman, Jim reluctantly returns to Treasure Island, seeking to recover a cache of silver and to uncover the fates of the hardened pirates he and his comrades left behind to die a decade ago. True enough in tone and language to satisfy admirers of the original tale, this rousing sequel also features enough action, adventure, and plot twists to stand on its own. Margaret Flanagan

From AudioFile

About Author

Francis Bryan is the pseudonym of a prominent British broadcast journalist.

Book Dimension:

length: (cm)23.6 　　　 　　　　　 　 width:(cm)15.8