Reviews

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

sams84's review against another edition

5.0

This is better than I remember it laden as it is with pirates, treasure, parrots, ships and sails and a man so far out of his depth it haunts his dreams for years to come. This is a swashbuckling tale that follows our narrator as he gets himself embroilled in a treasure hunt in a location that remains undisclosed (just in case) with men that are far meaner than he ever imagined (rather naieve young fellow ig you ask me, they are pirates after all). We follow him and his fellow crew mates as they discover the treasure and betray each other for a bigger share of the bounty. It is amazing how good this still is and how many of the pirate stereotypes come from this one book. An excellent read, even now.

sams84's review against another edition

5.0

A brilliantly written adventure with everything a kid could want in a book, great good guys, even better bad guys, pirates, adventure, a bit of violence and an unpredictable and exciting storyline. Stevenson writes in a descirptive and vivid way putting you right there in the action. The good guy is both brave and terrified at times and is therefore so much easier to identify with, the bad guys are big ugly and scary (as bad guys should be) and the locations are fantastically unbelievable yet seem oh so real.

thebookisheb_'s review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

icegoddess09's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sinningsammy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I have a strong attachment to this story. When I was a theater kid I played Billy bones and it will always be a fond memory of mine. The story is so interesting and fun. At this point I’ve probably seen every adaptation of this story that exists.

lepetitbookstagram's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

heddas_bookgems's review against another edition

3.0

Don’t mind me finally actualizing my review. ⬇️

This is a swashbuckling adventure full of pirates, treasure maps, and double-crossing rogues. It's the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, until the pacing decides to throw you off. Some parts race along with thrilling action, while others seem to drag like an anchor in the sand. Still, the excitement mostly wins out, making it an enjoyable ride.

That said, for all its high-seas charm, the book comes with baggage, mainly the whiff of colonialism and racism that sticks out like a sore thumb today. Sure, it was groundbreaking back in the day, setting the template for every pirate tale since, but that doesn’t excuse the outdated attitudes. It hasn’t exactly aged like fine wine, more like a forgotten barrel of rum. Nevertheless, Treasure Island remains a classic, even if some parts now feel like a relic of a less enlightened time.

danisadler's review against another edition

2.0

Again not for me, if I hadn't had to read this for Uni I can't say I'd ever have picked it up!

Definitely more interesting than Little Women, but critically comparing the two regarding gender specific literature in the nineteenth century is going to be even more sleep inducing than reading the books in the first place I think!

hannahjane451's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Love me an adventure - and to a mysterious island no less. Though the language of the book is a bit complex in parts, I enjoyed the story with all its twists and turns. The characters are also very well written… perhaps one too many for ease of reading? or at least a few too many names… but Jim Hawkins is a great protagonist, and impossible not to root for. Following the coming-of-age storyline, I particularly enjoyed the arc of Jim’s confrontation with Israel Hands. On that note, the amount of death in the book is high, yet the emotion is relatively low - perhaps because it is a book targeted to young boys written in the 19th century? Or maybe thats just the pacing of a pirates life. Overall a strong narrative with unique characters. Glad I picked it up. 

molol's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Couldn’t say I knew exactly what was going on because it was an audiobook and I kept zoning out, but lots of plot twists and characters.