School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up
This retelling of Stevenson's classic hits the high points of what was originally a densely written story, making it more palatable for reluctant readers or those who want to revisit the original. The text and dialogue retain the spirit of the novel, but the hard-to-read Scottish accents are softened and the passages in which characters speak to each other in Latin have been removed. On the whole this is an engaging adaptation, aided by Kennedy's vibrant illustrations in a palette dominated by blues, greens, and sepia tones. The action scenes are exciting, and readers will get a good feel for the dangers of the sea and the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. However, adapting some parts of the book and using other parts verbatim can be confusing. For example, the last sentence, about David Balfour finding the doors of the British Linen Company's bank, is quoted verbatim. Earlier mention of this bank is not included, which might leave readers wondering why it is significant. Quibbles aside, this book would make a good bridge to the novel for readers who want to delve deeper into the story, and will also prove to those readers who think they hate classics that some of them are actually kind of cool.
Andrea LipinskiCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
1894 New York Times
The workmanship was admired and the horrors were related with such charm and freshness, joined to refinement, that readers of fine taste found the work a source of genuine pleasure.”
Henry James
A masterpiece.”
Masterpieces of World Literature
This tale of high adventure, told simply but colorfully, is woven around a true incident; Stevenson’s characters, from all classes, noble and ignoble, are skillfully drawn and develop convincingly as they pass through kidnappings, battles at sea, murders, and other adventures…David and Alan have contradictory points of view and antithetical sociopolitical commitments; yet they work together and form a lasting bond on the basis of friendship and loyalty that transcend their differences. Here is Stevenson the novelist at his best—forsaking dogma and eschewing ideology in favor of humanistic values. Stevenson was a master storyteller.”
Guardian (London)
One of the best-loved adventure books of all time.”
From the Publisher
[Kidnapped] compelled me from the first words and has not let go to this day… It implanted an image of how a novel should work. I think a lot of my ambitions as a writer, and many of my own persisting themes, originate there: friendship, courage, the need to go out into the world and make your fate. I reread it every couple of years, and get more interested in it, not less.” —Hilary Mantel
MARCH 2010 - AudioFile
In an attempt to collect his inheritance from his father's estate, young David Balfour finds himself pressed aboard the ship of an evil captain and crew. His eventual escape during a shipwreck leads to even more exciting travails and danger. Since much of the Stevenson's writing centers on Scotland and the Scots character, narrator Steven Crossley reads this tale as its author might have. Adept at the language of the region and times, Crossley deftly brings one of literature's best-known stories to the ears of contemporary listeners. His renditions of the sea chanteys and poetry mixed into the prose showcase his breadth of talent. Those who enjoy the classics will find both story and performance delightful. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine