Kidnapped

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All in the characters - Rated
Kidnapped tells the tale of a young man’s quest to gain his rightful inheritance, after being swindled by his uncle who sells him into slavery. A fast moving action adventure, it is really only the use of rather archaic language that stops Kidnapped from being the perfect children’s adventure. I was surprised by how little of the book is actually concerned with the heroes adventures while on board the ship that is to take him to the Americas – after a shipwreck the majority of the novel concerns the boys homeward trek through the Scottish highlands in the company of fugitive Alan Breck. The actual adventures that befall the pair are pretty standard, what makes the novel enjoyable is the relationship between the pair, as though ostensibly on opposing political sides the pair come to rely on each other and strike up a great friendship. A little simplistic to rank as a great novel, Kidnapped is nevertheless a diverting tale of adventure.

An easy to read adventure classic - Rated
It says in the introduction to my edition that David Balfour, the young man who is kidnapped at the behest of his Uncle, is the character that Stevenson put most of his own personality into. He is certainly a mature 18 year old and there are some fantastic, witty exchanges with Alan Breck, his older fellow escapee. Stevenson writes beautifully about the countryside and with great admiration for the fortitude and courage of the Highlanders during what were times of great deprivation. The story is essentially an adventure, however the quality of the prose rightly set it out as a classic.

A boy's adventure juxtaposed against troubled times - Rated
In Stevenson's third novel, David Balfour, a sixteen year old orphaned boy, travels to meet his uncle in Queensferry. His welcome is not what he expected though, and after narrowly avoiding being murdered he is kidnapped aboard a ship bound for Carolina, and his adventures begin.

Set against the aftermath of the Jacobite Rebelion, this novel does give an interesting insight into Highland life at the time, however it also provides a test of both the reader's geography (to keep up with David's travels) and history. Armed with this knowledge the book is no doubt an excellent portrait of the times, however without it you can still enjoy a good tale of adventure and misfortune, and it is still a book to be enjoyed.

A tip though: try to avoid reading the chapter names in the Contents, it ruines the story somewhat!

Fine historical fiction - Rated
The troubled Stevenson, creator of Jekyll and Hyde and 'Treasure Island', turned to his love of Scottish history for 'Kidnapped', the tale of Davie Balfour, a lowland Whig sold into slavery by a miscreant uncle and then, after a shipwreck, a companion of Jacobite highlander Alen Breck in a desperate escape through the mountains of Scotland with English troops in pursuit. An essentially simple tale told with wit and style, and a highly accessible classic.