Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) novels are perfect escapist fare for young readers. While still in grade school, I was thrilled by The Black Arrow, Kidnapped, Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. His work was so exciting and imaginative, that he helped make me an avid reader at a very young age. Fortunately, I’ve come to appreciate that his works are more sophisticated than I realized. His themes of alienation from society (Kidnapped) and even from self (The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde) are as relevant today as they were in the 19th Century—maybe even more so. Many modern writers have acknowledged his influence, including literary giants Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, and Vladmir Nabokov. Regardless of his place in literature, he will always be the writer who, for many young adults, first inspired them to love reading.
Robert Louis Stevenson
June 24, 2019
