Robert Louis Stevenson

Description: The book consists of a series of discussions of the prose fiction of Robert Louis Stevenson, from his first book, New Arabian Nights, to the last short novel published in his lifetime, The Ebb-Tide. All his best-known novels are covered, as well as a selection of his lesser-known works. The focus is on the works themselves, rather than on Stevenson’s admittedly fascinating life, which is touched on only so as to provide a context for his writing. It is arranged by the dates when the works were written, rather than when they were published, to provide an outline sketch of his career as a writer. The emphasis is on the diversity and energy of Stevenson’s creativity, without seeking to over-emphasize distinctions frequently applied to him in the past, such as that between his ‘stories for boys’ and books apparently written for adults. All contribute to his richness.