TREASURE ISLAND

Treasure Island was initially considered a coming-of-age tale and is known for its setting, characters, and action. It is one of the most often dramatised of all novels. Treasure Island or the Mutiny of the Hispaniola was first serialised in the children's magazine Young Folks from 1881 to 1882, attributed to the pseudonym "Captain George North." Treasure Island (originally titled: The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys) was inspired by a map of an imaginary, romantic island that Stevenson and his stepson Lloyd Osbourne drew idly on a rainy day in Braemar, Scotland. Stevenson had recently returned from his first trip to America, recalling hardship, sickness, and adventure (including his recent marriage). "It was to be a tale for boys; no need for psychology or fine writing; and I had a boy at hand to be a touchstone," Stevenson said of the story's conception. Women were barred, and I came up with an idea for Long John Silver, from which I promised myself funds of entertainment: take an esteemed friend of mine, strip him of all his finer qualities and higher graces of disposition, and leave him with nothing but his bravery, courage, quickness, and magnificent geniality, and try to convey these in terms of a raw tarpaulin culture.