Classic historical fiction by R.L. Stevenson <p> Originally written as a boys adventure novel, modern readers will probably consider it more a book for adults. <p> The plot is fairly straightforward: Our Hero, David Balfour, is tricked out of his rightful inheritance by an evil uncle, shanghaied, shipwrecked, partnered with a historical figure (one Alan Breck Stewart) and caught up in the events of an unsolved historical mystery (the Appin Murder). The body of the novel is a day-by-day description of their flight through the Scottish highlands, on the run from the Redcoat troops searching them out. <p> Overall, the novel succeeds in creating some degree of tension and suspense, especially in the first half or so, with some classic melodrama elements. The latter half of the novel drags a bit, though, and would probably be less appealing to younger readers and more enjoyable for readers more interested in Stevensons prose style. There is a great deal of Scots dialect, but the most obscure words are footnoted. <p> Overall, Id recommend this highly to a fan of books like Sir Walter Scotts Waverly or Rob Roy, or to anyone who had a particular love of historical fiction set in the 18th-century scottish highlands.
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