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Kidnapped (David Balfour #1)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 21,866 ratings · 671 reviews

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

The adventures of David Balfour, a young orphan, as he journeys through the dangerous Scottish Highlands in an attempt to regain his rightful inheritance.

THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

A concise introduction that gives the reader important background information A chronology of the author's life and work A ti...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published June 1st 2002 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published 1886)

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Jun 10, 2008 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Alan," cried I, "what makes ye so good to me? What makes ye care for such a thankless fellow?"

"'Deed and I don't know," said Alan. "For just precisely what I thought I liked about ye, was that ye never quarrelled--and now I like ye better!"

Historical fiction, an adventure story, but also a great "buddy story". The plot follows young David, who is cheated out of his inheritance by a greedy uncle, and kidnapped into servitude on a sailing ship. The ship hits a small boat during a fog and picks up...more

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Jul 16, 2008 Werner rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of 19th century fiction, and of adventure fiction

Shelves: historical-fiction, classics

While the above description suggests, misleadingly, that all of protagonist David Balfour's adventures take place on the "high seas" (he only gets as far as the treacherous coastal waters of his native Scotland, and the great majority of the story takes place on land), the rest of it is pretty apt. This is Romantic historical adventure fiction at its finest (that is, fiction from the Romantic school, with its stress on appeal to emotions --here, excitement, fear, sympathy, moral indignation, adm...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Arick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Took me a bit to get into. Fun adventure, would love to see a movie based on the book, true to form. My kids would love it (movie). That was a lot of grief to go through. Found out some relatives are better off not known.

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May 09, 2013 Ty Morris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this book in order to entertain people who enjoy adventure books. It is also written in order to give the reader a good idea of the time period and to keep the reader asking the question, "What will happen next?" One theme of this book would be perseverance, because young David Balfour and later his friend Alan Breck have to persevere through many tough situations that come their way. I believe that Robert Louis Stevenson was indirectly trying to tell the reader tha...more Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this book in order to entertain people who enjoy adventure books. It is also written in order to give the reader a good idea of the time period and to keep the reader asking the question, "What will happen next?" One theme of this book would be perseverance, because young David Balfour and later his friend Alan Breck have to persevere through many tough situations that come their way. I believe that Robert Louis Stevenson was indirectly trying to tell the reader that many tough things can happen in life, but you just have to keep your head down and plow through the situation. Robert Louis Stevenson clearly believes that if you work hard and persevere, and good things will happen.
This book can be considered both a description and a narration, because David Balfour describes his situations so that it feels like you are witnessing the events in the story. An example of description in this book is when David's uncle first abandons him. "I felt I was lost. With all my strength, I plucked myself clear of him, and ran to the bulwarks. Sure enough, there was the boat pulling for the town, with my uncle sitting in the stern. I gave a piercing cry-- 'Help, help! Murder!'-- so that both sides of the anchorage rang with it, and my uncle turned round where he was sitting, and showed me a face full of cruelty and terror" (Stevenson, 61). It can also be considered a narration, because David is flashing back on his journey towards his inheritance and tells the stories of his adventures. I felt that these styles were fairly effective, because it made you feel like you were involved in the different events as they occurred. Stevenson also used the "native" language of the time to make the book more realistic. An example of this language is when David's friend Alan argues with another man named Robin about their musical abilities. "'Do ye own yourself beaten at the pipes, then,' said Robin, 'that ye seek to change them for the sword?'" (Stevenson, 263).
Overall, I thought that this book was alright, but not my favorite book that I have read this year. I did like how Robert Louis Stevenson made you feel like you were a part of the story. Stevenson does a good job of describing the feelings of characters in this book. The following quote exhibits one of these descriptions. "As for Alan, his face grew dark and hot, and he sat and gnawed his fingers, like a man under some deep affront" (Stevenson, 264). However, I disliked how the author put some unnecessary events near the beginning of the story. If I were to modify this story, I would get rid of some events that I felt were just "space fillers" in the book. This book is not particularly like any other book that I have read, at least as far as I can remember.
For the most part, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson is a pretty good book. Besides being a pretty good book, it also teaches some important life lessons. The most important of these lessons is to always have hope, work hard, and something good will come of whatever problems occur in your life.
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May 06, 2013 Jonathan Kranz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-ya

Here's a book that's simultaneously well-known AND under-appreciated. If asked, I suspect most people would regard Kidnapped as an adventure story for boys -- and, in a sense, it is. Alan Breck is rightly remembered as one of the most dashing of romantic heros and the story has plenty of sword play and scheming.

But I was pleasantly surprised by how adult the story is. Alan may be romantic, but he's an ambiguous character. Did he commit murder? Is his Jacobite crusade really on behalf of the Sco...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Max Garrett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Main Issue: David was trying to get back to southern Scotland, which lead to a few adventures.

Setting: It takes place in Scotland in the year 1751

Main Characters: David, Alan, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Rankeillor, Captain Hoeseason, and Uncle Ebeneezer.

Summary Davids parents die and he goes to find whatever his parents left for him. David finds out he has a rich Uncle Ebeneezer. He finds out he belongs to a really rich family. David gets to his uncles house but they don't come off to be the greatest fr...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Trent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kidnapped By Robert Lois Stevenson Review

What did you like about the book and what could have been better?

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Although I tried and failed to read and understand it long ago in 7th grade, I eagerly anticipated reading it again, and this time, I felt that I understood and “mastered” it without the aid of SparkNotes. It read quite quickly and was well worth my time. Of the things I liked, I enjoyed how I could relate to the main character, David Balfour, because of our rel...more Kidnapped By Robert Lois Stevenson Review

What did you like about the book and what could have been better?

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Although I tried and failed to read and understand it long ago in 7th grade, I eagerly anticipated reading it again, and this time, I felt that I understood and “mastered” it without the aid of SparkNotes. It read quite quickly and was well worth my time. Of the things I liked, I enjoyed how I could relate to the main character, David Balfour, because of our relatively similar ages. Also, I enjoyed how the story related to the history of Scotland as written in the book, whether it true of make-believe. Through this, the author is able to bring clan, religious, and monarchal beliefs into part of the plot. The adventure, as a whole, took place in travels across Scotland, both land and sea, with different adventurers, and was very interesting to see who and which situation David would be thrown into next. On the other hand, there were a few aspects of the book that I did not enjoy. First, the language is much outdated and sometimes hard to understand, and the few footnotes given don’t offer enough information. For example, towards the end, the lawyer says a series of statements in Latin, offering no footnotes. Again, I did not like how the author ended the story on a boring note, after the whole adventure occurred with never-ending action. A few more minor problems persisted, but did not majorly influence my perspective of the book.

Discuss the style of the book. Diction-Syntax-Literary Devices

Stevenson wrote this book in the 19th century, and the language is much different from today. Therefore, words are spelled much different. Words like “no” and “nothing” are written in the book as “nae” and “naething” but add flair to the speaker. Vocabulary is much different, using words such as “laird” and “heather” to refer to people or plants. The diction very much highlights the speaker’s background and education, and also their social standing. Names are introduced in Scotland with a title, such as “David of Shaws” or “John of Claymore”. The syntax in some sentences is inverted and is very common in conversation. Because of this, conversation, in general, can be interpreted in a different way that intended. Sarcasm, metaphor, similes and other devices are found throughout the story, but are not as common as one might think.

What was the moral dilemma the character faced?

Kidnapped is a “great Odyssey”(p 286) where David Balfour is hated by his mischievous uncle for interesting reasons, kidnapped by a ship’s crew and put on a ship where be becomes a cabin boy, on his way to being sold as a slave. Then, their ship smashes into and destroys a smaller ship, and a weapon-laded Frenchman is the only survivor, known as Alan Breck. Alan, a noble member of the Appin-Stewart clan, befriends David and they start an insurrection that lasts until their brig shipwrecks just off shore. They are split up, but are later reunited when Alan and David partake in a murder of the leader of the Appin-Stewart rival clan, the Campbell’s. David, not thought to be a primary suspect in the murder, is faced the dilemma to journey with Alan, labeled as a fugitive, or go off on his own. David believes that it would be easier to go off alone, but remains with Alan, nevertheless. And together, they evade troops, meet an exiled clan leader, and benefit with help of Alan’s clan mates, and they eventually make it to David’s home where they confronted David’s evil uncle. After that conflict is settled, they disband and say good-bye to each other as they both go their separate ways.
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Jan 04, 2013 Smcleish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in October 2001.

This deservedly famous novel marks a stage of development in the popular thriller from the romances of writers like Scott. It tells the story of David Balfour, who discovers, on his father's death, that he is the rightful heir of the estate of Shaws, in the hands of his miserly uncle Ebenezer. However, his uncle has him kidnapped and put on board a ship, which plans to sell him as a slave in America. The ship is wrecked on an island off the Mu...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Cleo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I read Treasure Island a while ago (perhaps I'll reread it again soon), and have been wanting to read Kidnapped for a long time. It's also an adventure story; David Balfour, an orphan, is cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle, who schemes to have him kidnapped and sold into slavery. The story is full of adventure, with a shipwreck, a dangerous journey across Scotland, intrigues, escapes, and fighting. Eventually justice triumphs.

I really liked the beginning of the story; then somehow, it g...more I read Treasure Island a while ago (perhaps I'll reread it again soon), and have been wanting to read Kidnapped for a long time. It's also an adventure story; David Balfour, an orphan, is cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle, who schemes to have him kidnapped and sold into slavery. The story is full of adventure, with a shipwreck, a dangerous journey across Scotland, intrigues, escapes, and fighting. Eventually justice triumphs.

I really liked the beginning of the story; then somehow, it got bogged down. A lot of the Scottish lingo was difficult to understand, though the Signet Classics edition I read kindly provided footnotes on the page. But more difficult to understand was the history. I didn't feel like doing research to find out what was happening in Scotland in 1751, but perhaps I should have. There were a lot of references to what was going on (I gather the British were oppressing the Scottish), and some background knowledge would have been very helpful. Also, David was a bit annoying. He's so horrified when he thinks that Alan shot one of the Campbells in cold blood, but he himself had shot some comparatively innocent sailors a week or so before. Talk about senseless morals. And apparently, the Campbells have done a lot of evil things (sorry, Mr. Campbell). Also, it was kind of stupid, because Allan says he hates "the Campbells", as if all men named Campbell are related to this one family. There is a Mr. Campbell in David's life who has helped him a lot, so...Also, the section where Alan and David are fleeing across Scotland is really tedious.

Nevertheless, Kidnapped is full of action, and is a so-so Robert Louis Stevenson novel, the second one I've read. I had some niggling complaints, but if you're looking for an adventure story and a "classic", this is a good book to read. Really, I still understood most of the novel, even if I didn't understand the specifics of what was going on. However, I doubt I'll be adding Kidnapped to my own collection anytime soon. That section was really boring. I would recommend checking this one out of the library first.

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Jun 14, 2012 Affan Khan rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is a very good reason why Robert Louis Stevenson's books are still made into movies. Take, for example, the Disney animated hit Treasure Planet, which was based on Stevenson's Treasure Island. The book is just as rousing an adventure now as it was more than a hundred years ago, and has therefore been the subject of many movie adaptations and the inspiration for countless other children's novels since then.
Although somewhat lesser known, Stevenson's Kidnapped is no less timeless. Following...more There is a very good reason why Robert Louis Stevenson's books are still made into movies. Take, for example, the Disney animated hit Treasure Planet, which was based on Stevenson's Treasure Island. The book is just as rousing an adventure now as it was more than a hundred years ago, and has therefore been the subject of many movie adaptations and the inspiration for countless other children's novels since then.
Although somewhat lesser known, Stevenson's Kidnapped is no less timeless. Following the death of his father, David Balfour finds that he has wealthy kinsmen in a nearby town, and that his father's wish was that he would seek them out. Upon his arrival at his uncle's house, David discovers that he is unwelcome, and slowly the truth of his identity begins to unravel.

Kidnapped is more than a story about a young man's search for his true birthright, however – Stevenson knew that more than that was needed to capture a young adult's attention for the length of an entire novel. Even as David is working out the meaning of his uncle’s odd behavior, his newfound relative is plotting against him. David suddenly finds himself kidnapped and aboard a ship destined for the American colonies, where he is to be sold into servitude, presumably at his uncle's behest.
David's situation seems hopeless until Alan Breck comes aboard the ship. Almost immediately upon Alan's arrival comes a desperate battle for their survival. Thrust into a situation where they must count each other allies against the greedy crew, David and Alan become fast friends. After a brief separation caused by the sinking of the ship, they travel together for the remainder of the novel.

Although it is the kidnapping that starts the novel's adventures, David spends only a short time as a captive. In fact, without Alan's friendship, the story might have been quickly resolved, with David either being delivered into slavery or escaping to starve for want of money. As it is, David ends his captivity aboard ship by stumbling into new adventures, all the while with Alan at his side: he is wanted for murder, evades soldiers and scouting parties, meets dangerous Jacobite outlaws, and eventually develops a ploy to trick his uncle into giving him his inheritance.
Stevenson clearly uses Alan's character to drive the plot by introducing new and increasingly more thrilling dangers to David’s predicament. However, many of the adventures that David experiences are also caused by his naivety and over-confidence. For example, early in the book he is so certain that he can handle his uncle's attempts to get rid of him that he unwittingly walks right into a trap. Later in the story, when he is shipwrecked on an island, he nearly dies of starvation and exposure before finding out that his "island" is separated from the mainland only when the tide is in. The combination of Alan's influences and David's own propensity for getting himself into trouble result in a novel that is sometimes humorous, sometimes invigorating, but always impossible to put down.

It is hard to believe that a novel of Kidnapped's caliber – or, indeed, any of Stevenson's adventure novels – was written primarily from Stevenson's bed. Unfortunately, Stevenson suffered from lung ailments throughout his short life. As did many who could afford to in those days, Stevenson traveled extensively, always in search of a climate that could cure his condition. Stevenson was often confined to bed on these travels, leaving him to imagine and write all of the adventures he was never himself able to experience. Some of his most well known adventures – Treasure Island, The Black Arrow, Kidnapped – were written during periods of almost constant illness.
Regardless of his perpetually failing health, Stevenson understood the value of a powerful, fast-moving adventure. The popularity of Kidnapped, well over a century after it was first published, demonstrates the timelessness of the story. Set in Scotland and the surrounding sea, Kidnapped maintains a rapid and suspenseful pace throughout the book, riveting the reader from start to finish
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Jun 06, 2012 Russell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although I liked Treasure Island better, it's not by a whole lot. A good coming of age story. The only caveat for me was every fifth word was a Scottish word. Thank goodness I was reading this on my Kindle Fire so I could stop and look up the word either in the Kindle dictionary, or failing that, on the Internet. Stevenson's characters are never completely bad or good, but a human mix of both. It's the situations the characters are faced with that lets the good or bad come forth. David and Alan'...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars

This paragon of colorful and lovely writing is now often classified as YA, young adult. My unabridged version would be a challenge for less than a strong high school reader. The language is appropriate for the mid-1700s setting primarily in Scotland. That makes the vocabulary sometimes obscure or unfamiliar to twenty-first century readers. That is surely not a complaint. The story, language, and structure are terrific. The story: David Balfour at age 17 becomes an orphan upon the death of his fa...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Abby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-lit-2012

Plot Summary:

The setting is Scotland in the 17th century. In history, during this time period, there was a revolt against the King of England (Kind William at the time) by men who were called jacobites. Our story begins when a young boy named David, is orphaned as a teenager and learns of an Uncle living in another town. He was excited to meet this family member and hopefully have someone to help him out in the future. His Uncle has no desire to help him, and instead pays a sailor to Kidnap him...more Plot Summary:

The setting is Scotland in the 17th century. In history, during this time period, there was a revolt against the King of England (Kind William at the time) by men who were called jacobites. Our story begins when a young boy named David, is orphaned as a teenager and learns of an Uncle living in another town. He was excited to meet this family member and hopefully have someone to help him out in the future. His Uncle has no desire to help him, and instead pays a sailor to Kidnap him and take him to the Americas. Along David's way, he meets a young Jacobite man, who helps home find his way. The main idea is David finding his way home, and figuring out a family mystery along the way.

Main Characters:

David of Shaws: David is young and inquisitive. He is very gullible and will be talked into just about anything at the beginning of this story. He wants to believe in the goodness of family and honorable people. He grows up in this story and learns about how to interact with people of different belief systems.

Alan Breck: Alan is an older gentleman that David meets along the way. He is gentlemanly and honorable. He treats David as an adult and sometimes forgets that he is still a child in many ways. Alan's character really adds depth to this story.

Key Issues: Death, Inheritance, Revenge, Historical Fiction

Other Interesting information:

This picture is illustrated with original oil paintings from N.C. Wyeth, and they really help the story move along and help the reader to embrace the setting. I am a major fan of most historical fiction novels and short stories and something about this one just didn't get me going! It was a good story line, and had excellent illustrations; I feel that maybe the author was trying to handle too much in a short amount of pages. If the book was longer to be able to spread over a longer period of time in more detail I think it would have helped. Overall, a very good book, I did enjoy it, that is why I gave it 3 out of 5 stars!
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Nov 01, 2011 Jan-Maat added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, fiction, british-isles, celtic-fringe, childrens-ya

The problem I have with this rereading it as an adult is the relationship between Alexander and Ebenezer Balfour which drives the narrative. It's too ridiculous. The elder brother giving up his inheritance and becoming a village teacher out of luck is one thing and hard enough to believe (why not just split the inheritance or pay him off or set him up in a profession?) but such a story must have got all over the countryside so it's hard to believe that David, or at least the pastor Mr Cameron wo...more The problem I have with this rereading it as an adult is the relationship between Alexander and Ebenezer Balfour which drives the narrative. It's too ridiculous. The elder brother giving up his inheritance and becoming a village teacher out of luck is one thing and hard enough to believe (why not just split the inheritance or pay him off or set him up in a profession?) but such a story must have got all over the countryside so it's hard to believe that David, or at least the pastor Mr Cameron would have been ignorant of it. At least Stevenson kept back that detail until the end, but still I wonder why he didn't think of a different way to drive the story – say Ebenezer tricking his brother in some way or framing him for a crime. More or less anything would have been more plausible than the story he does use.

On the plus side I like the sense of the cultural differences between the lowlanders and the highlanders which comes through strongly, although I was not sure how far the prejudices against the highlanders reflected Stevenson's own views or what he felt would be a reasonable reflection of those held by contemporary lowlanders.

Other parts of the story don't make much sense. Alan Breck apparently travels regularly between the Highlands and France but apparently doesn't have a regular route or set of contacts (& if he was in a row boat on his way to rendezvous with a French ship neither he nor the Covenant could have been so far from Alan's stamping grounds as for narrative purposes they turn out to be. It should have been a simple matter to stick him in a row boat and take him straight to shore. It's all an unnecessary contrivance.

Later I find it mystifying that when leaving the house of his kinsman he is given only a couple of pennies but two days later on the heather when he sends a message the same kinsman is able to come up with several guineas in a short order. OK I can understand the situation is stressed and hurried, but equally these are meant to be people living under a harsh regime and used to having Breck drift in and out secretly on clan business, as a reader I don't expect them to be quite so innocent. In narrative terms it serves only to demonstrate how Breck communicates and interacts with the clan network because the money is never used and lost at cards at the first opportunity.

That's by the by. Worse the trail of instructions left by Alan Breck for David to follow would have served to bring both friend and foe to the house of Alan's kinsman. Particularly as David doesn't speak Gaelic and has to discover the political lay of the land as he makes his journey. It doesn't suggest a particularly skilled conspirator, but then the Jacobites did loose I suppose, so maybe that's the point.

If you read “The Wind in the Willows” you know it's an animal fable and so you accept that a Vole and a Badger can be friends or that a Toad can disguise himself as a washerwoman and not be recognised. On the other hand if a story appears to be realistic and is set amongst amidst the political intrigue of Scotland after the '45 then you expect the adult characters to behave appropriately or to get hanged. So I'm left wondering if Stevenson was just not very thoughtful in how he put the story together or was just very condescending in how he viewed the highlanders and their capabilities. What does the Gaelic anti-defamation league think?

Best hope the children don't ask too many questions.(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Micah Karahadian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This particular book focuses on adventure. I was in the library at my school and we had to choose a memoir to read. As the teacher said to the class "about 3 more munits" I started to panic. I quickly chose a book that looked at least a little interesting. I was happy I choose it. However, it was a slow start but after the fourth chapter I started to love it. It was a little hard to understand -hens the old English style Robert Louis Stevenson decided to use- but my vocabulary quickly adapted to...more

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May 29, 2011 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001, adventure, children

A 1001 CBYMRBYGU.

Young David Balfour discovers after his father’s death that his family has unexpected wealth and power. David ventures off to meet up with his father’s only brother and finds a man who deceives him and sells him off into slavery, sending David off on a ship bound for America. On the ship, David meets lots more bad guys and there is a lot of shooting and fighting. He falls overboard, survives to live for a while on an isolated island, and then gets thrown into a Scottish struggle...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Shiku rated it 3 of 5 stars

David Balfour, a Lowland boy, is sixteen when his father dies. What he left behind is only a letter that tells David to go to the Shaws; there he'll find his inheritance. David follows his father's instructions and meets his uncle Ebenezer - an awkward person that conceals more than he tells David about his family. Things are getting nastier, and finally, Ebenezer tries to kill David. When this doesn't work, he pretends to give up and wants to see an advocate. David feels safe - and suddenly he'...more David Balfour, a Lowland boy, is sixteen when his father dies. What he left behind is only a letter that tells David to go to the Shaws; there he'll find his inheritance. David follows his father's instructions and meets his uncle Ebenezer - an awkward person that conceals more than he tells David about his family. Things are getting nastier, and finally, Ebenezer tries to kill David. When this doesn't work, he pretends to give up and wants to see an advocate. David feels safe - and suddenly he's sold to a ship bringing convicts to America.
But when he meets the Highlander Alan Breck, they escape, but things don't go the way they should. David finds himself alone on a lonely island, where his travel through Scotland just begins. Now he has just one aim: Coming back home and make things clear.

Who expects a thrilling adventure story won't be satisfied. But who's interested in Scotland, its people, its manners, its landscape might enjoy "Kidnapped".
Actually the plot has enough potential for a really good adventure story, but Stevenson uses too much space for his descriptions of the surroundings or the manners - therefore some of the tension simply gets lost. At some time he focuses on a pipe bag competition between Alan and another Highlander, which is quite interesting, but is not important at all for the action. Furthermore, it might be interesting, but it's not entertaining. So he takes the story its speed that could be quite high if you consider the few pages.
Actually, it already starts this way. Before the journey of David starts he has to go to see his uncle, be sold and the trip with the ship literally takes ages. You might say that this is because it really takes them a long time to travel; however, later one month is summarized within a few pages. There is just too much focus on rather unimportant events that don't have a great impact on what's going on later.
The travel itself is difficult to follow. I had sometimes no orientation where we are right now - and even Google couldn't help! And again I got the expression that the focus is too much on description than on facts that might be use- or helpful.
Furthermore, the characters are everything - despite likable. David is okay, all in all, but Alan is quite strange. He may be brave and he may live up to his ideals, but sometimes he tends to be narcissistic and egoistic. I never felt attached to one of them or any other character. But still I have to admit that they really are characters, not just flat ones, mere names on the paper. They have their strong and their weak moments; they win and they lose; they undergo a development, and they don't always pay attention. It may not make them nicer, but the fact itself is ... yeah, great.
And even if this book has many aspects to criticize, it still is enjoyable. The language isn't that creative, but the Scottish variety of English is reason enough to read and love it.
It's also interesting that Stevenson doesn't settle for stereotypes - at least not only. Of course there are bagpipes, but the Scottish aren't wild, kilt-wearing barbarians. (This wouldn't even work - think of the Dress Act!) Alan for example has kind of fallen in love with his French clothes and he will wear them even this could mean death, because he's easy to recognize with them.
In addition, the Lowlanders aren't mollycoddled copies of the English. They absolutely aren't!
Furthermore, the book has some great scenes where I couldn't stop laughing. There Alan and David just show what sly old dogs they are, and the fact that the others also fall for their line made it even better. Of course this is a question of taste - but who can ignore the great irony, when someone is caught on an island, nearly dies and then finally recognizes he could have gone to the mainland when it's low tide?
What I liked most about his book is the open end, just because it fits the historical events that are known. We don't know about the whole life of Alan Breck and so Mr. Stevenson couldn't write about that, either. Still, the end is not too abrupt - as I said, it just fits.

All in all, I can only say: You can read it, but you don't have to. It might be worth it when you're interested in Scotland, otherwise it would be better to be lucky with other books. (less)

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Oct 13, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"I came to myself in darkness, in great pain, bound hand and foot, and deafened by many unfamiliar noises. There sounded in my ears a roaring of water as of a huge mill-dam, the thrashing of heavy sprays, the thundering of the sails, and the shrill cries of seamen. The whole world now heaved giddily up, and now rushed giddily downward; and so sick and hurt was I in body, and my mind so much confounded, that it took me a long while, chasing my thoughts up and down, and ever stunned again by a fre...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Lara rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had moments of magic; the kind that makes you young again, dreaming of adventure where life on the high seas as a pirate or living in the Swiss Family Robinson tree house is real and vivid- perfect in only the way a young child can dream it. However, once past the first part the book lagged for me; I actually found it a chore to finish. Stevenson does a good job of building up suspense in the beginning, giving the reader only a little information at a time like bait. But once the decep...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Yusef Asabiyah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently read this to my eight-year old son. We'd read Treasure Island a year ago, enjoyed it, and had seen Kidnapped on the library shelf next to it, so this was an obvious choice for us.

In the intervening year, we watched Ivan Passer's Kidnapped with Brian McCardie and Armand Assante, on DVD.

We enjoyed the DVD. I'd watched other film versions in the past, including the Disney on Wonderful World of Color on TV. The problem was, though the adventure story and characters were interesting, I wa...more I recently read this to my eight-year old son. We'd read Treasure Island a year ago, enjoyed it, and had seen Kidnapped on the library shelf next to it, so this was an obvious choice for us.

In the intervening year, we watched Ivan Passer's Kidnapped with Brian McCardie and Armand Assante, on DVD.

We enjoyed the DVD. I'd watched other film versions in the past, including the Disney on Wonderful World of Color on TV. The problem was, though the adventure story and characters were interesting, I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction...I knew I didn't really know what was going on. My son didn't, either.

The historical and political background of the story is more than something added to give "color and authenticity"-- the history and politics shapes everything in the book, including the "adventure". The full impact of the adventure isn't realized with the history and politics subtracted, to "appeal to children."

The elements of the history are fascinating. Children and adults are not exposed to these elements in ordinary forms of entertainment today, and that's a shame. For example: David's Uncle Ebenezer didn't merely have David kidnapped, he had David sold into slavery. This is happening in 1751, before the independence of the United States, and white slavery in America was legal. (How many people know this?) The compensation of the ship captain who transported David to the colonies was mainly what he would receive when David was sold as a slave for plantation work.

The conflict between the lowlanders and the highlanders, the Jacobites(spell check doesn't recognize this word) and the protestants, the rebels and those loyal to King George, create the characters in the most intriguing ways. This is what allows them to be more than stereotypes and for the story to be more than a cliche-ridden "boys adventure story". Even the relationship between David and Allan is incomprehensible if the conflicts are not part of the description of their relationship.

The English were colonizing, imperializing, Scotland during the eighteenth century. In a way, the Scottish were waging an unsuccessful "American revolution" (though the former fight was to restore a monarch.) David, the Whig, is in some ways the mortal enemy of Allan, the Stewart, agent of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Amidst the tales of treachery,(an uncle attempting to murder a nephew,) degeneracy, (a cabin boy is beaten to death by a mate,) and betrayal(the Red Fox's exploitation of fellow highlanders) RLS's treatment of David and Allan's friendship and alliance is especially touching if one understands all the two had to overcome to achieve it.
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May 11, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Sep 19, 2012 Snoozie Suzie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, classics

If I was a young lad I would probably give this 5 stars. Adventure, betrayal, shipwreck, murder and friendship make this an exciting book for probably young teen boys, and the language old Scottish in places wouldn't cause an issue or distract them from finishing. I enjoyed the story of David Balfour and will probably listen to the second book - I doubt I'd read it though - while I'm doing my ironing job. Pleasantly whiles away the time whilst you steam the creases away.

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Aug 25, 2012 Lisa James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1001-books-list, action-adventure, childrens-books, owned

Well, even though this is supposed to be a kids' book, it was pretty engaging even for this Mom. I loved the fact that in my 1948 edition anyway, that even though the author sometimes writes in dialect, he takes the time to do footnotes of unfamiliar Scottish words that he uses in his writing. Most of it is fairly easy to figure out, but I appreciated it.

The story itself is of a young man of 17 who's father passes away & leaves him an orphan, since the mother passed years before. David gets...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Neal Dench rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Many years ago, I read a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, which taught me that I didn't really get on with reading stories written in Scottish dialect. Now, with a lot of water under the bridge, I thought I'd give Stevenson another go. The result? I still don't get on with reading stories written in a Scottish dialect. Even with the help of the occasional footnote and the Kindle's on-board dictionary, I found it distracting and hard to follow, and I just didn't get on with it.

As to the sto...more

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Sep 05, 2009 J. Alfred rated it 4 of 5 stars

There was a movie out recently called "Taken". It was about a kidnapped young lady, and the atrocities that threatened/happened to her and the atrocities that were done to get her back/avenge her. (I didn't actually see it.) Now, compare that with the eminantly Victorian and Romantic Kidnapped. Same basic premise, same (probably) amount of violence involved, and yet the two plots are as different as night and day. Why? Because Realism has forgotten about half of what "real life" (a phrase colleg...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Mary Schumacher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mary-s-2013-ultimatum-read-or-die

Overall I enjoyed this story of a 17-year-old from Scotland set in 1751. David Balfour finds himself orphaned when his father, not a paragon of good planning, dies with minimal information or resources for his son's future. David finds out from the local clergyman that he should go to his uncle, who is the owner of a large estate. The uncle turns out to be a Relative from Hell, as he's a miserly coot who tries to kill him. When the uncle doesn't succeed, he has David kidnapped by a sea captain w...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-before-you-die, action-adventure, classics, young-adult

What a fun book! True it was written to be a YA novel in it's day... many young people of this era would have a hard time with the thick Scottish Dialects.

The story of a young man who is supposed to inherit a great estate is tricked by a greedy uncle and sold into slavery... to his good (or bad) fortune - he never makes it to the new world. Instead we have the quintessential buddy film.. I mean book, as our young protagonist finds himself teamed up with Alan Breckt, a rebel and wanted man.

Though...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Craig rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-british

David Balfour, orphaned by poor parents at 17, returns to his father's homeland to claim a lost inheritance. David is from the Scottish lowlands, a Whig and supporter of King George. Rather than embrace David, his devious uncle sells him to a ship's captain who intends to take David to America (the Carolinas) and there sell him into bondage. Before leaving Scotland, the ship picks up a stranded passenger, Alan Breck, a Scottish highlander and a Jacobite rebel. Though geographical and political o...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Matt Ambs added it · review of another edition

The classic odyssey of young David Balfour, betrayed by his miserly uncle and taken out to sea upon a brig bound for the Carolinas and impending slavery. Stevenson creates a world in the throws of rebellion, where patriarchal ties seem to surpass even the most honest soul. A man seems to be measured by his name, made by the actions of his ancestors; And yet, Stevenson forges an unlikely and unbreakable friendship between David and Alan Stewart, men with conflicting lineages. These two must cast...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is, at heart, a ripping good yarn. Filled to the brim with unfamiliar Scottish terms, it requires a lot of either deciphering by context, or flipping back to the glossary. I chose context, and didn't have any trouble following the story. In fact, once I got into the story, the rhythm of the speech became charming. Stevenson manages to create an unlikely friendship in the middle of an unlikely adventure, while weaving in actual historical figures and keeping true to Scottish history. I...more

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About Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

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Quotes from Kidnapped

“There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people.” — 49 people liked it

“Alan," cried I, "what makes ye so good to me? What makes ye care for such a thankless fellow?"

Deed, and I don't, know" said Alan. "For just precisely what I thought I liked about ye, was that ye never quarrelled:—and now I like ye better!” — 36 people liked it

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Kidnapped (David Balfour #1)

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