The Story of a Lie

by Robert Louis Stevenson, D.J. Taylor (Foreword)

A chance encounter in a Parisian café leads to a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that threaten to bring to a premature and irreconcilable end the envisioned marriage between a pair of young lovers. When eligible bachelor Dick Naseby meets the lovely young Esther Van Tromp—a woman estranged from her cherished father, a talented artist whose success takes him around the world—he is too well-bred and smitten with her to confess the truth: he knows her father well. He wrongly believes that to reveal the truth would cause great harm, and the consequences of his deceit soon become tangible.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1882

About the author

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

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.

Reviews

[MihaElla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story. Especially the last chapter where everything is cheerfully resolved by the aid of ‘Deus ex Machina’. Stevenson knows very well how to tell a story to make it captivating, witty and with a conclusive message of candidly saying learn this lesson well.

Life is a big drama, with or without our consent. In this lovely tale there is a clash and crush ongoing when it’s about telling a lie (or lies, because there are more told), especially when it is considered as a ‘right conduct’. Others are there, so one will get entangled, and the more entangled one is the more one will have to have behave in wrongs ways. I have in mind of course the chief male hero of this story, Richard Naseby of noble birth, who falls in love with Esther Van Tromp, a young woman of modest birth.

It all starts with Richard, who considers that by saying the truth to his beloved he is going to hurt her, and he thinks it is unnecessary, and it can be avoided. So, he doesn’t respect that so-called principle saying that the right conduct it means right relationship with others, that is he needs not be false. He would like to be true without hurting anybody, and he thinks that love is greater than truth. So, he is loving, waiting for the right moment when he can be true, that is to help the other person to come to such a state where the truth will not hurt her. He is not in a hurry. That was his biggest mistake. Fortunately, there is a happy ending.

[Armin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die ersten beiden Kapitel dieser Komödie von Käuzen sind bezaubernd, doch mit dem Einsetzen der Liebeshandlung lässt die Muse RLS im Stich, der Rest der Erzählung ist ein linearer Sinkflug. Wenn die Geschichte wenigstens schmalzig wäre, aber selten so eine verhältnismäßig lange Strecke schiere Zeilenschinderei gelesen. Das Ende schmeckt schwer nach Hauptsache die Deadline geschafft. Der überwältigende Anfang rettet den zweiten Stern.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and too long. Never a good combination. One of my least favorites of Stevenson's stories.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHEN Dick Naseby was in Paris he made some odd acquaintances;
for he was one of those who have ears to hear, and can use
their eyes no less than their intelligence.

The third and final short story under the heading Tales and Fantasies by Robert Louis Stevenson over on the Gutenberg shelves.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather enjoyable read. The book focuses on a young couple, the trials and tribulations of relationships, the pitfalls that ensure and dealing with potential in laws. Although not my most favourite book, it was beautifully well written.

[Un gaucho entre libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

"En cuanto a Dick, fue como si su vida hubiese llegado bruscamente a su fin. Dejó de lado sus teorías y razonamientos, así como la prematura mundaneidad que tanto le había enorgullecido en sus viajes, se encogió como si fuese algo vergonzoso ante aquel terrible pesar. El orgullo, el honor herido, la compasión y el respeto combatían diariamente en su corazón, y tan pronto estaba a punto de pedirle perdón a su padre como de escabullirse una noche y no volver a poner el pie en Naseby House". Primer novela de ficción de Stevenson (data de 1879) y en ella vemos una madurez que asusta. A lo contrario a lo que conocemos del autor, aquí nos encontramos ante una trama donde las relaciones familiares, sobre todo padre-hijo, son el eje central de la historia, con cierto estudio psicológico de los personajes. Dick Naseby se encuentra de viaje por París donde conoce a Van Tromp, un pintor de segunda categoría, charlatán y embustero. Una vez de regreso a Edinburgo, Dick conoce a Esther,una joven que resulta ser la hija de Van Tromp de la cual se enamora. Esther nunca conoció a su padre, al cual idealiza como un gran pintor en París. Al saber que Dick lo conoció entabla una relación con él, el problema es que Dick no le confiesa la naturaleza de su padre, sino que alimenta la leyenda de éste. Aquí la mentira. La trama se complica cuando Van Tromp regresa para pasar sus últimos años con su hija. Aquí el descubrimiento. Esther se encuentra ante dos grandes decepciones. Muy bien delineados los personajes, podemos encontrar en Van Tromp un antecedente de John Silver, el pirata de La isla del Tesoro, ya que es un embustero y bebedor, pero a la vez simpático y encantador. Ágil en su ritmo, es interesante leer a éste primer Stevenson, quizás el más verdadero.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

With both stories, of course the tale is a good one. However, it is in the telling that I found the most enjoyment. Stevenson's writing style is so smooth. As one begins, the scenes set by Stevens are ones of normalcy. The Story of a Lie begins with a glimpse into the makeup of the main character, just an inner look at him. The Body Snatchers begins with the practice of four friends meeting each night to spend a bit of the evening enjoying each other's company. The reader is lulled into a comfortable expectation of being told a nice little story. Then with lean and clever revealings, the stories gather speed, finally galloping to an end.
Even though the stories seem simple, throughout are found pronouncements that caused me to stop and reread them and think--"It is the character of love to loathe the near relatives of the loved one; chapters in the history of the human race have justified this feeling...".

[Cecilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich als großer Freund der Schatzinsel fand diese drei kleinen Entstehungsgeschichten sehr interessant und unterhaltsam. Stevenson erzählt seine Version, dann folgt die seiner Frau und die seines Stiefsohnes. Sie haben alle leicht unterschiedliche Details, was ich aus kommunikativer und erinnerungstechnischer Perspektive schon ansprechend finde. Wer erinnert sich wie woran und warum. Darauf bekommen wir keine klaren Antworten, doch bin ich froh, dass alle Versionen mindestens eine Gemeinsamkeit teilen. Die Entstehung des Romans war in erster Linie ein Akt der Freude, des Kindgebliebenseins und des Zusammenwirkens sich schätzender Menschen.

Auch das extra Kapitel, eine Unterhaltung zwischen Captain Smollett und John Silver auf literarischer und moralischer Metaebene, von dem ich nicht wusste, dass es existiert, hat mich sehr gefreut!

Kurz und überraschend süß, aber in erster Linie definitiv etwas für Fans, ein kleines Special sozusagen.

[Bill Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reoccurring theme of Robert Louis Stevenson’s books is characters who are amoral or who lie. This is one of those stories, and what happens as a result of dishonesty.

[Sobriquet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of two short stories; The Story of a Lie [1879] and The Body Snatcher [1884].I wasn't a fan of the first story, but liked the second.

[Olly Cockrill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just a shit story that is told terribly

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of the type of story I don't understand.

[Liliana Méndez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una historia palomera, realmente desde cierto punto empiezas a poder suponer lo que pasara, a diferencia de otras de sus obras esta... simplemente se quedo corta, muy corta.
A pesar de tener toques atrevidos, no representa reto alguno al leerla, me quedo con una falta de sorpresa. Y tal vez el final un tanto predecible como los de Disney.
Aun así fue una lectura buena. Tal vez para los que gustan de las historias cursis sea mejor, a mi simplemente nl me llegó.

[Christine Van zyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got lost at the end of this book, but if it went how I think it went then it was really good. ingenious.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not gripping but cleverly crafted.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die Geschichte der Schatzinsel. Da muss man schon ein sehr großer Fan sein, um das interessant zu finden.