The Misadventures of John Nicholson

by Robert Louis Stevenson, Gavin Griffiths (Foreword)

Bearing all the hallmarks of Stevenson’s most gripping works, this story offers a host of colorful characters to rival those found among the pages of Treasure Island . Exasperated that his stern and overbearing father refuses to tolerate his penchant for alcohol, John Nicholson decides to leave his life in Edinburgh in search of all the fame and fortune that America has to offer. Initially delighted with his new life, he soon learns to his cost that the excesses his father so decried would ultimately become his downfall?on both sides of the ocean.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1887

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

[Melissa Joulwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a beautiful copy of this book at the thoroughly delightful bookshop Typewronger Books in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was published by the bookshop, and it's an entertaining novella set in Edinburgh. It was so much fun to watch a character in the story walk down a street I'd walked earlier in the day. The story is set at Christmas, and it's got theft, murder, betrayal, dashed romance, forgiveness, and redemption. Not bad for 90-some odd pages.

[Carlos Simos · Rating 3 out of 5]

"John Nicholson -hay que empezar por reconocerlo- era lo que se dice un hombre estúpido; sin embargo, hombres mucho más estúpidos que nuestro amigo se sientan hoy en el Parlamento y se dedican los más exaltados autobombos".

A diferencia del relato anterior que trae esta colección, Las desventuras de John Nicholson resulta ser un viaje mucho mas entretenido de seguir mientras somos testigos de cómo a un pobre muchacho (o no tanto si lo pensamos bien) le ocurren las mas desafortunadas de las aventuras por sus malas decisiones o simplemente por ser un tanto...estupido.

Creo que no logré empatizar demasiado con este personaje porque no me pareció una víctima sino el propio causante de sus infortunios. Leí por ahí que este relato se relaciona mucho con la vida privada de Stevenson pero también fue el que logró convencerme de que siga leyendo al autor escocés.

[Bill Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ending. The first sentence of the story says all you need to know about what you are about to read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albeit few and far between, here is another wonderful gem by Stevenson. This book was wonderfully written and had so much going for it, plots, intrigue, money, family drama and even death. In parts worthy of an Agatha Christie Novel.

Ultimately I docked it a star because to begin with the character that the book is named after (John Nicholson) was a bumbling idiot. Lying and stealing from his father, moving to the US over a trivial matter, bit telling his bosses where he was going, leaving money in the hands of an active alcoholic. As the story went on, he just appeared to ‘literally’ walk into an increasingly worse situation. In parts highly implausible.

Like with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, it was interesting how Stevenson raised drinking, alcohol and addiction.

[توبة لي · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Stevenson's writing; his description of details concerning his unfortunate characters, of nature, of people in general, of places, of streets and houses .. etc; his wit and sarcasm, his way of spinning a plot, his originality and his characters. If he chooses to, he can easily make you cry when things get really dark, and then just as easily make you laugh. He really enjoys making his characters suffer, and makes that equally enjoyable for us, his readers, as well. His stories are always a treat to read.
Poor John, he never stood a chance. Yes, he was responsible for his mistakes, but i still felt bad for him, i couldn't help it. He kept getting hit left and right.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this work by a clearly masterful author Robert Louis Stevenson. To me it wasn't an effective story, neither very entertaining nor having a moral. It was about youth and obedience and growth and virtue. But to me, if it was about a moral then it was just weak And as I said it wasn't particularly entertaining. Maybe someone will explain to me what I missed. Also, perhaps this was one of the author's earlier works. When one reads a collection you're apt to encounter the beginnings of an author which may not be recognized as genius.

[Oleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little shirt story about misadventures of John, with an unexpected overly-happy ending.
A one-time read, nothing special, will forget about it in a week or less.

[Juan Escotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entre giro y giro me mantuvo al filo

[Antonio Heras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido, personajes reconocibles, ligero y breve.

[Tomás Barral · Rating 3 out of 5]

cumple con el relato de una vida y demuestra al autor como un muy buen narrador

[Rachel Baack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: A series of serious misunderstandings plague the very unfortunate John Nicholson. This novella shows how seemingly small errors in judgement can have disastrous effects.

[Sofía · Rating 2 out of 5]

Manual sobre cómo elegir (casi) siempre mal.

[ana :p · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

CHAPTER I - IN WHICH JOHN SOWS THE WIND

JOHN VAREY NICHOLSON was stupid; yet, stupider men than he
are now sprawling in Parliament, and lauding themselves as
the authors of their own distinction.