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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent biography which paints a vivid picture, 7 April 2005
This is a lucid and well-written account of Stevenson which comes closer than any other biography to capturing what I have always imagined to be the essence of RLS - the romantic adventurer, the man who had the wit and self-delusion to turn his back on a good Presbyterian career and, instead, pursue notoriety, fame, fun, misfortune, love, passion, and the delights of seeing what tomorrow might bring or where the next sun might set.Claire Harman points to the way in which Stevenson's writings were disparaged by English critics. He comes from a Scottish storytelling tradition. He told too good a tale for the literary circles of London. "Jekyll & Hyde", "Treasure Island", "Kidnapped" are classic tales which a century and more after RLS's death still inspire the imagination. Few other authors have so consistently touched the minds and imaginations of children and adults alike. Harman charts Stevenson's dissolute lifestyle, foregoing the pleasures of building lighthouses - his family had a genius for this and, though Louis himself showed great potential, he rejected a secure career for the pleasures of the flesh and the imagination. He roamed the streets of Edinburgh, a Mr.Hyde seeking escape from the Puritanical world of his respectable family. He set off travelling, trusting to his literary skills to keep him in pocket. He followed his love across the States. He eventually settled in a Pacific island paradise. Stevenson's life story is as great an adventure as anything he ever wrote, but it is a life story flawed by recurring illness. Perhaps, had he been fitter, he might have failed to write so well. But this is a man with soul, a man with courage, a man with passion and adventure in his blood. Excellent biography - a must read for any Stevenson fan.
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