Published in honor of the centenary of Stevenson's death, a definitive portrait of the great Scottish author examines the cultures and influences that informed the writer's life and the literary works that made Stevenson's reputation. 12,500 first printing.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This massive biography is propelled by the conviction that Stevenson (1850-1894) was not merely a writer of adventure yarns for boys but Scotland's greatest writer and a major influence on Conrad, Wilde and even Yeats. In lucid, erudite prose, McLynn (Fitzroy Maclean) examines the forces that decisively shaped Stevenson's work. Protracted bouts of tuberculosis and a volatile relationship with his Calvinist father stimulated a moral pessimism that shadows even an apparently escapist adventure story like Treasure Island. The author gives sustained attention to Stevenson's relationship with Fanny Osbourne, the "rum creature"-vain, neurasthenic, opportunistic, according to McLynn-who became his wife. She persuaded him to burn a complete draft of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and exhausted the considerable sums Stevenson's work came to command. Frantically straining to counter her extravagance, the physically fragile novelist hastened his own death. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Those who believe-or ardently disbelieve-that Stevenson's writing was imitative and inconsequential and that he was only a boys' adventure writer should read this biography. McLynn (Stanley: The Making of an African Explorer, Madison Bks., 1990) does not offer a critical biography, but he certainly dispels any notion that Stevenson was a literary lightweight. Stevenson's early years in Edinburgh were influenced by his frequently absent, business-traveling father, Thomas; his constantly ill mother, Maggie; and most particularly by the family nurse, the religious fanatic Cummy. As he wandered the Pacific in 1887-88, he got his first sight of Polynesia and was touched by a virgin sense that he would never forget. His life ended in Samoa. This is the centenary year of his death, and McLynn's interest and concern for this great and gifted Scottish writer is more than evident. For public libraries.
Robert L. Kelley, Ft. Wayne Community Schs., Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Robert L. Kelley, Ft. Wayne Community Schs., Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding, Moving Biography,
By A Customer
This review is from: Robert Louis Stevenson:: A Biography (Hardcover)
Incredible, exciting, poignant biography of an
underrated writer and wonderful man.
Although McLynn is obviously a fan, it never becomes hagiography.
This will have you reading Treasue Island again and wanting to
travel to Scotland and Samoa.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Work, but Focuses More on Fanny than Stevenson,
This review is from: Robert Louis Stevenson:: A Biography (Hardcover)
This biography starts off well, with vivid descriptions of Stevenson's youth and days in Edinburgh. In fact, when I met someone from Scotland, I could talk about Edinburgh as if I'd been there, so vivid were many of the scenes and stories.
There's also very good and in-depth looks at Stevenson's relationship with his father, as well as his family's indignation when Stevenson refused to continue in their religious faith. Once Stevenson's wife enters his life, though, she takes over the book to the point where you resent her even more than Stevenson's parents did. One might think this is simply being accurate to life, but the Index says it all - there's three entire columns devoted to Fanny, including seven pages on Fanny "as gardener." I picked up this book to know about Stevenson the writer, and there's precious little of it to be found here. Again, from the Index, for Stevenson it lists forty-one pages on his "attitude to sex" and just one page "on the art of writing prose." There's also just two pages on "literary training of" and just one page on both "influences" and "influences on later writers" (both the same page). But if you want the whole marriage drama, there's twenty-six pages on Fanny's hypochondria, twenty-seven on "depressive illness of" and over thirty pages on her "antagonism between her and Henley," including pages 288-302. The other fault I found with the book is that there's numerous passages of poetry and other works written in French and Latin, but with no translation in the footnotes. With the web, one could type it all into Google Translate to find out what it says, but I read this fifteen years ago, and it was very frustrating not to be told what those passages say. In the end, it's a well-researched and a hefty book with a handsome look to it, but again, it focuses on such aspects as a listing of what was in Fanny's picnic basket on a trip into the country, but little about Stevenson working as a writer. So for anyone seeking to know about Stevenson's marriage, this book is perfect. Otherwise, I'd recommend it right up to the point where Fanny arrives.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A detailed first- rate life of Stevenson,
By
This review is from: Robert Louis Stevenson:: A Biography (Hardcover)
I do not know the work of Robert Louis Stevenson that well. 'Treasure Island' was required reading in Eight Grade, but the still vivid and somewhat frightening impression I have of it comes from the movie version. 'Kidnapped' I found unreadable. And I have no knowledge whatsoever of Stevenson's longer fictions. I read 'Jekyll and Hyde' a couple of years ago and found it disturbing and unpleasant.
So a great fan of Stevenson I am not. Why then did I go through an over five- hundred page biography on him? First of all I suppose because I love reading biographies of writers. But secondly, because this one is so well- done and contains interesting detail on the life on every page. Stevenson was the son of a very wealthy and historically prominent Scottish family, who were the lighthouse- builders of Scotland. The first part of the volume tells much about Stevenson's conflict with his Calvinist strong- minded and strong- willed father. Stevenson who was sickly all his life had an extraordinary feel for language and for Beauty. A good part of the book has to do with his life with another close character his wife Fanny Osbourne. In this biography the conventional picture of her as saintly devoted wife is trashed completely. She is seen as principal cause for the stress which led to the disastrous stroke which ended Stevenson's life at the age of forty- four. Her son Lloyd who was pampered by Stevenson also infuriated through what Stevenson regarded as his immoral and irresponsible behavior. The book also tells however of Stevenson's many literary friendships and one of its most beautiful passages is the condolence letter sent to his widow by Henry James. MacLynn is a very intelligent writer and provides excellent analyses of Stevenson's major works. Perhaps more than anything else it is a realistic picture of the difficulties of life of a person of extraordinary privilege and above all literary genius.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
