All About Treasure Island

The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson had a fertile imagination and knew how to write an adventure that would appeal to young boys and the not so young. His Treasure Island, published in 1883, was an instant children's classic and established Stevenson as a successful novelist. He began writing in his native Scotland but moved to Switzerland to finish the story. Stevenson suffered from a bronchial illness all his life and the Scottish climate did not agree with him. His portrayal of the life of pirates entered the public consciousness with its references to buried treasure, secret maps and larger than life characters. The book is a page-turner with an entertaining plot and superb writing.

The hero of the tale is young Jim Hawkins, who acts as narrator. He falls into the company of pirates, namely the one legged Long John Silver, always to be seen sporting a parrot on his shoulder. Treasure has been buried on a Caribbean island by one Captain Flint and everybody is after it.

The novel has been adapted into other forms, more than any other, with numerous radio and stage productions, TV versions and movies. There are sequels, parodies, an anime interpretation and a computer game. Treasure Island, as a movie, began in 1920 with a silent version. In 1950, Robert Newton had great fun playing an over the top Silver in what is considered to be the finest performance given in that role. The film was produced by Disney and was their debut live action film. The celebrated actor and director, Orson Welles also played Silver in a 1972 version in which he also co-wrote the screenplay.

There have been some eccentric versions of the classic story, including the 1996 Muppet Treasure Island. Live actors mix it up with the Muppets as they go on their swashbuckling treasure quest. The movie featured Tim Curry as Long John Silver and comic Billy Connolly as Billy Bones. There has even been a science fiction version of Treasure Island, called Treasure Planet. This 2002 animated feature was from the Disney studio again and Jim Hawkins is a cyborg and goes on his adventures in a space galleon. An impressive cast of actors supplied the voices for the characters, including David Hyde Pierce, Emma Thompson, Martin Short and Patrick McGoohan.

Other contemporary stories may be more fashionable but there is nothing to beat dressing up as pirates, making a sword from foil and cardboard and tearing up a pillowcase for the pirate ship's sails. Robert Louis Stevenson inspired generations of children to do just that and Treasure Island will be valued as long as childhood exists.