Set against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses, The Black Arrow is an intriguing look at the life of young Richard Shelton. Richard's life is shaken when he realizes that those he had thought to be his friends are really his enemies, and he is forced to make choices that will determine the course of his life. Although the characters are well-developed and the plot is fascinating, this book is not for the squeemish or lazy reader. The description is not only vivid, it is often gorey. The language is sometimes difficult and a dictionary might prove quite handy. But anyone looking for a well-written, action-packed classic should read this book.

This book is one of the best I've read. It is what every book about the middle ages should be and more, with suspense, action, disguises, escapes, and of course, the occasional love scene. Robert Louis Stevenson lived in the mid-1800s, and is renowned for his many works, includingTreasure Island, Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, andKidnapped. The Black Arrow, written originally for a magazine, was written after a serious illness in Stevenson, and was published right after Treasure Island.

Dick Shelton, a boy of sixteen, is quickly thrust into the conflict of the War of the Roses. He battles against almost any kind of evil - bloodthirsty pirates, a murderous priest, and even his own legal gaurdian - Sir Daniel Brackley. Through the whole book Dick strives to become a knight, and to rescue his true love. The Black Arrow is a sure winner for 6th graders and up.

The Black Arrow is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite books, just as Robert Louis Stevenson is one of my all time favorite authors. I find it hard to believe that The Black Arrow is probably the least well know of his great adventure novels (the others being, of course, Treasure Island and Kidnapped), as it is certainly the best as far as I am concerned. As far as the story goes, it is one of the most entertaining plots that I have ever encountered. It is filled with more twists and turns than I would have thought possible, but remains very clear and fast paced. The characters are wonderful, as is the description and the writing itself. Granted, some of the language is a bit archaic, but I feel that this adds a lot to the authenticity of the story.
The Black Arrow is not a very easy read at first, but once you get into it it really flies by. It is as entertaining, exciting, and intriguing book as you will find, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Everyone knows Robert Louis Stevenson; everyone has at least one of the myriad books of his poetry. There are some stunningly illustrated collections of his poetry out now, notably two by Thomas Kincaide, among others. But how many of us have actually read all or most of his work? I'm guilty as charged.

This smaller, quieter version of Stevenson's poetry helped me finally, actually read all the Garden poetry. True, the illustrations are spare, but delightfully accurate. My children (7 and 10) were not as mesmerized by this book as they are by others with fanciful graphics, illustrations and larger type to accompany the poetry.

Still, this small book found its way into my purse to be used for waiting moments, e.g. at the orthodontist, doctor, and also to my bedside, where it's shear diminutive size did not dissuade me from reading "for only a minute or two." And within Stevenson's words and language lie the ferment of creative pictures. I liked to have my children close their eyes while I read short poems to 'force' them to use only their mind's eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures, moods, and images Stevenson conjures and at long last can understand why his poetry remains so classic.

Most everyone knows that Robert Louis Stevenson was sickly, both as a child and as an adult, and the happy result for the reading public was his nearly feverish flights of imagination. Here, in an edition of his classic "A Child's Garden of Verses," that fever is complemented in spades by the fantastical illustrations of English artist Joanna Isles.

Isles uses an arsenal of utterly frivolous flowers, borders, insects, birds, kings and queens, fairies, and more to expand upon the imagination exhibited in Stevenson's poems. The children in these pictures are depicted as being in charge, being at one with their environment, and being delighted to be alive.

Some of the illustrations hint at the influence of artists more famed than Isles (Henri Rousseau appears to be a special favorite of hers--see the illustration for "The Unseen Playmate," in which a boy lies down in weeds that might have sprung from the edge of Rousseau's painting "The Dream"). Using both primary colors and pastels, Isles creates a world within the world of Stevenson's verse. The marriage of the two is a happy one.

When I was younger, well 5 actually, I had the chicken pox. This was one of my mom's favorite books. The words in the poetry just soothed me. It seemed like the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, knew exactly what I was going through.

You can't forget about the little toy soldiers (a poem) at your feet because when you are sick for days, you can imagine all kinds of things in your mind. The curtains billow like sails, the bedpost is your anchor. I sat there in bed and just floated away with the fun of having someone to share my illness. It seemed like a had a friend right there with me.

I loved the pictures too. The little kids are old fashioned and it made me laugh because the boys wore silly clothes, but they fit the time period, my mom said.

I love this book and keep it by my bed when I need to be relaxed.

Hayley Cohen

The problem is that when one trying to find a good classic novel, very few actually exist. Most are either poorly written (for entertainment purposes at least) but exorbitantly revolutionary tales that were so successful as to no longer warrant their being read, accept for historical purposes, or poorly written philosophical discussions on human nature surrounded by an underdeveloped story of nothing. Thank god of the exceptions! And as Robert Lewis Stevenson seems to be an exception in the world of classical novels, thank god for Robert Lewis Stevenson! Stevenson not only wrote a classic, he was able to reproduce the feat many times over, something that most other authors of classics completely failed to do. Beyond Frankenstein what else did Mary Shelley write? Bram Stoker? Anything? But how often have you heard the names of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or the titles: the Body-snatcher, and Treasure Island? The familiarity of his name, if not the names of his characters, should serve as an indication of his brilliance. The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is perhaps not his best work, but it is most certainly Stevenson's most well known. The tale resembles other 'horror' stories in the fact that it is not in fact horrible; rather it is an examination of the human psyche as are most romance era novels. This examination takes place in Victorian England, but the success of the story lies in the truth that the details are of no importance. The setting happens to be this because that is when Stevenson was writing, but the theme of the novel is so timeless that dating of it is impossible. This fact alone makes the novel that much better. This is not a book so tied to the time it was conceived in, or to the issue it was written about, that forcing one's self to struggle through it is a pointless exercise in masochism, as is the case with many classics. Rather, the theme itself is such that its timelessness has overwhelmed the story, and created a true, and extremely interesting, classic. The tale of Jekyll and Hyde follows the well-respected lawyer, Mr. Utterson, is his search into what has happened to his longtime friend Dr. Henry Jekyll. His search leads him to discover a mysterious connection between Jekyll and a previously unknown Mr. Edward Hyde. His concern for the association between Jekyll and Hyde, who becomes a known tyrant in the short time that society knows of him, leads Utterson into the web of knowledge and darkness that has pervaded poor Jekyll's soul. However, when the actual circumstances of Jekyll and Hyde's association have been revealed to Utterson, it posses more problems than solutions. However, throughout the story the theme is evident; rather than forcing the story to be put on hold and talking about trees, Stevenson is able to express his philosophical discussions while using the story as more than an example. That, combined with the excellence of his writing, creates a story so engrossing that setting the book down and returning to reality is rather disappointing, instead of a blessing as with many classics. The novel's many advantages for schoolwork, and personal reflection, if one is into that sort of thing, include (but are not limited to) the physical writing being simple enough that the average glass of water could understand the story. While this is nice for those people who haven't read a book since fourth grade, the exploration of sadism and duality in man is a priceless opportunity for those in advanced classes, or those in a mood to question society, to do some analysis. I say this because the theme is so timeless, so well written, so blatantly obvious (always a plus), that it just begs of the sort of over analysis that good English teachers so adore. Also, being only eighty-one pages long, it turns out to be an extremely good choice for English assignments for slackers, especially slackers who want good grades. But not to sell the novel short, it is an incredible story. One that so frightened the author's wife that he burned the original copy before it was ever published. The only reason that the current copy is around now, is that years later Stevenson rewrote the entire story . Hallelujah! The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an excellent book. Now get rid of this rubbish and buy it.

"I thus drew steadily nearer to that truth, by whose partial discovery I have been lead to this dreadful shipwreck: that a man is not truly one, but truly two." This book travels deep into the heart and soul of one man named Dr. Jekyll. The book will give you a full sense of personality. It not only helps you understand the characters, but it also helps you see which side, your good or your evil, is more developed. The ending will send chills up your spine. Dr. Jekyll is the basic good in the story. He has devoted his life to scientific studies and helping people. The basic villian is Edward Hyde. He is every Evil in existence put into one person. Although Dr. Jekyll is good, his curiousity drove him to unimaginable evil. He decided to explore the evil in himself. He made a potion and drank it. He changed into the horrible Edward Hyde. So you see that what separates this book from the ordinary category, is that the good and the evil exist in one.

Jekyll and Hyde is a chilling psychological thriller by Robert Louis Stevenson that immediatly pulls you in and keeps you intrigued. It's almost like a love story between a man's good side and his evil side. Jekyll is a mild mannered physician with a good heart and good intentions, whereas Hyde is an evil monster with a heart of stone and intentions of committing cruel, savage, animal like murders. Dr. Henry Jekyll first turned into Hyde when he consumed a drink he made himself in his laboratory, and changes back to Jekyll with another. It all seems to be working for him...until one day when he takes an overdose of his Hyde potion and can't change back to his normal form. This book taught me that there is an untamed animal hiding inside each and every one of us just waiting to break out, like when we get angry or just go crazy. This book was terrific, and I'm sure that I will read many other Robert Louis Stevenson books.

Let me first echo the sentiments expressed by others and comment on what a beautiful edition the Univ of Nebraska Press has produced. The margins are indeed wide and the type very readable. This edition is easily held, the illustrations nicely complement the text and the binding is quite durable. The introduction by Joyce Carol Oates is helpful albeit pedantic. Also, those who've read the Univ of Calif Press edition of Frankenstein will notice some overlap between this introduction and the one that Ms. Oates wrote for that particular edition. Nonetheless, the introduction is valuable.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those stories, like Frankenstein and Dracula, that seemingly everyone has heard of and believes they understand("mythopoetic " in the language of Joyce Carol Oates). Much like the aforementioned works, the actual details of the story may come as a surprise to those who assume they know the story based solely on the popular understanding. For that reason alone I think the book is worth reading.

Dr. Jekyll is a respected if somewhat reclusive London doctor who has, through the course of years of experimentation, managed to create a solution which brings to the fore his evil alter-ego. Unlike many gothic literary villains, Hyde is not imbued with superhuman strength or exceptional gifts of any kind. In fact he is of a smaller and less imposing stature than most men. What he does possess however is a complete lack of compunction with regards to others. Hyde for example ruthlessly runs down a small child who gets in his way. As others have pointed out, this book is about, at least in part, moral restraint. Mr. Hyde is a part of Dr. Jekyll. This part was heretofore kept in check by the mores inculcated by society through child rearing practices, education, laws, et al. An elixir that eradicates moral restraint rips at the fabric of society and reverses in one fell swoop what it has taken hundreds of years to create.
As is the case with Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll creates something that he can't control and which eventually destroys its creator.

Although not created by a potion, I think we see many sections in this and other societies that are are marked by anomie. The inhumanity that the fictional Hyde displays can, not surprisingly, be seen in the non-fictional world on a daily basis. As such, there is a realism to the story which is missing from many horror stories past and present. The fact that such a short and captivating work exists in an attractively packaged edition makes this one classic that will be a joy to read for all.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a clasic so, naturaly, I had high expectations. I certainly was not let down. It has a totally unique style with much detail and extensive writing. Yet, this novel is a very quickly read novel, unlike other excessively detailed books like Dracula. This book is not boring. This book is fun. It doesn't ruin the plot with too much detail like other books. Other fantasy books are usually not even close to realistic. Whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is close to being conceived realistic. This book has a general morbid feeling to it where other fantasies are sometimes cheerful and happy. Robert Louis Stevenson is a realy good writer in my opinion.
He uses a very wide range of vocabulary. Stevenson uses many 19th Century terms that seem weird and different to me.
One thing bad about his writing is his punctuation. He uses way too many semicolons and comas. He makes one sentence out of six or seven sentences.
This book was not the best book I ever read, but was not the worst either. it was mediocre. however It was miles ahead of Dracula. Dracula is boring, whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is fast paced, quick, and fun to read. its pritty morbid which is kind of a down side, but Since it is very short it is a good book on my list.

The University of Nebraska Press edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is beautiful! The illustrations by Barry Moser, woodcuts that progress chronologically through Dr. Jekyll's life as it is described in hints throughout Robert Louis Stevenson's story, are atmospheric and evocative; a picture of a boy being guided by his father, for example, echoes Dr. Jekyll's comments that he has a "fatherly" interest in his alter-ego, Hyde, while Hyde has a son's "indifference" to the father; the cover illustration is a portrait of Dr. Jekyll's father destroyed by Mr. Hyde on a rampage.

Joyce Carol Oates's introduction is worthwhile, especially for those readers who know the story, as most English-speaking people do, in its basic framework, but who have not yet actually traveled the dark road with Dr. Jekyll and his friends.

It is a pleasure to read a classic book in such a carefully crafted edition. Too often books such as this are printed in cheap editions with narrow margins and lousy type; this one fits comfortably in the hand and is easy on the eye as the reader is drawn into this allegorical nightmare.

This review refers to the University of Nebraska Press edition only.

Another winner from James Stevenson!

Set at the turn of the 19 th century, this story is a visual delight with a light-hearted message for kids and adults alike. Little mouse Hubert and his rather straight-laced parents vacation at a seaside resort (a beautifully pictured Victorian). Hubert discovers that he's the only kid there, and that the other animal guests are not very interested in him.

Then, Hubert has the good fortune (and the curiosity) to meet Alf, the hotel groundskeeper. He shows Hubert that "there's plenty to do around here...but you have to keep your eyes peeled." Together they enjoys some unexpected joys of nature, and Hubert takes a thrilling ride in Alf's homemade glider.

My five-year-old and I enjoyed this very much. The pictures of late 19th century houses and trains are richly detailed, from the candelabras to the stenciled ceilings.

Stevenson effectively conveys how joy can be found in seemingly boring places. It takes some curiosity,and sometimes some adult guidance to discover that joy. A fun book for kids and adults: Highly recommended!

This is the book that grows on you, as a parent. My older child received it as a gift when she was around 4. I didn't see much to it, but my daughter asked to read it over and over again. By the hundredth reading I came to see that to a four year old Hubert's entertainments, while rather ordinary activities, are quite engrossing. The message that friends come in all ages and where you least expect them is quite reassuring. When my second child became addicted to the book I realized it was a real winner. Both my kids like to read it night after night -- both around the age of four. Hubert's activities are interesting to them, and the beach hotel setting is just a little bit exotic. I suppose fuddy-duddy parent characters are to be expected. Maybe to the kids they don't look any more fuddy-duddy than their own! The illustrations are wonderful, and kids like the cartoon aspect of the text.

This is a very good story about patience, gardening and friendship-my son just loves Winnie the Pooh and this story is no exception--if fact this collection of Winnie the Pooh First Readers are all a real treat-

Both of my sons enjoy the Henry and Mudge series. In this installment, Henry's cousin Annie comes for a visit, but finding a common ground is not so easy. With some effort, and a little help from Mudge, Henry and Annie work it all out and have some fun along the way.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an easy read. Robert Louis Stevenson has his characters remain flat throughout the story. The events are told at face value and details are limited throughout this book. Stevenson starts the book out as a mystery, leading one to wonder who this hideous and purely evil Hyde truly is and what he wants. Throughout the story it looks like he is holding something over Dr. Jekyll by means of blackmail. The two main characters are introduced through a rather unimportant character, Enfield, telling of his first encounter with Hyde.
The story line was phenomenal and unique at the time it was written. Unfortunately, because it is a classic, most people start reading the book already knowing the outcome. The mysterious atmosphere of the story is ruined as the majority of readers have a good idea of who this Hyde character really is.
My feelings on this book are neutral. I definitely would not consider it one of the best books I have ever read, but it isn't the worst either. It tells the message for which it was created, but there is not much more than that. It is the classic story of the duality of man, good and evil, which, again, was a unique story line at the time it was written, but too common of a theme today.

The tale of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde has been quite familiar to me for as long as I can remember, but only now have I read the original short novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is unfortunate that familiarity has robbed modern readers of the suspense that almost certainly was engendered in Stevenson's contemporary audience. Nor can I attribute a strong hint of terror in these pages, partly because of the plot structure. This is not a straightforward story; we don't follow Dr. Jeckyll in his experimentation. Rather, we are introduced to Jeckyll and Hyde through Jeckyll's lawyer Mr. Utterson. Having drawn up Jeckyll's will to leave everything to Hyde should he disappear, he is most concerned for his client and friend upon learning that Mr. Hyde is a misshapen monster of a man responsible for trampling a young girl in the street. The first half of the book follows Utterson's attempts to discover this Mr. Hyde for himself. The final half of the book contains the story of Jeckyll and Hide, told first in the words of a mutual friend and doctor and ultimately in an account of events penned by the unfortunate Dr. Jeckyll.

It goes without saying that the heart of the story revolves around the duality of the human mind. Each of us has a dark side as well as a good side, and the majority of individuals attempt to disguise any bad, uncontrollable aspects of their natures from the public. Dr. Jeckyll had a predilection for thoughts and acts which he and society frowned upon (although what these acts were is never revealed); as he neared middle age, his life became defined by a continuous inner struggle to keep on the straight and narrow path. He often failed, so he came up with the idea of totally separating his evil nature from his good one. Through the use of chemistry, he developed a solution that, when ingested, transformed him into a different persona in both body and mind, one which had free reign to indulge anonymously in those worldly delights Dr. Jeckyll secretly lusted after. He thought that his original persona would then be freed of the guilt of his desires, while his Mr. Hyde persona could satiate himself in performing guilty actions without any moral restraint. As is only natural, the dark side grew stronger as time passed, and the person of Dr. Jeckyll found himself in more of a quandary than he ever dreamed of before giving birth to Mr. Hyde.

Inner conflict between the good and bad in ourselves is something every reader can easily understand, and it is this psychological aspect of Stevenson's famous short novel that accounts for the tale's continuing popularity. It is a quick and absorbing read, but the method of the tale's presentation is a slight weakness in my opinion. We can only watch the human drama from a third person perspective, and I would like to have gotten more deeply inside the mind of Jeckyll and Hyde. Still, this is a classic of literature that will retain its place in popular culture for untold years to come. As for the afterword by Jerome Charyn in the Bantam edition of the book, I must say I could have done without it. It does provide some interesting background on Stevenson, but its psychological assumptions and surmises struck me as overdramatic and groundless. The story of Jeckyll and Hyde stands strongly on its own merits and does not need to be accompanied by psychobabble.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is more than a book of suspense and horror, but it makes you think of things that relate to life.

You have to read this book for yourself because it contaplates from "what others have heard about the story". Here you have a human being that has split himself into two different personalities. One is a man of conscience and the other one is this man who has a taste for evil. The "potion" created by compounding together reactive chemcials makes Dr. Jykell become depended on it, and he has also indulge himself in his evil twisted side.

When Jykell quoted, "that man has two sides" (which is good and evil), I think that Stevenson demostrated well within the character that he made a point to what he did and what he had become. That is when he changes from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde that he was only pulling out what man chooses to be.

This shows that man has a choice to be good or evil. But what makes Dr. Henry Jekyll case so unsual is that he creates a formula, a formula that he becomes addicted to, and he can no longer transform back from evil to good. He was premanently becoming Edward Hyde, someone he never thought that he had the capablity of being. Discovering the potion seem like his worse nightmare.

And it was.

In "The Curse of Treasure Island" Francis Bryan- whoever that may be- has crafted a sequel certain to please hordes of Stevenson fans, and infuriate just as many more. Some will appreciate the opportunity to sail once again with such favorite characters as Jim Hawkins, Ben Gunn, and Long John Silver, while others (and I must include myself in this category) will find the revival of these classic characters almost sacrilegious.

In novels such as this, an author will customarily throw in everything up to, and sometimes including, the kitchen sink, to titillate fans of the original work. "Bryan" proves no exception...

Now a young adult, former treasure hunter Jim Hawkins manages the Admiral Benbow Inn following his renovation of the former dive. However, the twenty-one years old Jim spends a lot of time boasting about his island adventures over a drink or two. Grace Richardson hears about the brave Jim's incredible escapades with pirates on the high seas and Treasure Island. She, accompanied by her son, beseeches Jim to find the pirate Joseph Tait, whose last known residence is Treasure Island.

Jim rejects her plea, but that fails to stop menacing thugs from harassing her and him forcing the retired adventurer back into the action hero role. This time Jim kills a noble, and is forced to flee for his life when the law accuses him of murder. Accompanied by Grace and her preadolescent son, they begin a trek that will take Jim back to the "accursed island" that he last stepped on a decade ago in search of the meanest of Long John Silver's former associates.

THE CURSE OF TREASURE ISLAND is fast-paced and loaded with action, starring a mature Jim as a young adult whose potential relationship with Grace adds a romantic flavor to the adventure. The story line is very exciting, but the flaw remains that men risk their lives, but none know why as Grace keeps secrets that everyone seems to allow her to do while they blithely venture to death or near death. Still Francis Bryan furbishes a strong tale that pays homage to the grandmaster Robert Louis Stevenson while setting the seafaring further adventures of Jim and company.

Harriet Klausner

I imagine Robert Louis Stevenson would approve of this exciting tale. It measures up well to the original novel in all aspects. In fact, I found myself enjoying "The Curse..." more than the original. As a boy I recall wishing for Jim Hawkins' courage and nobility of spirit. And now, two decades after I first read "Treasure Island," I find myself thinking these same thoughts.

I was surprised at just how poorly written this humorless little book is. Ms. Stevenson is an established author and a professor, so it pains me to say that London Bridges has the distinct whiff of Creative Writing 101. Perhaps she is trying to prove a point about the state of British publishing by passing off one of her students' fumbling attempts as a real book. The plot could be very interesting, but is completely undermined by laughable dialogue and cartoonish characters. Though I am glad I only checked it out from the library, the 25 cent late fee was perhaps too much to pay for this slush pile dreck.

London has long been an international city and, in London Bridges, Jane Stevenson is keen to show just how networked it, and its inhabitants are. Geographically London spans the globe in this short novel and, on a temporal plane, London reaches through history. At the heart of the novel is, Eugenides, a Greek lawyer, an aging gentleman of the old school, with ties to an ancient Greek Monastery. He has in his possession rare manuscripts, and within his power of attorney, access to priceless relics over which he is charged to supervise at the request of his monastic clients. With all these qualifications, he is a natural target for con-artists. In no time, they find him, and the effort to swindle commences. Stevenson's London is magnetic: a visiting Australian student, a London lawyer of Indian descent, Greek monks and Greek crooks, a British scholar of ancient Greece, Brits residing in France: all, and others besides, play key roles in Stevenson's novel. There are times in London Bridges when I felt that Stevenson was losing control -- when the novel's complex plot had kidnapped the writer. "Meanwhile, on Saturday of that week, Hattie rang Sebastian." "Edward, meanwhile, had entered a stage of abject, bowel-liquidising terror..." "Meanwhile in Islington, Hattie Luck was getting ready to go to a party." "Jeanne, meanwhile, had troubles of her own." Meanwhile the reader is tossed around like the hapless tourist in a Puerta Vallarta cab. One advantage of the plot, with its "meanwhile-back-at-the-ranch" tempo, is that it does move the novel along. As does the prose, for Ms. Stevenson does not squander words. Ms. Stevenson's novel shows us a London at once vast and knowable. She merits a wide readership, especially among those of us who call other cities home, but who retain connections to that most international of capitals.

This is a thriller of the sort where you, the reader, know the whole plot from the beginning, but are waiting on tenterhooks for the characters to figure it out. I found this a bit frustrating, particularly when their failure to figure it out quickly enough leads to tragedy. (I'm not giving anything away here that isn't on the bookcover.) But the real joy of this book is in the characters--some of them may be a bit stereotypical, but except for the baddies (who are fun in their own right) they are all vivacious and lovely, the type of people you'd love to meet at a dinner party and wind up becoming friends with. That's exactly how most of the people in this book meet each other--a combination of random chance and friend-of-a-friend introductions--and this "bridge building" is clearly the author's most beloved theme. The academic politics and land-ownership controversies were a little dry, but those plots are really just an excuse to bring these people together and let us get to know them. It's worth it.