Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. As a seventh-grader, I thought this book was just okay. After all, it was originally characterized as a book for boys. And as a seventh-grader, I knew far too little about character development. Therefore, Long John Silver was simply a "bad guy."
As an adult, I still wouldn't count it among my favorite books, but I have greater appreciation for the story and the character development. Jim Hawkins, a boy who becomes a man as he truly becomes the man of the house, following his father's death, as he embarks on the grand adventure in search of treasure. Long John Silver, who could be charming and devious; resourceful and deceptive. What might have happened to Silver after his grand escape.
A relatively quick read. But before I leave it, I do have at least one question: what right did Dr. Livesy and Squire Trelawney have to take a share of the treasure? Shouldn't Jim (or his mother) made a conscious decision about who to trust? Shouldn't there have been some negotiation about the percentage (if any) the others would take? Maybe a flat fee would have been more appropriate. Maybe it's just the lawyer in me, but seems a little sketchy to me.
Now to consider what to read next. Sense and Sensibility? A Reliable Wife? Something else?
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