Treasure Island

For years my only knowledge of the famous book Treasure Island was the infamous "Muppet's Treasure Island"! I remembered the "big blue wet thing" and Benjamina/Miss Piggy.... but really didn't know the actual story, only that it existed! Then some young friends who are helping me with The Marquis' Daughter suggested that I read this classic novel for help with the pirates and ship themes. So I brought home their copy, deciding to see what was so famous about this book that I had heard of and never read.

Treasure Island is a swashbuckling sea adventure of an island of the same name as the book title. The book is told from the perspective of a young boy named Jim Hawkins, living in the mid-1700s. His story begins when a loud, harsh, mysterious, weather-beaten sailor moves into the Hawkins's inn by the sea. This man carries with him the key to the grand adventure-- a map to a remote island on which lies buried seven hundred thousand pounds worth of treasure. The map is discovered after the sailor's death, and Jim, Squire Trelawney, and Dr. Livesey set out on a mission to find the island and acquire the treasure. However, half of the the ship's crew organized for the mission are pirates who had traveled with the famous Captain Flint, the lead pirate who buried the treasure. At the head of the buccaneers is the famous pirate: clever and treacherous Long John Silver. The expedition soon becomes a case of mutiny and murder, turncoats and treachery as the two parties seek for mastery and treasure.

Not much can be said for a book that is already so well-known. I am more used to reading thought-provoking "deep reads" and closer-to-real-life tales, and would probably not put Treasure Island on my "Top Ten Favorite Books" list. However, I did enjoy the story overall, and enjoyed following Jim's exciting adventures. The fast-paced action, heart-pounding scenes, and interesting characters make for a fun, a-musing boy's adventure book, at any rate. Perhaps some time you might pull it off the shelf and read through it. It might not be "a book you'll never forget" but it will be an entertaining read while you're at it!

P.S. When you do, bear in mind that this is a totally different story from "Muppet's Treasure Island" and you might as well forget about Benjamina Gunn! :-P