Robert Louis Stevenson- English writer of Scottish origin. Born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, in the family of an engineer. At baptism, he received the name Robert Lewis Balfour, but in adulthood he abandoned it, changing his surname to Stevenson, and writing his middle name from Lewis to Louis (without changing the pronunciation).

From his youth, Robert was inclined towards technical studies. After graduation, he entered the University of Edinburgh. Having opted for jurisprudence, he received the title of a lawyer, but he hardly ever practiced, since his state of health, on the one hand, and his first successes in the literary field, on the other, convinced him to prefer literature to advocacy. In 1873-1879 he lived mainly in France on the meager earnings of a budding writer and rare money transfers from home, he became his man in the "towns" of French artists. Stevenson's trips to France, Germany, and his native Scotland date back to the same period, which resulted in his first two books of travel experiences, An Inland Voyage (1878) and Travels with a Donkey (Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes, 1879). "Essays" written during this period were collected by him in the book "Virginibus Puerisque" (1881).

In the French village of Greuse, famous for its collections and meetings of artists, Robert Lewis met Frances Mathilde (Vandegrift) Osborne, an American ten years older than him, who was fond of painting. Having parted with her husband, she lived with children in Europe. Stevenson fell in love with her passionately, and as soon as the divorce was obtained, on May 19, 1880, the lovers were married in San Francisco. Their life together was marked by Fanny's vigilant concern for her sickly husband. Stevenson befriended her children, and subsequently his stepson (Samuel) Lloyd Osborne co-authored three of his books: The Extraordinary Luggage (1889), The Ebb (1894) and The Castaways (1892).

In 1880 Stevenson was diagnosed with tuberculosis. In search of a salubrious climate, he visited Switzerland, the south of France, Bournemouth (England) and, in 1887-1888, Saranac Lake in the state of New York. Partly because of ill health, partly to collect material for essays, Stevenson took a yacht to the South Pacific with his wife, mother, and stepson. They visited the Marquesas, Tuamotu, Tahiti, Hawaii, Micronesia, and Australia, and purchased land in Samoa, deciding to settle in the tropics for the sake of economy. He called his possession Vailima (Pyatirechye). Striving for the closest communication with the locals, Stevenson took a deep part in their fate and appeared in print exposing the colonial administration - the novel "Eight Years in Danger in Samoa" belongs to this period in his work ("A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa, 1893). Stevenson's protest was, however, only a romantic protest, but he was not forgotten by people.

The climate of the island did him good: in the spacious plantation house in Wailima, some of his best works were written. In the same house on December 3, 1894, he suddenly died. Samoan worshipers buried him on top of a nearby mountain. On the tombstone are inscribed the words from his famous "Testament" ("Under the immense starry sky...").

Stevenson's main contribution to literature can be called the fact that he revived the adventure and historical novel in England. But with all the skill of narration, he failed to raise it to the heights on which these genres stood among his predecessors. For the most part, the author was interested in adventure for the sake of adventure, the deeper motives of the adventure novel, like those of Daniel Defoe, were alien to him, and in the historical novel he refused to depict large social events, limiting himself to showing the adventures of heroes for whom history serves only as an accidental background.

The success of Stevenson's famous books is partly due to the fascination of the topics covered in them: pirate adventures in Treasure Island (1883), horror fiction in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , 1886) and children's enthusiasm in "Children's Flower Garden of Verses" (A Child's Garden of Verses, 1885). However, in addition to these advantages, John Silver's rapid character drawing, syllable density in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, sparkles of irony in "Children's flower garden of verses”, testifying to the versatility of his talent.

He began his literary career with essays, extremely valued at that time, written in a relaxed manner, and never betrayed this genre. His articles on writers and writing are A Humble Remonstrance (1884), Dreams (Dreams, 1888), On Some Technical Elements of Style in Literature, 1885, and others - bring him closer to G. James. The travelogues Traveling with a Donkey, The Silverado Squatters (1883) and In the South Seas (1890) masterfully recreate local flavor, and the latter are of particular interest to explorers. Stevenson's obscure literary anecdotes are among the most caustic, witty, and concise in English literature. He wrote poems occasionally and rarely took them seriously.

To penetrate the world of some of Stevenson's works - "Kidnapped" (Kidnapped, 1886) and its sequel "Catriona" (Catriona, 1893; magazine version of "David Balfour" - David Balfour), "The Master of Ballantrae" (The Master of Ballantrae, 1889) , "The Merry Men" (The Merry Men, 1882), "Cursed Janet" (Thrawn Janet, 1881), - the reader will need at least a superficial acquaintance with the language and history of Scotland. Nearly all of them—with the exception of Cursed Janet, a little gem in the ghost story genre—are unevenly written. "Black Arrow" (The Black Arrow, 1883) and "St. Ives" (St. Ives, 1897) can be attributed to the number of obvious failures. The Extraordinary Luggage and The Suicide Club (1878), as well as the stories that are their continuation (some co-written with Fanny), will not be to everyone's taste. However, The Beach of Falesa is one of the best stories ever written about the South Seas, and the island fantasies often printed with it The Bottle Imp (1891) and The Island of Voices are extremely entertaining. (The Isle of Voices, 1893). It is generally accepted that Weir of Hermiston (1896) could have become one of the great novels of the 19th century, but Stevenson managed to finish only a third of the book.

English literature

Robert Louis Stevenson

Biography

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850−1894), English writer of Scottish origin. Born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh. After graduation, he entered the University of Edinburgh. Having opted for jurisprudence, he received the title of a lawyer, but hardly ever practiced.

In 1873-1879 he lived mainly in France on the meager earnings of a budding writer and rare money transfers from home, he became his man in the "towns" of French artists. He made a kayak trip along the rivers of France, described in his first published book Travel inland (An Inland Voyage, 1878), and a hike described in Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes (Travels with a Donkey in the Cvennes, 1879). In the village of Dreams, where artists gathered, he met Frances Matilda (Vandegrift) Osborn, an American ten years older than him, who was fond of painting. Having parted with her husband, she lived with children in Europe. Stevenson fell in love with her passionately, and as soon as the divorce was obtained, on May 19, 1880, the lovers were married in San Francisco. Their life together was marked by Fanny's vigilant concern for her sickly husband. Stevenson befriended her children, and later his stepson (Samuel) Lloyd Osborne co-authored three of his books: The Wrong Box (1889), The Ebb (The Ebb-Tide, 1894) and The Wrecker (1892).

In 1880 Stevenson was diagnosed with tuberculosis. In search of a salubrious climate, he visited Switzerland, the south of France, Bournemouth (England) and in 1887-1888 Saranac Lake in New York State. Partly because of ill health, partly to collect material for essays, Stevenson took a yacht to the South Pacific with his wife, mother, and stepson. They visited the Marquesas, Tuamotu, Tahiti, Hawaii, Micronesia, and Australia, and purchased land in Samoa, deciding to settle in the tropics for the sake of economy. He called his possession Vailima (Pyatirechye).

The climate of the island did him good: in the spacious plantation house in Wailima, some of his best works were written. In the same house on December 3, 1894, he suddenly died. Samoan worshipers buried him on top of a nearby mountain. On the tombstone are inscribed the words from his famous testament (“Under the vast starry sky”).

The success of Stevenson's famous books is partly due to the fascination of the topics covered in them: pirate adventures in Treasure Island (Treasure Island, 1883), horror fiction in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) and children's enthusiasm in the Children's flower garden of verses (A Child's Garden of Verses, 1885). However, in addition to these virtues, one should note the impetuous drawing of John Silver's character, the density of the syllable in Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the sparkles of irony in the Children's Flower Garden of Poems, testifying to the versatility of his talent.

He began his literary career with essays, extremely valued at that time, written in a relaxed manner, and never betrayed this genre. His articles on writers and writing art - Modest objection (A Humble Remonstrance, 1884), Dreams (Dreams, 1888), About some technical elements of literary style (On Some Technical Elements of Style in Literature, 1885), etc. - bring him closer to G. James. In travel notes Traveling with a donkey, Squatters Silverado (The Silverado Squatters, 1883) and In the South Seas (In the South Seas, 1890) skillfully recreated the local flavor, besides the latter are of particular interest to researchers. Stevenson's obscure literary anecdotes are among the most caustic, witty, and concise in English literature. He wrote poems occasionally and rarely took them seriously.

To penetrate the world of some of Stevenson's works - Stolen (Kidnapped, 1886) and its continuation of Catriona (Catriona, 1893; magazine version of David Balfour - David Balfour), The Master of Ballantre (The Master of Ballantrae, 1889), Merry Men (The Merry Men, 1882), Cursed Janet (Thrawn Janet, 1881) - the reader will need at least a superficial acquaintance with the language and history of Scotland. Almost all of them - with the exception of Cursed Janet, a little gem in the ghost story genre - are unevenly written. Black Arrow (The Black Arrow, 1883) and St. Ives (St. Ives, 1897) can be attributed to the number of obvious failures. Mistake and the Suicide Club (The Suicide Club, 1878), as well as the stories that are their continuation (some co-written with Fanny), not everyone will like it. However, The Beach of Falesa is one of the best stories ever written about the South Seas, and the island fantasies often printed with it are extremely entertaining The Bottle Imp (1891) and The Isle of Voices , 1893). It is generally accepted that Weir of Hermiston (1896) could be one of the great novels of the 19th century, but Stevenson managed to finish only a third of the book.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on 11/13/1850, the son of an engineer. After graduating from school, he entered the University of Edinburgh in the engineering department, but later transferred to law, where in 1875 he received the title of lawyer.

The first book, called by the author “Pentland Rebellion. A page of history, 1666 ”, was published in an edition of only one hundred copies at the expense of his father in 1866. During the years 1873-1879. Stevenson lives mainly in France, working as a writer for pennies. Interested in painting, communicates with French artists. He travels a lot, which he describes in his books: 1878 - "Journey inland", 1879 - "Journey with a donkey".

In 1880, he marries Frances Mathilde (Vandegrift) Osborne, a divorced American woman with children who is fond of painting. Due to tuberculosis (diagnosed in 1880), the writer and his family often move, trying to find a suitable climate. They visit Switzerland, live a little in the south of France, in England and America. Then, taking his wife, mother and stepson with him, Stevenson sets off on a yacht trip to the South Pacific. And in the end, they buy land on one of the islands of Samoa and settle there for a long time, naming their estate Vailima (Five Rivers).

In this large plantation house, the writer composed some of his best works. In it, he died suddenly on December 3, 1894. He was buried at the top of Mount Weah.

Stevenson's books are a great success, which can be explained by fascinating themes: pirate adventures ("Treasure Island"), fantasy, horror ("The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"), etc. and how beautifully he described the characters of the heroes of his works and skillfully recreated the flavor of the places he wrote about.

11/13/1850, Edinburgh - 12/03/1894, Fr. Upolu, Samoa
English writer

Robert Louis Stevenson is not at all the respectable gentleman he claims to be! In 1876, this man received an "initiation" that connected him with the world of sea robbers. He seized control of Captain Filenta's pirate brig and sailed around the Antilles for several months. Then, having learned about the existence of hidden treasures, he grabbed the treasured map of the island and fled from the ship. But then luck changed the pirate. Never having found the coveted treasure, he reached the civilized land and settled there under the name of Stevenson. And about his adventures he wrote the novel "Treasure Island".
Do not be alarmed, this is just a legend, a figment of the imagination of sensational readers. The real Stevenson was neither a pirate, nor a sea wolf, nor a discoverer of new lands. The true life of the writer was rather ordinary and even poor in outward events.
He was born in Edinburgh, the son of Scottish engineers, famous lighthouse builders. "My childhood Stevenson recalled, to tell the truth it was bleak. Fever, delirium, insomnia, painful days, endless nights". The boy's father, Sir Thomas, sitting at the bedside of his son with tuberculosis, told him fascinating stories about brave robbers, desperate voyages, buried treasures.
Isn't that why the answer to the question "who to be?" subsequently arose by itself - of course, a writer. But the writer, the parents thought, was not a serious profession. Yielding to their persuasion, Stevenson entered the law faculty of the University of Edinburgh and in 1875 received the right to practice law. Needless to say, he never took advantage of this right.
In his youth, Louis dreamed of distant wanderings. But life turned out in such a way that he traveled more often not out of spiritual inclination, but out of cruel necessity. First, at the insistence of doctors, to the mild climate of France, Holland and Belgium, then to California for his American bride, Fanny Osborne, and, at the end of her life, to the islands of the Samoa archipelago.
It is not surprising that one of Stevenson's first published books - "Journey inland" - was a story about his wanderings, which, in truth, did not arouse much interest among readers.
But then one day ... Playing with his adopted son Lloyd Osborne, Stevenson drew a map of the island. "What is the name of this land?" the boy asked. “Treasure Island,” the author thoughtlessly replied, not suspecting that from that moment he began to create his most famous novel. So unexpectedly from the game was born the idea to write an adventure book - "fun story for boys". In a letter to a friend, Stevenson said that it would be a novel about pirates, about a map and treasure, about a riot and an abandoned ship, about old Squire Trelawny and a doctor, and another doctor, and a cook with one leg. That the action begins at the Admiral Benbow Inn in Devon. And that they would sing the pirate song "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum" - a real pirate song known only to the team of the late Captain Flint ...
The writer's father and, of course, Lloyd Osborne took part in the creation of the novel. It was at the request of the boy that Stevenson did not include women in the narrative, except for Jim Hawkins' mother. And in general, Lloyd was the first critic and editor of Treasure Island - every morning Stevenson read to him the pages written during the night.
The novel was first published in 1883. The reaction of readers turned out to be more than unexpected - the author was literally flooded with letters asking him to give the exact coordinates of the island, because some of the treasures remained there. Naive contemporaries could not believe that the events of the novel are not personal experience, but just a figment of the writer's imagination.
Treasure Island is Stevenson's most famous, but by no means the only work. The writer also has a novel about medieval England "The Black Arrow", and books about the life and adventures of the Scottish youth David Balfour, and a fantastic story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The Possessor of Ballantre, the deepest of Stevenson's completed novels, the cycles of short stories "The Diamond of the Raja", the story "Francois Villon's Bed and Breakfast" have long become classics of world literature. In addition, the writer wrote a wonderful poetic collection "Kindergarten of Poems".
According to another English writer, Rudyard Kipling, all these books are “…true black and white filigree, finished to the exact thickness of a hair”.
Stevenson's legacy includes several dozen volumes - so much has been done in fifteen years of hard work. And he wrote until the last day of his short life, the end of which he had to spend on the Pacific island of Upolu - in places with an ideal climate for a person suffering from tuberculosis. In the same place, the writer died, before reaching the age of forty-five and not having time to finish the novel - “Wear Hermiston”.
Fulfilling the last will of Stevenson, his relatives buried him above the sea, on the top of Mount Weah. On the grave of the writer to this day lies a stone with half-erased lines of the "Requiem", written once by a very young Louis:

Nadezhda Voronova

WORKS OF R.L. STEVENSON

COLLECTED WORKS: In 8 volumes: Per. from English. - M.: Terra - Book. club: Literature, 2001.

COLLECTED WORKS: In 5 volumes: Per. from English. - M.: Terra, 1993.

COLLECTED WORKS: In 5 volumes / Ed. ed. M. Urnova; Il. S. Brodsky. - M.: Pravda, 1967.

SELECTED WORKS: In 2 volumes: Per. from English. - M.: Literature: Text-Sample, 2000. - (World literature).
T. 1.: Treasure Island; Stolen; Catriona. - 638 p.
Vol. 2: Black Arrow; New Arabian Nights; Tales; stories; Poems and ballads. - 637 p.

FAVORITE: Per. from English. / Rice. L. Durasova. - M.: Det. lit., 1999. - 718 p.: ill. - (B-ka world lit. for children).
"House on the Dunes"
Lonely house on the shores of the North Sea. Quicksands. Storm winds. Seagulls circling over the shallows with a dull cry. Quite a suitable setting for a tragedy that will begin as soon as its participants appear. And they won't keep you waiting long. A ruined banker with a beautiful daughter, two gentlemen in love with her and Italian carbonari will fill this meager and gloomy landscape with violent passions.

OWNER BALLANTRE: Roman / Trans. from English. I.Kashkina // Stevenson R.L. Possessor of Ballantrae; stories; Tales. - M.: Pravda, 1987. - S. 5-216.

The godless, treacherous, courageous and seductive eldest son of the Scottish Lord Darrisdeer James, the ruler of Ballantre, without any remorse is engaged in sea robbery, does not disdain the craft of a spy, and, returning home, systematically drives his brother to insanity.
Henry's youngest son is loyal, sensible and persistent. He protects the family honor, keeps the family hearth and ... hates James.
This mutual hatred both repels and attracts both, forcing them to whirl in a swift whirlpool of fatal events, until, finally, it drags them into a single funnel of crime and punishment.

ACCOMMODATION FRANCOIS VILLON: Story / Per. from English. I.Kashkina // Stevenson R.L. Accommodation François Villon; Suicide Club; Treasure Island; Black arrow; The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Possessor of Ballantrae; Satanic bottle. - M.: AST: Pushkinskaya b-ka, 2003. - S. 6-78.
The French poet, his brilliant poems, mysterious personality and tragic fate interested R. L. Stevenson so much that in 1877 he wrote a serious article about him “Francois Villon, scientist, poet and burglar” and at the same time made the main character of his first work of art. Perhaps only by "resurrecting" Villon, walking with him through the streets of freezing winter Paris and finding a random shelter, Stevenson was able to directly address his imaginary interlocutor.

TREASURE ISLAND / Per. from English. N. Chukovsky; Artistic G. Brock. - M.: Vagrius, 2004. - 351 p.: ill. - (Pushkin library).
“... a map of some island fell on the table, with latitude and longitude, with the designation of the depths of the sea near the coast, with the names of hills, bays and capes ... eyes three crosses made in red ink - two in the northern part of the island and one in the southwestern. Near this last cross, in the same red ink, in a clear handwriting ... it was written:
“The main part of the treasure is here.”
Well, is there really a person whom such a document will leave indifferent! So the heroes of the book - Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey and the young man Jim Hawkins - were immediately delighted and decided to immediately go in search of treasure.
More about Treasure Island...

STOPPED; KATRIONA: [Novels] / Per. from English. S. Ledneva, I. Gurova - M.: AST, 2003. - 478 p.: ill. - (B-ka adventures).
“Kidnapped: Notes on the Adventures of David Balfour in 1751, how he was kidnapped and wrecked; about his suffering on a deserted island; about his wanderings in the wild mountains; of his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other prominent Jacobites of the Scottish Highlands; and of all that he suffered at the hands of his uncle Ebenezer Balfour, falsely called the owner of Shoos, written by himself and now published by Robert Louis Stevenson ".
It was such a long title, stylized as the 18th century, that the author came up with for the novel.
Catriona" - a continuation of "Kidnapped". In it, David Balfour meets Catriona, the granddaughter of the famous Rob Roy.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE FLORIZEL / [Transl. from English. T. Litvinova, E. Lopyreva]. - St. Petersburg: Crystal, 2001. - 158 p. - (Old style).
At times, Prince Florizel was attacked by the blues. And then he wandered around London in the evening in search of adventure ... Just like Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
In 1878, Stevenson's stories from the Suicide Club and Raja's Diamond series were published in London magazine under the general title Modern Thousand and One Nights.

SAINT-IV; PRINCE OTTO: [Novels]: Per. from English. / Art. G.Vanshenkina. - M.: DIAMOND, 1994. - 622 p.: ill. - (B-ka adventure continues).
The hero of the unfinished novel "Saint-Yves" is a French viscount, a rake and a duelist. Captain Jacques Saint-Yves, demoted to the ranks, one day finds himself in the army. Passion for adventures and desperate courage do not leave him on the battlefields. Even having fallen into enemy captivity, Saint-Yves does not intend to linger there for a long time ...
A distant prototype of Stevenson's hero was the French General Marbo. By the way, Conan Doyle also used the memoirs of the Napoleonic general to create the image of the brave Brigadier Gerard.
But in the novel “Prince Otto”, readers, finding themselves at the court of the tiny principality of Grunewald, will be able to witness complex political intrigues and light romantic adventures, in which both the weak-willed Prince Otto and the determined Princess Serafina will take an active part.

THE STRANGE STORY OF DR. JEKYL AND MR. HYDE: Per. from English. - M.: AST: Ermak, 2003. - 380 p. - (World classics).
Tale "about a man who was two people" shocked Stevenson's contemporaries. Even the rector of St. Paul's Cathedral once dedicated an entire sermon to her.
There is a legend that Stevenson saw the story of Jekyll-Hyde in a dream.

BLACK ARROW: A Tale from the War of the Scarlet and White Roses / Per. from English. M. and N. Chukovsky; Artistic I. Tsygankov. - M .: Books of the "Seeker", 2002. - 255 p.: ill. - (B-ka det. Literature).
This book is for those who want to visit a medieval castle, hear the noise of battles between the supporters of the Scarlet and White Roses, and witness the adventures of the young nobleman Dick Shelton.
More about Black Arrow...

- Works,
written by R. L. Stevenson
together with L. Osborne -

The covers of the three books listed below do not always bear the names of both co-authors. Most often, publishers stubbornly "do not notice" Lloyd Osborne, citing the fact that "collaboration of the famous writer with nothing particularly distinguished and still very young man" if it was not a pure hoax, then it was purely formal. However, this point of view is not the only one. And the arguments in defense of the copyright of the adopted son of R. L. Stevenson Lloyd Osborne are very convincing (see V. Svinin's preface to the story "Unbelievable Baggage").

Stevenson R.L. LOW TIDE // Stevenson R.L. Prince Otto; Low tide: [Trans. from English] / [Art. A. Gannushkin, A. Belov]. - M.: Book Chamber International, 1993. - S. 269-378.
"Ebb Tide" ... The very title of the novel concentrates the incredible strength and power of the elements. Ocean low tide exposes the shoals and skeletons of broken ships. In human life, the same powerful ebbs occur. And then the soul is exposed. And it is impossible to hide and retreat, but only to accept your fate and survive.

Stevenson R.L. SHIPwrecked: Per. from English. T.Ozerskoy // Stevenson R.L. Treasure Island; Black arrow; Shipwrecked. - M.: OLMA-PRESS, 2002. - S. 281-508.
This book, more than the other two, resembles an intricate game in which partners try to surprise the enemy by coming up with intricate and unpredictable moves. Therefore, the novel is filled to the brim with all sorts of mysteries and secrets, hidden evidence and clear hints. And to solve them without the help of the authors is almost impossible.

STEVENSON R.L., OSBORNE L. LONG BAGGAGE: A Tale / Per. from English. and foreword. V. Svinina; Designed V.Sapozhnikova. - Novosibirsk: Svinin and sons, 2004. - 293 p.
How can you call a corpse that arrived in London in a barrel and left the city in a concert grand piano? Of course, "exorbitant baggage." Its receipt for some addressees remained an unfulfilled dream, for others it became a nightmarish find. Naturally, in such a complex and confusing situation, all the defendants in this criminal case could use a little "reasonable frivolity". Fortunately, it was found both among the heroes and the authors.
More about "Unreal Baggage"...

- Poetry of R. L. Stevenson -

Stevenson R.L. KINDERGARTEN OF POEMS AND OTHER POEMS / Comp., foreword. and comment. M. Lukashkina. - In English. and Russian lang. - M.: Rainbow, 2001. - 349 p.: ill.
"These poems were composed by one whose life is easy"- so more than a hundred years ago, one reviewer wrote about the small poetry collection "Kindergarten of Poems". He was right. Poems written for children should be filled only with happiness and joy. And they do not need to remember the real life of the author. However, any illness and suffering can recede if you look at the world through children's eyes:

In addition to the Kindergarten of Poems, the book includes two more poetry collections by R. L. Stevenson, Instructive Emblems (joking edifications with drawings by the author) and Undergrowth, as well as ballads.

MARSHAK S.Ya. HEATHER HONEY: From Robert Stevenson / Fig. A. Harshak. - M.: Sov. Russia, 1981. - p.: ill.
Scotland… For the Russian ear, even the name of this country sounds like music, like an ancient ballad. But when a gray-haired legend lies on the melody of a simple and precise verse, then the heart always joins the hearing.

The ballad of courage and perseverance - Heather Honey - was written by Robert Louis Stevenson at the end of the 19th century. Half a century later, in the terrible year 1941, it was translated into Russian by Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak. Since then, the tune of Scotland has become our tune. And for us now, too, the honey-heather blooms, and the North Sea tirelessly rolls its heavy waves.

Nadezhda Voronova, Irina Kazyulkina

LITERATURE ABOUT THE LIFE AND WORKS OF R.L. STEVENSON

Stevenson R.L. My first book "Treasure Island" / Per. from English. M. Kahn // Stevenson R.L. Fav. Prod.: In 3 volumes: T. 1. - M.: Respublika, 1992. - S. 161-169.

Stevenson F., Stevenson R.L. Four Years in Samoa: [Diary of Stevenson's Wife and Extracts from His Letters]: Per. from English. - Ed. 2nd, add. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - 223 p.: ill.

Andreev K. A sailor and a hunter from the hills // Andreev K. Adventure seekers. - M.: Det. lit., 1968. - S. 112-167.

Belousov R. Where are you from, Pirate John Silver?; How Mr. Brodie gave birth to Dr. Jekyll // Belousov R. The Hippocrene Mystery. - M.: Sov. Russia, 1978. - S. 229-292.

Belousov R. "Hispaniola" is heading for Treasure Island // Belousov R. Secrets of great books. - M.: RIPOL CLASSIC, 2004. - S. 281-338.

Vnukov N. Treasure Island: [About the island described in Stevenson's book] // I want to know everything! - L .: Det. lit., 1974. - S. 247-252.

Gakov Vl. The sailor returned home // Stevenson R.L. Treasure Island; Black arrow; Shipwrecked. - M.: OLMA-PRESS, 2002. - S. 5-10.

Kashkin I. Robert Lewis Stevenson // Kashkin I. For a contemporary reader. - M.: Sov. writer, 1977. - S. 256-293.

Kashkin I. Robert Lewis Stevenson // Stevenson R.L. Treasure Island; Black arrow. - M.: Stroyizdat, 1981. - S. 406-414.

Kovalevskaya O. Stevenson's Island: [The history of the creation of Stevenson's book "Treasure Island"] // Bonfire. - 1991. - No. 12. - S. 28-29.

Lukanov I. Under the "Spyglass" sign: [About the prototypes of the characters in the book "Treasure Island"] // I want to know everything! - L .: Det. lit., 1974. - S. 253-258.

Maksimov A. House of Tusitaly: A Tale // Pioneer. - 1990. - No. 9-10.
The story is a legend about the last days of the writer's life.

Aldington R. Stevenson: Portrait of a Rebel / Per. from English. G. Ostrovskoy; Intro. Art. D. Urnova. - M.: Terra - Book. club, 2001. - 365 p.: ill. - (Portraits).

Pirate treasure: About treasures and treasure hunters, about pirates of different times and peoples. - Irkutsk: Oblinformpechat, B.g. - 605 p.: ill. - (Flying Dutchman).
From the contents: Belousov R. Course to the "Treasure Island"; Vnukov N. Treasure Island; Lukanov I. Under the sign "Spyglass"; Cassis W. Hoard.

Sventsitskaya O. Robert Lewis Stevenson // Encyclopedia for Children: V. 15: World Literature: Part 2: XIX and XX centuries. - M.: Avanta +, 2001. - S. 92-97.

Urnov M. Afterword // Stevenson R.L. Stolen; Catriona. - M.: Det. lit., 1987. - S. 506-511.

Urnov M. Robert Louis Stevenson // Stevenson R.L. Fav. Prod.: In 3 vols. - M.: Respublika, 1992. - T. 1. - S. 5-22.

Fradkin N. Sails of the brigantine // Land and people: Popul. geogr. yearbook. - M.: Geografgiz, 1975. - S. 301-303.

N.V., I.K.

SCREENINGS OF R.L. STEVENSON’S WORKS

- ART FILMS -

The Death of Apollonia: Based on the novel "The Shipwrecked". Dir. T.Ivo. Bulgaria-Czechoslovakia.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dir. W. Fleming. USA, 1941. Cast: S. Tracy, I. Bergman and others.
House on the dunes. Dir. D. Salynsky. USSR, 1985. Cast: A. Nevolina, A. Ryazantsev, E. Martsevich, I. Yasulovich and others.
Other drawer: Based on the novel "Extraordinary Baggage". Dir. B. Forbes. UK, 1966.
Testament of Dr. Cordelier. TV movie. Based on the story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Dir. J. Renoir. Comp. J. Cosma. France, 1958. In Ch. roles - J.L. Barro.
Treasure Island. Dir. W. Fleming. USA, 1934.
Treasure Island. Dir. V. Weinstock. Comp. N. Bogoslovsky. USSR, 1937. Cast: K.Pugacheva, O.Abdulov, M.Klimov, N.Cherkasov, M.Tsarev and others.
Treasure Island. Dir. J. Hugh et al. France-Great Britain-Italy et al., 1972. Orson Welles as John Silver.
Treasure Island. Dir. E. Friedman. Comp. A. Rybnikov. USSR, 1972. Cast: B.Andreev, A.Laanemets, L.Noreika, A.Masyulis, L.Shagalova, I.Klass, A.Fait and others.
Treasure Island. TV movie. In the 3rd ser. Dir. V.Vorobiev. Comp. E. Ptichkin. USSR, 1982. Cast: O. Borisov, Fedya Stukov, V. Strzhelchik, L. Markov, O. Volkova, V. Zolotukhin, N. Karachentsov, G. Yukhtin, G. Shtil and others.
Treasure Island. Dir. P. Rowe. Canada-UK, 2001.
Stolen. Dir. D.Mann. Comp. R.Budd. UK, 1971.
Stolen. TV movie. Dir. B. Meher. UK, 2005.
The Adventures of Prince Florizel: The Suicide Club, or the Adventures of a Titled Person. TV movie. In the 3rd ser. Based on the cycles of short stories "Diamond of the Raja" and "Suicide Club". Dir. E. Tatarsky. Comp. N. Simonyan. USSR, 1979. Cast: O.Dal, D.Banionis, I.Dmitriev, L.Polishchuk, I.Yankovsky, E.Solovey, V.Shevelkov, B.Novikov, M.Pugovkin, V.Basov and others.
Adventures of Saint-Yves. Dir. G. Hook. Great Britain. 1998.
The strange story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dir. A. Orlov. Comp. E. Artemiev. USSR, 1985. Cast: I. Smoktunovsky, A. Feklistov, A. Lazarev, A. Budnitskaya, B. Freindlich, E. Martsevich, A. Vokach, T. Okunevskaya and others.
Owner of Ballantra. Dir. W. Kylie. Great Britain, 1953. Cast: E. Flynn, R. Laivisi.
Black arrow. Dir. S. Tarasov. Comp. I. Kantyukov. USSR, 1985. Cast: G. Belyaeva, I. Shavlak, L. Kulagin, Yu. Smirnov, A. Masyulis, B. Khimichev, A. Filippenko, Ya. Druz, B. Khmelnitsky and others.

- CARTOONS -

Heather honey: Based on the ballad by R. Stevenson. Dir. T.Gurvich. USSR, 1974.
Treasure Island. Dir. N. Prescott, B. Stan, H. Sutherland. USA, 1973.
Treasure Island. Dir. R. Petkov. Bulgaria, 1982.
Treasure Island: Captain Flint's Map. Dir. D. Cherkassky. USSR, 1986.
Treasure Island: Treasures of Captain Flint. Dir. D. Cherkassky. USSR, 1988.

English Robert Louis Stevenson, full name ( Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson)

Robert Stevenson

short biography

An English writer of Scottish origin, the largest figure of national neo-romanticism, a recognized master of the adventure genre, a poet - was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1850. His father was a hereditary engineer, his mother was a representative of an old family. Bronchial disease suffered in early childhood significantly reduced life expectancy.

Stevenson's first published work was in 1866; Robert Lewis wrote it as a teenager and printed it for his father's money. It was a historical essay "The Pentland Rebellion". Stevenson received his education at the Edinburgh Academy, from 1871 to 1875 - at the University of Edinburgh, at the Faculty of Law. Having received a lawyer's diploma after graduation, he, nevertheless, did not engage in practical activities in the field of jurisprudence.

During the years 1873-1879. he lived mainly in France, and the source of income was the modest earnings of a writer who was just starting his career in literature, but showed promise. Kayak trips along the rivers of the country allowed him to accumulate impressions, which he set out in a book published in 1878. The first work of an adult Stevenson was a series of essays called "Journey inland". In 1882, his "Etudes on well-known people and books" were published. The genre of essays, essays, very fashionable and popular in his time, he never left, although works of a completely different kind brought him fame.

In 1880, Stevenson was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which forced him to move to a more favorable climate for the organism. Having visited Southern France, Switzerland, England, and America, Stevenson and his family traveled around the South Pacific Ocean - both in order to improve their health and to collect materials for the next essays. Having visited the Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, Hawaii, Australia, they decided to settle in Samoa for a long time.

The local climate turned out to be healing for Stevenson, in any case, the works that brought him world fame and made him a classic of the genre were written here. In 1883, the novel "Treasure Island" appeared - a recognized masterpiece of adventure literature. Subsequently, the novels "Kidnapped" (1886), "The Owner of Ballantra" (1889) appeared, strengthening his fame as a master of an entertaining plot, the psychological accuracy of drawing images. In 1893, a collection of short stories was published under the title Evening Conversations on the Island. Poetry collections also came out from under his pen - "Children's Flower Garden of Poems" (1885), "Ballads" (1890). Until the end of his life he remained an essayist and publicist. Very promising, according to researchers, Stevenson's last novel, Wear Hermiston, remained unfinished. Death found Robert Louis Stevenson in Polynesia, on the island of Uplow on December 3, 1894. A stroke put an end to his biography. The inhabitants of the island, who were admirers of his talent, made a grave on the top of the mountain.

Biography from Wikipedia

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson Born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, in the family of a hereditary engineer, a specialist in lighthouses. He received his secondary education at the Edinburgh Academy, his higher education at the University of Edinburgh, where he first studied as an engineer, in 1871 he received a silver medal at the competition of the Scottish Academy for his work “A new type of flashing light for lighthouses”, but then moved to the Faculty of Law, which he graduated from 1875. Having received the name Robert Lewis Balfour at baptism, at the age of 18 he abandoned Balfour (mother's maiden name) in his name, and also changed the spelling from Lewis to Louis. The conservative Thomas Stevenson is said to have disliked a liberal named Lewis and decided to write the name of his son (who was almost never called Robert in the family) in French but pronounced in English.

At the age of three, he fell ill with croup, which led to serious consequences. According to most biographers, Stevenson suffered from a severe form of pulmonary tuberculosis (according to E. N. Caldwell, who referred to the opinions of doctors who treated or examined the writer, a severe bronchial disease).

In his youth, he wanted to marry Kat Drummond, a singer from a night tavern, but did not do this under pressure from his father.

The first book, essay “Pentland Rebellion. A Page of History, 1666, a pamphlet published in a print run of one hundred copies with his father's money, was published in 1866 (even then Stevenson's great interest in the history of his native Scotland showed up). In 1873, the essay "The Road" was published, which had a simply symbolic title (despite his illness, Stevenson traveled a lot). Three years later, together with his friend William Simpson, he kayaked along the rivers and canals of Belgium and France. In the French village of Barbizon, which became the center of the Barbizon School of Art, founded by the late Theodore Rousseau, where young English and American artists came to the city community thanks to the railroad from Paris, Stevenson met Frances (Fanny) Matilda Osborne. This married woman, who was ten years older than Stevenson, was fond of painting and therefore was among the artists. Together with her, a sixteen-year-old daughter (the future stepdaughter Isabelle Osborne, who later wrote Stevenson's works from dictation) and a nine-year-old son (the future stepson and co-author of the writer Lloyd Osborne) came to Barbizon.

Returning to Edinburgh, Stevenson published a book of essays, A Journey Inland (1878). The year before, he had published his first work of fiction in Temple Bar magazine, the short story "François Villon's Bed and Breakfast". In 1878, again in France, Stevenson wrote the cycles of stories "The Suicide Club" and "The Raja's Diamond" combined by one hero, which from June to October under the title "Modern Thousand and One Nights" are published in the London magazine. Four years later, a series of stories (under the title "The New Thousand and One Nights") manages to be published as a separate book.

Having finished the stories about Prince Florizel (Florisel, Prince of Bohemia, - by the way, one of the heroes of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale"), Stevenson made another trip - to the places where the French Protestants waged a guerrilla war. In June 1879, he published the book Traveling with a Donkey (the donkey carrying the luggage was his only companion). At the beginning of the 20th century, young writers called this book "Traveling with Sidney Colvin", disapproving of the way a close friend of the late Stevenson prepared for publication a four-volume edition of the letters of the latter, which he subjected to real censorship.

In August 1879, Stevenson received a letter from California from Fanny Osborne. This letter has not survived; it is assumed that she reported her serious illness. When he arrived in San Francisco, he did not find Fanny there; exhausted by a long and difficult trip, the writer had to go to Monterey, where she moved. On May 19, 1880, Stevenson married Fanny in San Francisco, who managed to divorce her husband. In August, with her and her children, he sailed from New York to Liverpool. On the ship, Stevenson wrote the essays that made up the book The Amateur Emigrant, and when he returned, he wrote the story House on the Dunes.

Stevenson has long wanted to write a novel, even tried to start, but all his plans and attempts did not lead to anything. Watching his stepson draw something, his stepfather got carried away and made a map of the invented island. In September 1881, he began writing a novel that he originally wanted to call The Ship's Cook. He read what he wrote to his family. Stevenson's father suggested to his son that Billy Bones' chest and a barrel of apples be included in the book.

When the owner of the children's magazine Young Folks got acquainted with the first chapters and the general idea, he began to publish the novel in his magazine from October (under the pseudonym "Captain George North" and not on the front pages). In January 1882, the publication of Treasure Island ended, but did not bring success to the author. A lot of indignant letters came to the editorial office of the magazine. The first book edition was published (already under the real name) only in November 1883. The circulation did not sell out immediately, but the success of the second edition, as well as the third, illustrated, was undeniable. "Treasure Island" (Treasure Island) brought Stevenson worldwide fame (the first Russian translation was made in 1886), became an example of a classic adventure novel. In 1884-1885, Stevenson wrote for Young Folks the historical adventure novel The Black Arrow (book edition was published in 1888, Russian translation - 1889). Stevenson's novel "Prince Otto" (Prince Otto) was published in book edition in 1885 (Russian translation - 1886), in the same year a collection of short stories "And Another Thousand and One Nights" ("Dynamite") was released.

Stevenson did not take his poems seriously for a long time and did not offer them to publishers. However, having married, returning from the USA to his homeland, he composed 48 poems, caused by memories of childhood, compiled a collection of "Whistles" (Penny Whistles), printed a few copies for friends in the printing house (among Stevenson's friends were Henry James, Scottish writer Samuel Crocket) and stopped there. He returned to poetry a few years later, when he was very ill, revised the collection and released it in 1885 under a different name. The collection, published in our country in 1920 (and in an abbreviated form) as "Children's Flower Garden of Poems" (there are other Russian translations of the title), has become a classic of English poetry for children. Two years later, Stevenson released a second poetry collection (already for adults) and called it "Underwood" (Underwoods), borrowing this name from Ben Jonson. “My poems are not a forest, but an undergrowth,” he himself explained, “but they have meaning and can be read.”

In 1885 Stevenson read F. M. Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment in French translation. The impression was reflected in the story "Markheim", from which it was not far to the fantastic-psychological story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekill and Mr. Hyde", published in January of the following year.

Already in May, the first chapters of Kidnapped (Russian translation - 1901), a new adventure novel, appeared on the pages of Young Folks. “Two works, so different in their essence, rarely came out from the pen of the same author, even in much longer periods of time,” wrote Stevenson researcher Stephen Gwynn. In the same year, 1886, a book edition was published. The protagonist of "Kidnapped" is David Balfour (a memory of maternal ancestors who, according to family tradition, belonged to the MacGregor clan, like Walter Scott's Rob Roy).

In 1887, The Merry Men, and Other Tales, a collection of short stories, was published, which included stories from 1881-1885, including "Markheim" and the very first of the Scottish stories, "Cursed Janet".

The following year, Stevenson and his family set off to travel the South Seas. At the same time, he wrote the novel "The Master of Ballantrae", which was published in 1889 (The Master of Ballantrae, Russian translation - 1890).

From 1890 Stevenson lived in Samoa. At the same time, the collection "Ballads" was released; In Russia, the ballad "Heather Honey" translated by Samuil Marshak is very popular.

On the islands of Samoa, a collection of stories was written "Evening conversations on the island" (Island Night's Entertainments, 1893, Russian translation 1901), a continuation of the "Kidnapped" "Catriona" (Catriona, 1893, in a magazine publication - "David Balfour", Russian translation - 1901), St. Ives (St. Ives, completed after Stevenson's death by Arthur Quiller-Kuch, 1897, Russian translation - 1898). All these (as well as previous) novels are distinguished by a combination of exciting adventurous plots, deep insight into history and subtle psychological study of characters. Stevenson's last novel, Weir of Hermiston (1896), which the author counted on as his best book, remained unfinished.

Together with his stepson Lloyd Osborne, Stevenson wrote novels from modern life, The Wrong Box (1889, Russian translation - 2004), The Wrecker (1892, Russian translation - 1896, this novel was especially appreciated by Jorge Luis Borges ), "Ebb Tide" (The Ebb-Tide, 1894).

Stevenson's works were translated into Russian by Konstantin Balmont, Valery Bryusov, Jurgis Baltrushaitis, Vladislav Khodasevich, Osip Rumer, Ignaty Ivanovsky, Ivan Kashkin, Korney Chukovsky. Leonid Borisov wrote a novel about him "Under the flag of Ekaterin".

Stevenson died on December 3, 1894 of a stroke on the island of Upolu in Samoa. From morning until evening he wrote "Weir Hermiston", reaching almost to the middle. Then he went down to the living room, trying to entertain his wife, who was in a gloomy mood. We were going to supper, Stevenson brought a bottle of Burgundy. Suddenly he grabbed his head and shouted: “What is the matter with me?” By the beginning of the ninth, he was no longer alive. The Samoans, who called Stevenson Tusitala (“the storyteller”; the writer told them, for example, the story of the satanic bottle, later reflected in the fairy tale from the collection “Evening Conversations on the Island”), raised him, covered with the British flag, to the top of Mount Weah, where he buried. The grave has been preserved, above it is a rectangular concrete tombstone.

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894) was a famous Scottish writer and poet, who became popular thanks to his many adventure-oriented works. He is considered one of the founders and prominent representatives of neo-romanticism.

Childhood

Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13 in Edinburgh in an ordinary family, where his mother and father worked as engineers and developed lighthouses. The boy was told from childhood that, as an adult, he would have to open his own business and produce even more improved models of lighthouses, but Robert was always neutral about this profession.

It was hard to say what exactly did not triple him. The fact that his parents, being constantly busy, paid him little attention, or the work itself with its many hours of searching for the right detail, which, in case of a discrepancy, doubled and tripled the process.

But, despite all this, the boy watched the work of his parents with rather great interest and even tried to help them.

At the age of 5, Robert suffers his first serious illness - croup. It is a severe inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, due to which the patient begins to breathe rapidly and unevenly and cough hoarsely. Croup is considered the most dangerous disease for children, as their immune system has the hardest time coping with the virus, which in some cases is fatal. However, Stevenson managed to completely defeat the disease, but, according to some biographers, ligament problems accompanied him throughout his life.

As soon as Robert was 7 years old, he went to school. From that moment on, his interests and attitude to life change dramatically. In an educational institution, he quickly finds new friends, and they almost never part: they go to classes together, have lunch in the school cafeteria and walk. At the same time, Robert develops a passion for adventure. Parents, having decided that all boys of his age dream of travel and danger, do not attach any importance to this, but Robert Lewis now knows for sure that there should always be adventure in his life.

Youth and early writing career

After graduating from high school, Stevenson briefly forgets about his hidden dreams and, to the great delight of his parents, enters the Edinburgh University of Engineering, where he studies lighthouse making for several months. But, after some time, the young man realizes that he never wants to produce anything and even be a participant in this process. That is why, despite threats and quarrels with his parents, he leaves the faculty and enters the law department, which he graduated with honors in 1875.

Although Stevenson graduated from the University of Edinburgh Law School in his time, he did not work for a single day as a lawyer or lawyer. After graduating from a higher educational institution, his writing talent began to appear. He wrote his first work in 1875, calling it The Pentland Rebellion.

A Page of History, 1666. But after writing, the young man faced a serious problem: he did not have the money to publish it. And since he had not yet worked anywhere, it was simply impossible to bring the manuscript to light. His father comes to his aid, who publishes the book with his own money. From this very moment, the people of Edinburgh will learn about the new writer.

As Stevenson dreamed, his life was always full of adventure, even despite the illness that made itself felt. He kayaked down mountain rivers, climbed mountain peaks and traveled to many cities, which was later reflected in his second work, The Road. By the way, this name was not chosen by Robert by chance. It was supposed to symbolize all the courage and courage of a person who is at the stage of developing a serious illness, but absolutely not paying attention to it.

At the end of the journey, Stevenson hurries to his native Edinburgh in order to quickly express all emotions on paper and publish several manuscripts. So, such works of his as "Journey inland" (1878), "Francois Villon's overnight stay" (1879), "Suicide Club" and "Diamond of the Raja" are published. A year later, Robert releases a whole series of works, united by the name "New Thousand and One Nights".

Creation of Treasure Island

Initially, biographers incorrectly claimed that the idea of ​​​​creating the novel Treasure Island had a real background, in which Stevenson himself participated. Of course, his life could hardly be called boring and monotonous, but here the biographers, indeed, were greatly mistaken.

The fact is that the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcreating a novel came to him, to a greater extent, by chance. After creating two cycles of stories, Stevenson began a creative crisis. He could sit all day in the same place, looking at a single point and not noticing anything around. However, a few days later, he suddenly began to draw in order to at least slightly distract himself from oppressive thoughts. And since all his dreams were connected with an exciting and moderately dangerous adventure, Robert jokingly drew a small but incredibly detailed "treasure island map". And the very next day he went headlong into the creation of the work "The Ship's Cook", which later acquired the same name - "Treasure Island".

In 1882, the novel was first published, but, unfortunately, the editorial office immediately began to receive angry letters from many readers who stated that the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe work was old, and the style of writing was too boring to lure the public. Then the editor-in-chief comes up with an original move: he illustrates Stevenson's book and sends it out for publication in two more magazines, but under different pseudonyms. So, in 1884, one of these editors finally finished publishing the book, and Stevenson became known to the whole world.

After Treasure Island, the inspired Robert Louis Stevenson published many more of his novellas, stories and novels, such as Markheim (1885), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), Kidnapped (1887), The Owner Ballantre (1889), Heather Honey (1890) and many others.

Personal life

The first love of Robert Louis Stevenson was Kat Drummont, a singer who worked in one of the night taverns in Edinburgh. Their romance lasted several months, after which the future writer tried to propose to the girl. But his father intervened in his plans, who was categorically against such a marriage, believing that his son deserved better.

After an unpleasant story, Robert could not meet other girls for a long time until he met a young theater actress, whom he later married. The wife was several years older than him and was already married and even gave birth to a son. But Robert warmly treated his stepson and considered him his own child all his life, since he raised him from a young age.