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Click here to watch James Robertson’s talk on Kidnapped plus other videos from the 2015 ASLS Schools Conference.

Click here to watch James Robertson’s talk on Scott, Hogg, Stevenson and their influence on Scottish Literature, plus other videos from the 2013 ASLS Schools Conference.

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Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the most important and influential writers of the modern era, admired and emulated by authors across the world from the 19th century to the present day. He also wrote some of the most original stories, creating iconic characters who have moved beyond the page to become parts of the broader collective culture. 

Christopher MacLachlan’s Scotnote examines three of Stevenson’s most popular novels. Sometimes dismissed as ‘merely’ children’s fiction, Treasure Island, and Kidnapped and its sequel Catriona, feature young protagonists who come of age through their adventures, and who discover that those they look to for help and guidance may be more fallible and unreliable than they had first thought. This guide is suitable for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

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CONTENTS

• Life of Robert Louis Stevenson
• Treasure Island
  • Outline
  • Characters
  • Structure and themes
• Kidnapped
  • Historical background
  • Outline
  • Characters
  • Structure and themes
• Catriona
  • Outline
  • Structure, characters and themes
• Conclusion
• Select bibliography