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Title details for Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson - Wait list

Kidnapped

#1 in series

by Robert Louis Stevenson
Peter Joyce
Audiobook
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Wait time: About 2 weeks
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0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

I will begin the story of my adventures with a certain morning early in the month of June, the year of grace 1751, when I took the key for the last time out of the door of my father's house". So begins one of the greatest tales in literature, an account of David Balfour's trials and tribulations as he falls foul of his miserly uncle who has him abducted on board ship in order to steal his inheritance. After rescuing Alan Breck on the high seas they are shipwrecked, witness a murder and are themselves suspected, effect a hazardous escape and exact revenge on the wicked Ebenezer thereby regaining David's rightful legacy. "In one of my books and in one only, the characters took the bit in their teeth....they turned their backs on me and walked off bodily; and from that time my task was stenographic - it was they who spoke, it was they who wrote the remainder of the story" - R.L. Stevenson

  • Creators

  • Series

    Adventures of David Balfour

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 4, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781860153204
      • File size: 233319 KB
      • Duration: 08:06:04

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 990
    • Text Difficulty: 5-7

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 29, 2016
      In 1751, after the untimely deaths of his parents, Scotsman David Balfour, the 17-year-old protagonist and narrator of Stevenson’s classic adventure yarn, travels to his father’s childhood home to meet with his uncle, Ebenezer. Instead of a warm welcome, Ebenezer pays the captain of a pirate ship to kidnap his nephew and transport him to America. On board, David meets dashing Highlander Alan Breck Stewart, and together they manage to take over the ship, beginning a friendship that continues through several land-based adventures. One of these involves witness (and escaping blame for) a murder. Scottish actor Rintoul does an amazing job of delivering a bouquet of brogues—including David’s mild-mannered narration, his uncle’s croaky, angry snarl, and Alan Stewart’s almost musical, supremely confident pronouncements.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Stevenson's classic novel of murder, betrayal, and adventure on the high seas tells of the trials of young David Balfour, who is kidnapped by his miserly Uncle Ebenezer and carried off to the Carolinas. While Shakespearean actor Ralph Cosham does an especially good job with Scottish accents, his main narrative seems somewhat flat, conveying little of the enthusiasm you might expect from a young boy telling his harrowing tale. P.B.J. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      The American ear must pay close attention to this marvelous performance of the classic children's adventure. Robbie Coltrane is excellent with guttural Scottish enunciation, and he goes in and out of character like a virtuoso. Because his accents are thick and take concentration to understand, this is not a good book to listen to while driving. Coltrane brings out the prickly intensity of Alan Breck Stewart, the naive uprightness of David Balfour and the miserly grasping of David's uncle. The abridgment is well done, and the story, as always, races along. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      In an attempt to collect his inheritance from his father's estate, young David Balfour finds himself pressed aboard the ship of an evil captain and crew. His eventual escape during a shipwreck leads to even more exciting travails and danger. Since much of the Stevenson's writing centers on Scotland and the Scots character, narrator Steven Crossley reads this tale as its author might have. Adept at the language of the region and times, Crossley deftly brings one of literature's best-known stories to the ears of contemporary listeners. His renditions of the sea chanteys and poetry mixed into the prose showcase his breadth of talent. Those who enjoy the classics will find both story and performance delightful. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Care to travel across Scotland with a native guide? Interested in experiencing local hospitality? Are you willing to do it against your will to seek out your rightful inheritance? Then join David Balfour on his 1751 quest, guided by the guileful Alan Breck. Narrator Jim Weiss's brisk pace and unpretentious voice make listeners feel as if they're hearing an intimate account of the story. Portraying the characters, Weiss brings bravado and a Scots brogue into play. He blusters as a clan leader and gratingly connives as devious Uncle Ebenezer. As David, Weiss is eager or apprehensive as the situation merits--whether the character is shipwrecked at night, hiding for his life by day, or cave-bound and delirious with sickness. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:990
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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