Book Review: “Treasure Island”

In my first Goodreads review of 2024, I describe “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson as such: “Excellent (‘swashbuckling,’ if you will) adventure that made me feel like I was in a “Pirates of The Caribbean” film. Albeit much shorter than your average review, I think it would be enough to pique a reader’s interest in the book. 

Prior to enrolling in Dr. Robert Battistini’s Children’s Literature class less than a week before the beginning of the spring 2024 semester, I am hard pressed to confess that I had yet to even own a copy of Stevenson’s literary classic, much less read it. That being said, seeing it on the syllabus made me so excited. I’ve been wanting to dive into the classics that paved the way for literature as we know it, and here was an opportunity to do it for a class!

Published on May 23, 1883, “Treasure Island” served as the jumping off point for the public’s interest in pirates and even adventure in general. Without “Treasure Island,” I don’t think we would have the aforementioned “Pirates of The Caribbean” movies that I, and many others, love so much. 

After discovering a map that promises a life-changing, high-stakes adventure, we follow Jim Hawkins on a dangerous expedition to find coveted treasure that youngsters like him and pirates like the infamous Long John Silver are keen to discover. 

Things I Loved

I could talk about many things I loved about this book, particularly the nostalgia it made me feel for my childhood. The feeling I got while reading this book was akin to the first time I sat down and watched “Pirates of The Caribbean,” instantly wishing my life was even a tenth as exciting as that of a pirate’s. 

“Treasure Island” describes the life of a pirate from the eyes of a young boy, yet Stevenson refuses to shy away from the dark side of it. Betrayal, greed, and deception follow Jim Hawkins all the way to Treasure Island, even when he tries to run from it. Stevenson blends these dark themes seamlessly with lighter ones like the enticing thirst for adventure, the quest that follows, and the larger coming-of-age theme that the book carries. 

Jim has to grow up quickly in the midst of a high stakes situation, and he manages to do so while also staying true to himself, which speaks to the book’s cautionary tale of greed –  how easily it can corrupt someone’s character. 

Throughout the book, we can see that cautionary tale actively playing out as Long John Silver’s demeanour changes from unassuming to all-consuming the closer they voyage to the buried treasure. Other examples of being corrupted by greed are sprinkled throughout the book when referencing the elusive Captain Flint, but to have it actively play out through Silver’s character is profound. 

Things I Disliked

Sometimes it feels wrong to consider what I dislike about books, especially classics like “Treasure Island,” but in this case especially, I find it to be important. Since this book was published over 140 years ago, the language within the pages is so drastically different and oftentimes difficult to follow compared to what I am used to reading regularly. I found myself having to go back a few paragraphs and re-read in order to understand what was happening quite a few times. 

Additionally, Stevenson lays it on thick with boat terminology- I’m talking paragraphs of description about the Hispaniola (the boat Jim and crew sail to Treasure Island on). If you’re like me and know next to nothing about boats, modern or pirate era, this will definitely trip you up during your reading experience. 

The biggest takeaway here is that reading this book made me realize how simplistic our language has become. Today’s YA (young adult) market, in comparison to “Treasure Island,” seems to have devolved over time in terms of language. 

I couldn’t imagine reading a book like this when I was younger, yet it is marketed as a YA novel. Now, I’ve been considered an “advanced” reader all my life- I still don’t think I would have been able to read this book in middle school. At that time, I was reading YA books like “The Maze Runner” and “The Hunger Games,” and while I think they both stand the test of time in terms of central themes and political commentary, neither of them hold a candle to the language in “Treasure Island.” 

No wonder kids used to dress and act so smartly back in the day – they were reading books like “Treasure Island!”

Final Thoughts

“Treasure Island” deserves all the praise and accolades it has collected over the years, and it definitely deserves to still be discussed and studied today. At first glance, classics can be scary, but in my opinion, there is nothing scarier than shying away from something that promises to be an adventure, whether that be in the literal or metaphorical sense. 

Yes, the book was published in 1883. Yes, the language is often difficult to understand. Those points only make it more important to familiarize yourself with the blueprints of literature that we are lucky to still have in our curriculum. If you’re hesitant to approach classics like I’ve been, just ask yourself this – what’s the worst that can happen?

“Treasure Island” got me back in touch with my inner child. I couldn’t ask for anything more from a book.