Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist and travel writer. A celebrity in his lifetime, Stevenson attracted a more negative critical response for much of the 20th century, though his reputation has been largely restored. He is currently ranked as the 26th most translated author in the world. His first two books were travel accounts. Other non-fiction based on his personal experiences followed, but in 1882 four stories he had written in the 1870s were published under the title New Arabian Nights. These fantastic and macabre tales are considered by many the earliest short stories of note in British literary history. However, Treasure Island was his first big popular success. His first novel began with a map of a "Treasure Island" he drew to amuse his stepson on a rainy day while on holidays. It grew into a serialized story in a youth periodical and then into book form to become the beloved story of pirates and treasure-seeking adventure, creating the enduring character of Long John Silver. The main character, young Jim Hawkins, helps his parents run Admiral Benbow, an inn near Bristol, England. One day a desperate-looking ruffian, Billy Bones, appears and takes a room. After being visited by a former mate named Black Dog, Billy suffers a stroke. Later, while drinking rum, he tells Jim that he is a pirate and that he has a treasure map… You can listen online to free English audiobook “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson on our website. Enjoy it!
