Kidnapped (AmazonClassics Edition)

By: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Swindled out of his inheritance, recently orphaned David Balfour finds himself kidnapped and aboard a slave ship bound for the Carolinas shortly after the Jacobite rising of 1745. A shipwreck leads to a chance encounter and an unlikely rescuer - Highland rebel and suspected assassin Alan Breck Stewart. An incredible friendship blossoms between the two young men, who occupy opposite ends of the political and religious spectra. Together they return to the mainland, outwit many murderous foes and schemers, and attempt to restore David to his rightful fortune.

Originally published for children, Robert Louis Stevenson's enthusiastic, politically charged tribute to his native Scotland has won the hearts of young and old alike since its publication in the summer of 1886.

AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature's most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds.

Revised edition: Previously published as Kidnapped, this edition of Kidnapped (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Public Domain (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Kidnapped

I found this reading surpurb. It is excellent start to finish. And was quite amazed at the ending of the book, after all the trials the lad had taken in. David. It was adventurous and startling at the same time. No book have I found to be more interesting.

A Just Rendition of a Classic!

This performance was solid. it was enjoyable and easy to follow. I loved the book and the recording is as well received.

book I've wanted to read for many decades

a little hard to follow, with its centuries-old Scottish brogue, and several plot lines, but all in all, a great story!

the funny development of friendship through adventure

It’s got dark times but thought out there’s a funny wit in the dialogue that lightens the hardship times. I thought the narrator was excellent… reading dialogue like this where the writing is trying to capture the sound of each character can be hard to read but the narrator spoke it clearly enough to be legible to the ear while still keeping the spirit of the language.
Very fun book.

Great book almost ruined by the narrator

Okay. So this was a great adventure store, heck I have yet to run across a R.L. Stevenson adventure that wasn't a great bit of exciting writing.

If you don't know what Kidnapped is about, it is a book about Jacobites, a 17yr old named David Balfour, Who is an orphan after his parents die, told by a lawyer to go to an uncle he never knew existed. Goes there and is almost killed by his uncle who appears to be a miser and thief. No one in town like the Uncle and spits in said Uncle's direction. His uncle then sets up David to be shanghaied by some sailors (or are they pirates) to be sold as a slave in the Americas. This being pre-Revolutionary war and probably just before the Seven Years War/French-Indian War. David runs across another captive who is found on a dingy later by the ship who is a Jacobite looking to free Scotland from the English. After defending themselves from the pirates on the ship. They end up wrecked upon shore and in short manner David finds additional adventures on the run from both the English Army, the Jacobites, and locals who want nothing to do with both. Some further adventures that I don't want to spoil leads to David ending up back at his "uncles" place for the grand finale.

So great book and deserving of 4 to 5 stars. So why the 3 star? Well the narrator here decides or is a natural using Scottish Accent. Like a poor version of Alan Young doing Scrooge McDuck. It just made it hard to listen to this book and know what was going on and even understand some of the locations. Since I was listening at times and trying to plot using google earth how the main characters were going around the various towns listed.
Let alone when describing certain things like the weapons used or the description of the ground the main character was on, was lost to me because of the accent. I am going to have to look around for another version of this book and purchase it again hopefully it won't have the Scottish Accent overly done by the narrator with all the exposition and just using an accent on the dialog portions of the book as intended.