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| Kidnapped | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Publisher: Dover Publications
Category: Book
Buy New: CDN$ 5.25
New (7) Used (8) from CDN$ 0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 93365
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 0486410269
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780486410265
ASIN: 0486410269
Publication Date: May 24, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Didn't care for it June 9, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
First off, let me say that I'm tempted to give Kidnapped 2 stars. However, that would probably be because I had to read this for school and ended up basically reading it for a whole day without a break. It was tedious. Being fair though, the book itself was 3. It wasn't great, and it wasn't terrible. It was a rather difficult read for me, and I am a freshman at high school in Advanced English. Looking up information on the Jacobite Rebellion would have definately been helpful prior to reading this. Knowledge of the geography of Scotland would also have been useful. One of the reasons I didn't like this book was because a new character or place seemed to be mentioned/introduced CONSTANTLY! For the most part, they'd never be mentioned again. It was confusing, because the side stories which the author inserted every now and then were sometimes a confusing distraction. That was painful. I also had some problems with the old-fashioned dialect. Although it may not be as difficult as some of these reviewers make it out to be, it still was a challenge. It gets easier as the book progreses. This was an OK story. It's a classic about David, a boy who gets kidnapped and has a wild adventure through Scotland because of it. One of the things I liked about David was that the character was very believable. He didn't have any fake, "superhero" qualities. For example, he admits he isn't a good shooter. He's down-to-earth. He is a refreshing main character for an action story. Some of the side characters are also very well developed and humorous. All in all, I wouldn't reccomend this book. It's certainly not for a basic reader or a child either.
whits review of "Kidnapped" May 10, 2004
Kidnapped is a story about a young boy's life during the 1800's. This boys name is David and he is going through some hard times right after his father's death. His only family left is his Uncle Ebenezer who he doesn't even know. He travels to the house of Shaws where he meets his uncle, who turns out to be a very mean old man. David has come there not only to meet his closest kin left, but to also collect his inheritance from his father's death. David's uncle has him sent off to be a slave on a ship to the Carolinas, without David knowing. This leads to a series of adventures on the open sea and eventually to Scotland, where David and his new friend Alan are being chased by the English army. They eventually gather their bearings and find there way back to the house of Shaws. Here they get David's father's lawyer to help make David's uncle turn over his part of the inheritance. And then the story ends with David receiving two thirds of his uncle's income as David's inheritance. The reason that I chose this book is for the reasons that it really shows how cruel people were back in the 1800's and how easy people got away with mean things. It shows that no body was safe in the 1800's and even people with money were corrupt. The book reads very well because of Stevenson's great style of writing. This book also interests the reader greatly with its great action scenes that seem to go on forever and ever. There are changes in the book almost every other chapter that really change the way the book reads and this sucks you in even more. This book also catches an eye with its great imagery, I remember this one scene where they are describing a river that David needed to cross to get to the main land and the imagery was so good that I could picture this river and the houses on the other side. The main character David is also a very interesting boy to read about and all you want the whole book is for something to go good for him. He had to deal with so much and he doesn't get rewarded till the end of the book. If you are a reader that loves a great 1800's action book, with a very interesting plot, you will like Kidnapped a lot.
 an exciting classic May 10, 2004
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Kidnapped is a thrilling novel that has withstood the test of time to remain a favorite. It is one of those books that you pick up and fight to put back down. A good read for those of all ages Kidnapped is one of the most thrilling books I have read in awhile. Kidnapped begins with David Balfour, a poor orphaned teenager looking for a rich uncle who he expects will accept him as kin and treat him right. The book follows David's quest for his inheritance from his miserly hermit of an uncle, in search monetary appreciation David finds himself and friends the likes of which he will probably never meet again. From the Scottish lowlands to the sea and into the highlands this book keeps you enthralled throughout its entirety with some of the most interesting characters in literature. Alan Breck, a friend David made during his shortened sea journey, nearly steals the book from the young protagonist, but the question about David's inheritance keeps your mind on him while enjoying Alan's many stories and adventures. I liked this book because it not only told a story of a kid who hit hard times and pulled himself out, but because he learned a lesson. It shows what can be accomplished with the right help and what can befall you without it. This book is timeless; as long as people continue to name classics this will stay on the list for its fast pace and interesting storyline. I highly recommend it
It was alright May 10, 2004
Kidnapped is not the book that I thought it was going to be. It had a decent story line, but some of the language was hard to understand. I would not reccomend this book to the youn reader, even though it is considered a kids book. It can be hard to follow at times, and it is hard to keep ones attention on the book. Overall I was not pleased with this book.
wow May 5, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
(...)The book I read was Kidnapped by Robert L. Stevenson. David, the main character has an adventuress life. His adventures started when his father dies and he has to leave the city of Essedean to go to his uncle's house. His uncle sells him to a captain named Hoseason. Alan and David meet up then separate after David gets Alan a way back home. This book is about a young boy, David Balfour, through his adventures and friends. One thing that happens right away is that David's uncle tries to kill by asking him to go up an unfinished staircase in the dark. After being sold to a sea captain he sees one of his best friends, Ransom, die because of Mr. Shaun. The covenant causes the ship to sink, and they manage to save one man, Alan, off that ship. Later they plot to kill this same Gentleman. I think it could have everything from super fun to almost the to point of depression to have an adventuress life like that.
When I was reading the scene where David shoots the two grown men. My mouth practically touched ground. I couldn't believe that he could have shot two men. I mean the book makes him seem to be around fourteen or fifteen. I couldn't even imagine shooting someone and I'm almost his age. This part almost makes me want to cry, " "
One of my favorite parts in this book is when David and Alan get captured by Cluny's men. The reason why that this is one of my favorite parts is because David is kind of panicking and Alan is as cool as a cucumber."
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The most exiting part of this book was when Alan and David fight off the whole crew of the covenant. " ". This was a very exciting part in Kidnapped.
I think readers learn a lot about trust and friendship. This book kind of shows that you can't trust everyone. also shows us that you should watch who you make friendships with. This book is about a young boy, David Balfour, becoming a man through things in his life that he will not forget. Things like having to shoot someone and seeing be shot. These experiences would most definitely be life changing for any person.
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