| Kidnapped | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Publisher: Dover Publications
Category: Book
List Price: CDN$ 5.25
Buy Used: CDN$ 0.34
You Save: CDN$ 4.91 (94%)
New (8) Used (7) from CDN$ 0.34
Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 286288
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 within 1 - 2 business days
Condition: Older Signet edition, cover has some wear but pages clean and unmarked, Ships from Canada
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| Customer Reviews:
 Sometimes you can't go home again.... April 28, 2003
I purchased this book for the phenominal NC Wyeth artwork and decided to reread this classic adventure that has been so popular with young readers for so long. It was incredibly tedious and I wondered if it were perhaps because I have become jaded by modernized storytelling. I suppose if it were to be read aloud to a youngster, more of the enthusiastic action could be drummed up. Sadly, I was disappointed that it didn't stand up to my own test of time the way that other stories, such as TREASURE ISLAND, have...
 An exciting adventure January 17, 2003
The book Kidnapped was a very good book filled with excitement and adventure. As I read this book, I could actually imagine what was happening. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books about exciting adventures. It was fun to read about how a young Scottish boy, David Balfour, finds himself in a horrible situation after being betrayed by his uncle. David is only seventeen years old and is robbed of his inheritance by his own uncle. David must try and find a way to prove himself not guilty after being accused of murder and he must try to stay safe while doing it. Read this book and find out what David does to protect himself on his incredible journey.
One of the best literary works of the 19th century October 9, 2002
Kidnapped. The tale of the young David Balfour's kidnapping at the hands of his devious uncle Ebenezer and his shipwrecking and adventures in the 18th-century Scottish Highlands. Second only to Treasure Island in terms of fame, Kidnapped (also by Stevenson) is nearly as good.
Shipwrecked in the wild highlands of Scotland only ten years or so after the famous Rebellion of '45, David's troubles are heightened when he is present at the murder of Colin Campbell. His only hope is to flee south across the highlands with Alan Breck Stewart, the loveably roguish cousin of James of the Glens, who is accused of the Appin murder even though he is innocent. The two are forced to duck through the heather and climb through the wooded mountains of Scotland to evade capture, and only through their cleverness and their (sometimes strained) friendship are they able to overcome the perils of the highlands and the ever-present danger of being captured and hung before finally confronting Ebenezer Balfour to get back David's rightful estate.
As mentioned before, Kidnapped is only topped by Treasure Island in terms of fame and adventure and is one of the greatest literary works of the 19th century that I've ever read. Added to that are N.C. Wyeth's amazing illustrations, depicting key characters and events of the tale. Wyeth's depictions of David Balfour and Alan Breck are the only way many readers have ever seen them in their minds. Kidnapped is an excellent read and I strongly suggest you at least go borrow a copy from your local library as soon as possible. You won't regret your choice, believe you me.
What's the Fuss? September 15, 2002
I had never read this one, even as a boy, and so I figured I had to make up for it in my mature years. Maybe that was my error! Although for the most part fast-paced and interesting, I did not find this a very moving or challenging tale and had a great deal of trouble remaining engaged with it. Recounting the viscissitudes of one David Balfour, a young man in rural Scotland who, on the death of his parents is sent off to claim his heritage, we are taken, along with this David, into the presence of a scurrilous uncle who soon arranges for David's kidnapping to get him out of the way. Adventures aboard a rogue ship, encounters with a swashbuckling Scottish rebel, Alan Breck Stewart, and subsequent flight from the minions of King George through the rugged back country of rural Scotland follow and round out this odyssey of a young man's misfortunes, leading to a predictable denouement in which all is made right. I suppose it was a good tale for its time but I have read better by Stevenson including my favorite among all his works: THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE, which is a much more moving and unpredictable tale of two brothers and the shadows of darkness which overwhelm them. KIDNAPPED was alright, I suppose, but in the end it's probably a boy's story and not suitable for the more mature times of one's life. -- SWM
Another classic from Stevenson. August 20, 2002
I don't normally read novels, but since this had some history involved, I thought it might be worth it. I finished this in a day, even though some of the English (or Scots) was difficult to read. This book kept the reader wanting more after each chapter.
Even though the author was known for Treasure Island, this is as much a classic as that book. One cannot help cheering for David Balfour and Alan Stewart in their struggles with the authorities and David's uncle.
A great read for both child and adult.
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