The novel that brought instant fame to Stevenson in his early thirties in 1883 is still one of his most beloved books. A perfect model of the adventure story, it is a gripping tale of sea wolves, sea captains, pirates and mutinies: a treasure hunt in distant seas triggered by the discovery among an old sailor’s papers of a map of a mysterious island where a band of pirates has buried fabulous booty. For the fast pace with which the twists and turns follow one another and for its unforgettable characters – from the young Jim Hawkins, who from a simple cabin boy becomes the intrepid protagonist of the expedition, to the ferocious and legendary pirate Long John Silver, who has rightfully entered the fictional imagination so much so that after centuries he is still the object of cultured and passionate reinterpretations – Treasure Island is one of those rare works that satisfy both the thirst for adventure of children, for whom it was conceived and written, and the refined taste of adult readers who conquer with its inimitable narrative style.
Giuseppe Cederna and Sergio Maifredi intertwine Stevenson’s story with the writer’s life, as adventurous as his novels, in a game of mirrors that reflects us in a labyrinth between real and literary adventure.
