Kidnapped (novel) facts for kids
First American edition, New York: Scribner's Sons, 1886
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| Author | Robert Louis Stevenson |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Language | English, Lowland Scots |
| Genre | Adventure novel Historical novel |
| Publisher | Cassell and Company Ltd |
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Publication date
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1886 |
| Pages | 136 |
| OCLC | 43167976 |
| 823/.8 21 | |
| LC Class | PR5484 .K5 2000 |
| Followed by | Catriona (1893) |
Kidnapped is an exciting adventure novel and historical story by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. It was first published in a magazine called Young Folks in 1886. Many famous writers have praised this book. A second book, Catriona, came out in 1893.
The story is mostly written in English. However, some characters speak in Lowland Scots. This is a language that grew from an older form of English.
Kidnapped takes place in Scotland in the 1700s. It uses real events from history, like the "Appin Murder". This event happened after the Jacobite rising of 1745. Many people in the book are real historical figures. This includes Alan Breck Stewart, one of the main characters. The book shows different views on the politics of the time. It also shows the Scottish Highlanders in a kind way.
The full title of the book is very long! It is Kidnapped: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: How he was Kidnapped and Cast away; his Sufferings in a Desert Isle; His Journey in the Wild Highlands; his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other notorious Highland Jacobites; with all that he suffered at the hands of his Uncle, Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws, falsely so-called: Written by Himself and now set forth by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Contents
The Story of Kidnapped
The main character and narrator is David Balfour. He is 17 years old. His parents have just died, and he needs to find his way in the world. He gets a letter from Mr. Campbell, the local minister. This letter tells him to go to the House of Shaws. This is where David's uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, lives.
David Meets His Uncle
David arrives at the House of Shaws. It looks a bit scary and unfinished. His Uncle Ebenezer is a strange man. He is very careful with his money and lives simply. He even carries a blunderbuss, which is an old type of gun. David soon finds clues that his father was older than his uncle. This means David should be the rightful owner of the family estate.
Ebenezer asks David to get a chest from a tower in the house. He refuses to give David a lamp. David climbs the stairs in the dark. He realizes that parts of the tower are unfinished. The stairs suddenly end, with a big drop below. David figures out that his uncle wanted him to have an "accident." This would stop David from claiming his inheritance.
David confronts his uncle. Ebenezer promises to tell David everything the next morning.
Kidnapped at Sea
The next morning, a cabin boy named Ransome arrives. He says Captain Hoseason of the ship Covenant wants to meet Ebenezer. Ebenezer takes David to a pier. David makes a mistake by leaving his uncle alone with the captain. Hoseason then invites them onto his ship for a drink. David goes aboard, but sees his uncle leaving in a small boat. David is then knocked out.
David wakes up tied up in the ship's cargo area. He learns that his uncle paid the captain to sell him into slavery in America. But the ship runs into bad weather. It is forced back towards Scotland. In a thick fog, they hit a small boat. Everyone on the small boat dies except one man, Alan Breck Stewart. Alan is brought aboard. He offers Captain Hoseason a lot of money to drop him off on land.
David later overhears the crew planning to kill Alan for his money. David and Alan quickly barricade themselves in a small room. Alan fights bravely and kills some of the crew. David also wounds the captain. The rest of the crew give up.
Journey Through Scotland
Captain Hoseason has to agree to take Alan and David back to land. David tells Alan his story. Alan explains that his home, Appin, is controlled by Colin Roy of Glenure. Colin Roy is the King's agent and a Campbell. Alan is a Jacobite agent, meaning he supports the old Scottish royal family. He promises to kill Colin Roy, also known as the "Red Fox."
The Covenant tries to sail through a difficult channel. It does not have a good map or a guide. The ship soon crashes on some dangerous rocks. David and Alan get separated in the chaos. David washes ashore on the island of Erraid. Alan and the surviving crew make it to safety on the nearby island of Mull. David spends a few days alone before finding his way.
David learns that Alan is safe. David meets some strange guides. One tries to stab him. Another is blind but a great shot with a pistol. David eventually reaches Torosay. He crosses a river and gets more directions from Alan's friend. He then meets a religious teacher who takes him to the mainland.
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The Appin Murder
As David continues his journey, he meets Colin Roy Campbell, the "Red Fox." Colin Roy is with a lawyer, a servant, and a sheriff's officer. David stops the Campbell man to ask for directions. Suddenly, a hidden sniper shoots and kills the King's agent.
David is accused of being part of the plot. He runs for his life. By chance, he meets Alan again. David thinks Alan is the killer, but Alan says he is not. Alan and David then start running away. They hide from government soldiers during the day. David becomes very weak and sick during their escape.
They are found by some wild Highlanders. These are guards for Cluny Macpherson, an outlawed chief in hiding. David is barely conscious. Alan convinces Cluny to give them shelter. A Highland doctor helps David get better. While David is recovering, Alan loses all their money playing cards with Cluny. But Cluny gives the money back when David asks him to.
David's Inheritance
David and Alan continue their journey in cold, rainy weather. David gets sick again. Alan carries him on his back to the nearest house. It belongs to a kind man named Duncan Dhu, who is a friend of Alan's family and a skilled piper. David stays in bed and gets medical care. Alan hides nearby and visits at night.
In a funny part of the book, Alan convinces an innkeeper's daughter that David is a dying young nobleman. David doesn't like this, but she ferries them across the Firth of Forth. There, they meet Mr. Rankeillor, a lawyer for David's uncle. He agrees to help David get his inheritance. Rankeillor explains that David's father and uncle once fought over David's mother. David's father married her and informally gave the estate to his brother. He then lived as a poor schoolteacher. This agreement ended when David's father died.
David and the lawyer hide outside Ebenezer's house. Alan talks to Ebenezer. He pretends to be someone who found David after the shipwreck. He says he represents people holding David captive. He asks Ebenezer if he should kill David or keep him. Ebenezer denies that David was kidnapped. But he eventually admits he paid Captain Hoseason "twenty pound" to take David to "Caroliny." David and Rankeillor then come out of hiding. They talk to Ebenezer. They agree that David will get two-thirds of the estate's income as long as his uncle lives.
The story ends with David and Alan saying goodbye on Corstorphine Hill. Alan goes back to France. David goes to a bank to sort out his money.
Main Characters
- David Balfour is a 17-year-old boy. His parents have died. He is trying to get his family inheritance from his uncle.
- Ebenezer Balfour is David's uncle. He lives in the family estate.
- Alexander Balfour was David's father. He was Ebenezer's older brother.
- Alan Breck Stewart is David's friend and companion. He is based on a real person.
- Colin Roy Campbell, also known as the Red Fox. He is killed by a sniper when David meets him. This event is based on the real Appin murder.
Other real people mentioned in the story include James Stewart, Cluny MacPherson, and Rob Roy MacGregor and his son, Robìn Òig.
Why This Story Was Written
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Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) started planning this story around 1880. He read many books about Scotland in the 1700s to prepare. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He later traveled a lot, looking for a better climate for his health. He finally built a house in Samoa, where he died at age 44. He wrote Kidnapped while he was staying in England.
Stevenson is one of the most loved writers in English history. He wrote many books. His other famous works include Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Important Ideas in the Book
One main idea in Kidnapped is about justice. The book explores what justice means to different people. For David, justice means getting his inheritance back. For Alan, it means getting revenge on his enemy, Colin Roy of Glenure.
Some literary experts say that Stevenson's books often feature a "Beloved Scoundrel." This is a character who might seem bad but is actually good in some ways. Alan Breck Stewart is like this. He is a rebel and might have done some bad things. But good things still happen because of him, like David getting his inheritance.
How the Book Was Received
Kidnapped was very popular and sold well when Stevenson was alive. After he died, some people thought it was just a simple boys' novel. But by the mid-1900s, it was seen as an important book again. Writers like Henry James and Jorge Luis Borges have praised it.
Even though it is an adventure story, it also makes you think. It brings up questions about what is fair. It also shows that friends can have different political beliefs.
Other Versions of the Story
The novel has been made into many different forms.
Film and TV Shows
There have been several movies and TV shows based on Kidnapped. These include versions from 1917, 1938, 1948, 1960, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1986, 1995 and 2005.
Comics and Radio
Marvel Illustrated made a comic book version in 2007–2008. It was created by Roy Thomas and Mario Gully.
The BBC Radio 4 has broadcast radio adaptations of the story. One was in 1985, and a more recent one was in 2016.
Stage Play
In 2023, the National Theatre of Scotland performed a new stage play of Kidnapped. This version had Frances Stevenson (Robert Louis Stevenson's wife) as the narrator. It also showed David and Alan's friendship as a romance.
Possible Inspirations for the Plot
Some people think the book was partly inspired by a true story from the 1700s. This was about James Annesley. He was a young boy who was kidnapped by his uncle and sent to America. He escaped after 13 years and fought to get his inheritance back. Kidnapped is different because David's ship never leaves Scotland. This allows for a rich story about the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.
The author, Robert Louis Stevenson, did not mention James Annesley as an inspiration. Instead, his wife said he was inspired by "The Trial of James Stewart" for the Appin Murder.
Edinburgh: City of Literature
Edinburgh became the first UNESCO City of Literature. To celebrate, three versions of Kidnapped were given away for free in public places. In February 2007, 25,000 copies of the novel were handed out.
A statue honoring Stevenson and his characters was unveiled in Edinburgh in 2004. It shows Alan Breck Stewart and David Balfour. The statue is located where the two friends say goodbye in the book.
- A new edition of the novel by Barry Menikoff.
- A simpler version of the story for children.
- A graphic novel version from 2007. It was created by Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy. This graphic novel was also translated into Lowland Scots and Scots Gaelic.
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See also
In Spanish: Secuestrado (novela de Robert Louis Stevenson) para niños
