adventure – Page 4

Treasure Island Cottage - Braemar — Treasure Island Cottage – Braemar

If you’re wondering why this review is supported by the picture of an old building, it’s quite simple. The picture shows ‘Treasure Island Cottage’, which is situated in the tiny, but beautiful village of Braemar amidst the Scottish Highlands. I had the good fortune to rent the cottage for a week in October 2013. On the front of the building is a plaque, assuring the visitor that the great Robert Louis Stevenson wrote part of the book whilst he lived there.

I first read Treasure Island away back in … 1966,the Football World Cup year when England won the tournament. I was 14 then, and wasn’t interested in English football, which is just as well, because my father would have disowned me. I digress.

If the task of the writer is to suspend belief, and whisk the reader to some other place and time, then RLS has succeeded with this timeless tale of adventure, mutiny, treasure hunting, and summary justice.

Did I read this book again at the age of 60 to see if I could learn anything to aid my writing? No, I read it quite simply, because I remembered I enjoyed it for the escapism and pure entertainment it gave me as a teenager. It provided those same things for me all over again.

The characters are well-drawn, and come to life as the story unfolds. The twists and turns are as good as any modern author could produce, and even if there is no intention to learn anything; I think all writers could learn from reading it – as adults.

There is no problem with the dialect, because the way the characters express themselves becomes part-and-parcel of bringing the tale to life. Sufficient imagery is provided to have the reader believe they are observing the events, but nothing over the top.

It’s a wonderful tale which I would recommend to any who have yet to read it. As much as I tried to make the pleasure of it last, I read it in two days.

I have a yearning now to read ‘Kidnapped’, which I last read all those years ago when I went through my first phase of admiration for Robert Louis Stevenson‘s work.

My drawing for this post is a nude study I completed in March 1985. I remember it took about three hours. I still consider it to be one of my best of that time. This is one of very few ladies drawn naked because I prefer to draw them partially clothed.

Decided I had to check in here with an update. I now have three short stories on the go and an appropriate piece for the monthly magazine Scottish Memories. I’ve completed the writing but I want to edit once more before it goes to the magazine. I’m considering a sidebar menu for features and articles. It would make sense since I’m getting back into my studies with my Creative Writing course.

Over this last week I’ve been enjoying my favourite writer’s latest tale, THOSE IN PERIL by Wilbur Smith. It has all the usual WS ingredients like adventure, larger than life characters, death and heroics. I’m savouring this one because it will doubtless be a while before his next.

On the Starlite Cafe site I read a poem about a lad being taken to a brothel by his father as a treat and an introduction to sex. The comments I noticed didn’t seem to be concerned with the poetic tale itself but with the subject matter … prostitution.

The comments rather than the poem got me thinking that there was a need for a wider explanation of the topic. Not that I’m an expert, but I’ve written a piece which in the next two days should be ready to post. All I ask of readers is that they remember it is personal observation, not banner waving support of the industry.

Hopefully now everybody who reads this will be waiting impatiently for my poem about prostitution. I’ll post a link for it on Facebook and I’d like to think it will be read with an open mind.