The Ebb Tide: R.L. Stevenson

[poliphilo]

Three beach bums are given charge of a ship which- for very good reasons- no-one-else wants;  they steal her, drink most of the cargo and wind up on a magical island presided over by a gun toting gentleman missionary.  Funny, insanely exciting, psychologically penetrating  (Stevenson is awfully good at the fluidity of human relationships)- with echoes of The Tempest and a final show-down between a man with a flask of vitriol and a man with a Winchester rifle that is worthy of Sergio Leone:  what more can you want from a book? You liked Long John Silver, you'll love the appalling Attwater!  Why this masterpiece by a classic author has been sidelined is beyond me. It's terrific. 

Comments

[oakmouse]

Sounds excellent! I'll have the DH hunt it up on his next trip to the college library, which has an amazing array of literature form Stevenson's era.

Reading Prince Otto right now, BTW. Wow, is that one interesting. Have you read it?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, That's one I haven't read. I'll look into it.

[oakmouse]

It's fascinating: the story of a revolution in a tin-pot German principality, mostly from the viewpoint of the prince who's about to be deposed. His wife, the charismatic foreign-born cabinet minister whom everyone thinks is her lover, and the countess who is the minister's actual lover (and in love with the prince) are other important characters. RLS does a nice, careful little dance around the scandal of the Princess Caroline Matilda of Denmark, which is clearly the basis for the story.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It seems a long way removed from Stevenson's usual concerns. Anyway, you've got me hooked. I'll go looking for it once I've finished The Wrecker.

[oakmouse]

It's very unlike anything else of his that I've read. The ending is a bit weak, but it's a fascinating little portrait of court intrigue, it is.