In any, even the most fantastic works of the authors introduce the particles in real life. But few of the writers of these fragments of reality have gained such magical power, bodissey the imagination of millions of readers, as was Robert Stevenson.
Fragile baby, born in a family of engineers Stevenson, by the standards of the harsh Scottish had almost no chance to survive. In less than three years Robert suffered croup (inflammation of the Airways), and complications of this disease greatly complicated his life.
Limited bedding the regime, the young man had little choice: either to fall into despair, or to find an occupation where it is not needed physical activity. It is not surprising that he first became avid book-lover, and then the inventor’s own stories. Recording invented, Robert showed a fair amount of persistence in the literary self-education. In his early works he imitated that to one, another famous writer, by his own admission, “with the zeal of a monkey” trying to find my style of writing.
In an attempt to arrange a son in life the father first tried to introduce Robert to the family profession – the construction of lighthouses. However, it quickly became clear that the engineer of the boys will not work, and sent him to law school. Law drew Robert what classes it left time for creativity.
Young Stevenson graduated from the University of Edinburgh, received the diploma of the lawyer, but the specialty did not work a single day. All his time was still occupied by the literature. However, the success did not hurry to the novice writer – critics first noticed his work only in late 1870-ies. The collection of stories entitled the author of “the New Arabian nights, readers met the enigmatic Florizel, Prince of Bohemia, who, like Harun al-Rashid traveled incognito through Europe in search of adventure. Adventure, I must say, was quite dangerous – was worth the visits to the suicide club!
Literary critics have repeatedly tried to discover who was hiding under the mask of Prince Florizel. What assumptions were not made: the prototypes of the award-winning traveler called Edward of Wales, Ferdinand of Habsburg-Lorraine and albert of Monaco, each of which is at least partly resembled a author-created character. However, perhaps
Stevenson wanted to see in person Florizel himself: too attractive to a sickly young men looked way endowed with intelligence, beauty and wealth of the Prince, who spends life in interesting travel and
risky enterprises. This image is issued so bright and juicy that the author inevitably be suspected of envy invented hero and a secret desire to participate in his adventures.
Subsequently, Stevenson will not just provide your Sims the adventures, which were unavailable to him. His most famous novel was born from the stories that Robert wrote for his stepson Lloyd. Once it for fun boy drew a map of the island, where there was hidden treasure. And when asked Lloyd how to call the island, he did not hesitate said to him that the treasure island. This drawing gave rise to the novel on which grew up not one generation of children around the world.
The plot of the book was described so exciting and so like the real story, which Stevenson long after the publication has received business proposals immediately go in search of the mysterious pirate treasure. Moreover, reporters immediately wrote to the author of “treasure Island” the relevant biography.
Readers needed a legend around favorite books, so many believed what was up with the Newspapers.
It was argued, for example, that Robert Louis Stevenson isn’t the one for whom it is. In his youth he is said to have ordained and joined the brotherhood of buccaneers. Then the robber has captured a pirate brig and happily sailed it for about a year in the waters of the Atlantic. Find a map of unprecedented wealth, hidden on some island, the villain escaped from the ship, leaving the fellow craft, and wandered in search of treasure. And when it became clear that to find the treasures of the impossible, he arrived in Europe under the name Stevenson and published a book that tells about the unknown island, hidden in the wealth. Not a word of truth in these speculations, of course, was not, but the sale of the book, perhaps because they were growing like a weed, especially because Stevenson published a novel under the pseudonym “captain George North”.
Many thousands of children and adults watched the confrontation between a handful of noble heroes with pirate scum and hard was waiting for there treasures.
The greatest curiosity of the readers, oddly enough, caused not lively boy Jim Hawkins whose behalf was conducted the narrative, and the one-legged John silver, until then hidden under the modest guise of a ship’s cook. He looked positive character, a villain, easily juggled masks, and each looked so convincing like with her, and he was born. The trick of the author consisted in the fact that the silver contained like different people. Who knows, is that when Stevenson first came up with the idea of two gentlemen, representing two sides of human nature?
The writer came back to this idea later, and the reason for that was his own dream. Stevenson at that time was going through another conflict with his father, who did not want to recognize the son of writer’s talent, and refused to help him with money. And once Robert had a nightmare in which the ugly man tried to persuade him to solve the problem by killing his own parent. Waking up in a cold sweat, the writer remained in the belief that it was visited by the dark side of his personality, “the black man”, which to him, and after he wrote many creative people. However, to pass such a story Stevenson could not, and, as it turned out, was right: “Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” turned it from a simple well-known writer in the idol of many intellectuals.
Interestingly, the first version of the manuscript was destroyed the writer’s wife: biographers claim that she found the theme of the story unworthy of the pen of her husband, and the story is one – sided and poorly disclosed. But the idea has so captured the author that the new text was created in just three days. Stevenson wrote later: “this story was all me, all my previous feelings, the whole nightmare polubolnogo of consciousness.”
Their emotions the writer masterfully put on paper. Genuine horror at the reading public for half a century now evoke the gloomy atmosphere of Victorian London and the inexplicable connection between the respectable Jekyll scientist and vicious monster Hyde. Even worse the answer is: the Jekyll created a serum that could divide human nature into parts, and revealed in him hidden for the time being the tendency to corruption, and made him a slave to his dark half Mr. Hyde. Narrated by the author, the story is inevitably aroused in every reader the thought is there and it is someone like Hyde, is there any threat that one day he will break free.
The last years of his life, Stevenson spent away from England with her strict morals and harsh climate. A refuge it was Paradise, by European standards, the place is a tropical island of Upolu. There the writer gained almost own Kingdom – the natives submitted to his service, sincerely believed him to be the ruler, came to him from a distant country, and had given him all sorts of respect. On special occasions they even on their own initiative, dressed up in loincloths tartan Royal colors.
In these luxurious conditions, health Stevenson has improved, and he finished a few new books. Among them was the poetry collection of ballads, one of which – “Heather honey” is well known in Russia. In his books brave heroes again went to meet the dangerous and exciting adventures, now often associated with the story: “Kidnapped” and “Catriona” is telling us about the rebellion of the Scots against the domination of English on their own ground, “St. Ives” – the era of the Napoleonic wars that shook Europe.
However, Stevenson has not created anything like the unique story of Jekyll and Hyde. Biographers of the writer think that perhaps he lacked the English atmosphere and the daily struggle with illnesses, to birth a new masterpiece, able to really shake the reader. The novel “Weir Germiston”, which could become the best essay writer, remained unfinished, as Robert Louis Stevenson died at his tropical Kingdom” from a stroke only 44 years old.
Anna NOVGORODTSEVA
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