Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Treasure Island

Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
ISBN-13: 9780816725618
ISBN-10: 0816725616
Publication Date: 10/1991
Pages: 296
Edition: Reprint
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 8

3.6 stars, based on 8 ratings
Publisher: Troll Communications
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

50 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Treasure Island on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This a totally classic book!! a total must read for all kids.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 19 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is, in the words of G.K Chesterton, "The realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas." G. S. Fraser writes, "There will always be a place for stories like this that can keep boys and old men happy."
readinginthedark avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 16 more book reviews
Even though I don't consider adventure fiction to be one of my preferred genres, this one held my attention and was fun to read. Maybe because of the 19th-cent. language? The story is actually a series of little adventures that play into one big scenario. Jim Hawkins, a boy who discovers a treasure map after a sea captain's death in his mother's inn, is the main character. I would expect the narrative to be more subjective because it's told by a kid, but the narration is pretty objective. This is typical of the time period for narration, I suppose. I was a little surprised to find Long John Silver to be such a smooth-talking, slippery fellow. This is the first time I've read the book, and he's generally portrayed in a more brutal, violence first way. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fun and adventurous without being over-the-top.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 111 more book reviews
My son LOVED this book. He has read it more than once and enjoys it every time. I think it's the pirates and adventures at sea that make it such a great read for boys!
rapunzel avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 30 more book reviews
Perfect for any child who loves pirates and has an imagination. They would never know that the story is a classic.
virago avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 267 more book reviews
Great performance, meh story. I love pirates, adventure, historical settings, classics, and full cast performances. This story had all of that, yet it didn't entertain me like I hoped/expected.

I couldn't get into it, even with the very excellent voice cast carrying me through the tale. I suspect this just isn't the story for me, or perhaps it's one of those "must re-read later" kind of books.

All-in-all, not bad, just not great.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 68 more book reviews
Classic!
reviewed Treasure Island on
This classice tale of pirates and villains, maps and treasure.
Quote: When Jim Hawkins picks up the oilskin packet from Captain Flint's sea chest, he has no idea that here lies the key to untold wealth - a treasure map. He sails on the Hispaniola as cabinboy, with the awesome Long John Silver as ship's cook and the rest of the shifty crew, and embarks on an extraordinary and dangerous quest to find the buried treasure.

Complete and unabridged version
reviewed Treasure Island on + 8 more book reviews
This incredible story begins with a mysterious treasure map and an old buccaneer in an English country inn: soon we are on the the high seas in a dangerous Caribbean quest that becomes a desperate battle of wits between young Tom Hawkins and the unforgettable wily old pirate Long John Silver.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 3 more book reviews
This cover is a similar and typical one, but not the actual cover for this addition. This is a classic book and appeals particularly to preteen and teen boys, but is worth reading by nearly anyone.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 13 more book reviews
If you love pirates you will truly love this one!
minimo avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 57 more book reviews
A wonderful children's classic and a reading requirement in some schools.
AimeeM avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 124 more book reviews
TREASURE ISLAND

All time classic.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote it as a âboy's novelâ so the story is simply told, and fast paced.
The tale is best known for its character Long John Silver. When the book was originally published, the concept of âa bad guy, that's a good guy, sort ofâ wasn't written about. As you can imagine, it caused some problems.
But the story endured and is still one of the greatest!

One of my favorites.
Good read for any age group.
Highly Recommended!
reviewed Treasure Island on + 28 more book reviews
This expertly written adventure tale is still as amusing and "page-turning" for the adult reader as it was when it was first made required reading in junior high school. Also makes a great book to be read aloud to youngsters...
reviewed Treasure Island on + 131 more book reviews
Gr. 5-9. This is one of the best in the Storybook Classic series. True to the spirit of Stevenson's timeless writing ability, he captures the bloody action of mutiny on the high seas and the cutthroat quest for hidden treasure. The story is told through the eyes of brave cabin boy Jim, who fights off the murderous pirates and bonds with their one-legged leader, Long John Silver. Driven by the lure of treasure, the book compels the reader to quickly move to the next page. It's the ultimate classical adventure.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 10 more book reviews
Complete ubabridged version of the famous classic
reviewed Treasure Island on + 209 more book reviews
Always a treasure to read this book. Doesn't matter how many times I've read this story I always come back and have to read it again and again.
WendyN avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 54 more book reviews
A treasure map of a deserted island leads young Jim Hawkins on an action-packed adventure. Jim finds himself aboard the Hispaniola with none other than Long John Silver and his villainous crew. On a tiny island, Jim is face to face with pirates who will stop at nothing to reach the buried treasure.
jamincasey avatar reviewed Treasure Island on
Stevenson started with a map and the assistance of a boy's imagination. He created a fantastical place where pirates abound and treasure is really to be found. The map, as it did for Stevenson, brings it all to life for the reader. From spyglass hill to skeleton island, the places awaken the heart of adventure that sits, waiting, in the heart of every young (or old) boy (or girl). Coming from a different time, the filters are off that we normally find on our stories today. The pirates are really terrible and the heroes must be truly courageous.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 40 more book reviews
A book to go with the movie. It was not great, I think the movie was better. The opposite of what you usually find.
daedelys avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 1218 more book reviews
Just couldn't get into this story. Gave up 1/3 of the way through.
jjares avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 3411 more book reviews
I read this in middle school and wanted to remind myself why I enjoyed it so much. As I recall, it is quite an adventure for a middle school student. Generations later, this story is a bit tamer, but it is still fun to read. Young Jim Hawkins gets involved with pirates, which is still as believable today as it was years ago. This is a great classic; today's kids will struggle with some archaic language used during the 1700s.
JaneEire avatar reviewed Treasure Island on
Even in the great literature of the world, memorable heroes and villains very often seem similar from one story to another. But there's only one with a wooden leg and a parrot that comes to mind - Long John Silver, the sea cook. At once charming and murderous, imperious and fawning, he is a completely ruthless survivor. The two sides of his nature are so well drawn that, like the cabin boy Jim Hawkins who tells the story, you want to trust and like Long John, but you can't quite.

TREASURE ISLAND is a story of opposites. Greed, envy, treachery, and murder are balanced against honor, humor, bravery, and compassion. Behind the plot and the fates of the characters lies a tug of war between good and evil. Long John manages to include both in his personality and his actions.

The colorful tale is one that parents will delight in rediscovering as they introduce it to their children. The mysterious guest with a treasure map in his sea chest at the "Admiral Benbow" inn, the attacks on shore and the plots at sea, and, upon reaching the island, the ultimate contest between the vastly outnumbered heroes and the pirate rabble led by Silver - all move the reader at a heartpounding pace.

Because the story is told mainly through the eyes of a young cabin boy, it has been especially popular with generations of children. Jim's straightforward version of the tale is recounted with little self-consciousness or pretense. It is this elegant simplicity that makes it possible to produce an edition that - although abridged for young readers - employs the author's original wording throughout.

The exciting and detailed color illustrations of award-winning artist Alexander Mikhnushev add to the already vivid descriptions of the desolate island, the bloodthirsty pirates, the small band of heroes, and the mad Ben Gunn. Children of all ages will delight in turning to this beautiful hardcover edition of TREASURE ISLAND again and again.

"Illustrator Alexander Mikhnushev once again displays his technical mastery and fine attention to detail. In preparation for doing the artwork, he carefully researched life in the late eighteenth century, including the clothing and ships of the period. To open this book is to step back two hundred years into the world of high seas adventure."

This is an oversized book.
magoosey06 avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 17 more book reviews
A classic story enjoyable for kids and adults. Its filled with fun, adventure, and pirates!
reviewed Treasure Island on + 38 more book reviews
Ok, I could put it down.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 7 more book reviews
A classic by a master storyteller.
minimo avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 57 more book reviews
Although thought of as a "boy's story" for a long time, this is a great book for boys and girls of all ages.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 541 more book reviews
A classic ;)
reviewed Treasure Island on + 59 more book reviews
Classic must-read adventure story.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 219 more book reviews
Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Treasure Islandhas enthralled (and caused slight seasickness) for decades. The names Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are destined to remain pieces of folklore for as long as children want to read Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous book. With it's dastardly plot and motley crew of rogues and villains, it seems unlikely that children will ever say no to this timeless classic.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 232 more book reviews
First published in 1883, RLS transformed the Victorian adventure into a classic of its own genre.

A book for every one of us who ever longed for romance, treasure & adventure...

A sunning yarn of piracy on the firey tropic high seas - a tale of teachery embroiing a host of legendary swashbucklers. It is also a complex study of good & evil & all the merry unscrupulous buccaneer rogues whose greedy quest for gold will win the hearts of those who wish we could join them.

Now, I wonder who inspired Pirates of the Carribbean?
reviewed Treasure Island on + 21 more book reviews
This is a green hardcover with black writing and a black picture of Captain Flint on the front. It is unabridged. Published by Charles Scribners Sons in New York.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 6 more book reviews
a classic in great condition
knittymama avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 424 more book reviews
Masterfully crafted, Treasure Island is a stunning yarn of piracy on the fiery tropic seas -- an unforgettable tale of treachery that embroils a host of legendary swashbucklers, from honest young Jim Hawkins to sinister, two-timing Israel Hands, to evil incarnate, blind Pew. But above all, Treasure Island is a complex study of good and evil, as embodied by that hero-villain, Long John Silver: the merry unscrupulous buccaneer-rogue whose greedy quest for gold cannot help but win the heart of every soul who ever longed for romance, treasure, and adventure. Since its publication in 1883, Treasure Island has provided an enduring literary model for such eminent writers as Anthony Hope, Graham Greene, and Jorge Luis Borges. As David Daiches wrote: "Robert Louis Stevenson transformed the Victorian boys' adventure into a classic of its kind."
Alameda avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 336 more book reviews
Puffin Classics
Level 8.0 (12 points)
daedelys avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 1218 more book reviews
Just couldn't get into this story. Gave up 1/3 of the way through.
WendyN avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 54 more book reviews
This is a very old book, it is a collectors item
confuzzledbooks avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 486 more book reviews
Young Jim Hawkins helps his mother tend to their inn where they see all sorts of unsavory people coming and going. In particular, the worst is the drunken pirates. After the death of a particularly desired pirate in the inn Jim gets caught up with a secret map leading to treasure. He joins a ship with Captain Smollett and Long John Silver to find the fortune. Unfortunately, all is not what it seems and Jim overhears some shipmates privately plan a mutiny.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. After trying to read another classic (like Moby Dick) I feared this one was going to share the DNF(Did Not Finish) pile. Or share the pile with most of the classic I read, which is one or two stars out of five. Thankfully this is one I thought was lovely. Most classics are written differently because they from another time in the world and the way language was written(and maybe said) is just divergent. I did not remember the many movies that were made of this. Even the muppet one is a blur in my mind. So I was coming at this almost a blank slate. I did catch many references that are now in The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies and Disney ride. It was fun, sometimes a little dark but it was a good voyage.


As for the downside of Treasure Island...um well it has been a few days since I finished and for the life of me, I can not remember the ending. I feel like maybe the end was abrupt and could have gone on. Or maybe it is because I have a sequel in my pile that I am looking forward to reading. Of course, the sequel book, Silver by Andrew Motion, is newish it came out in 2013 and not written by Robert Lewis Stevenson because he's been dead since 1894.

So other than a not so memorable ending. It was good. Not great good but good. Some lovely descriptive moments. This does make me curious to see the Muppet Treasure Island movie again because remember it being terrible. Maybe as an adult, I will see it with different eyes as I did the book.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 41 more book reviews
Great book!
ophelia99 avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 2527 more book reviews
I have tried to read Treasure Island numerous times. A couple times when I was younger and once as an adult. Every time I found it to be a bit boring and ended up not finishing it. This time I was determined to make it through it. I made it, and the book was okay but I think compared to modern day adventures the adventure in this book was pretty tame. I read this on my Amazon Kindle

I think everyone knows the basic story. A young boy and some companions form a company of sailors and take off to find buried treasure on Treasure Island. Ends up part of the company are pirates and mutiny upon landing at the Island. Struggles on Treasure Island commence between the loyal sailors and the pirates.

The writing style of this novel has definitely aged with time. It isn't horrible to get through; it's pretty readable and the beginning of the story really grabbed my interest. As time goes on though the story gets bogged down with description and predictability. This isn't a story where characterization or action scenes are a strong point. It is an excellent adventure in the sense that they end up on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere; the struggles they face though are more related to dealing with the pirates than dealing with any trouble the Island throws at them.

Maybe this story is just too well known, but for some reason I found it very predictable and this made getting through the lengthy descriptions even tougher. This book does do a wonderful job describing pirates and personifying their characters, but it isn't much fun.

I think younger readers will find the story tedious and boring, they may also struggle with the stilted language. Older readers may appreciate the lush descriptions, but will ultimately find the action scenes lacking and the adventure to be not quite as adventurous as in modern day works.

Overall an okay novel. Not as exciting and engaging as I had hoped for. Now I can say I read it and move on. I don't know that this is one I will read to my son when he gets older, I think it would bore him. When compared to other classic novels I have read this year, this was my least favorite. I found both "The Left Hand of Darkness" and "Pride and Prejudice" to be more engaging and interesting.
AlamoLiz avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 94 more book reviews
Young Jim Hawkins and his friends discover a map of a deserted island, marking the location of hidden pirate treasure. They have to find it! On board the Hispaniola, Jim sails toward an unknown island and an exciting adventure. Out at sea, he realizes too late that the crew contains none other than the infamous Long John Silver and a band of pirates. And these mighty villains are ready to do anything to get their hands on that gold---anthing!
WendyN avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 54 more book reviews
This is a Collectors item, the binding is in fair condition
aspengrovehomeschool avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 31 more book reviews
This is a littel pocket book, great for taking anywhere.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 8 more book reviews
A classic in excelent condition
mardou avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 16 more book reviews
This is honestly probably one of my least favorite books of all time. I don't know why this is so, perhaps because of the circumstances surrounding it (our required reading of Something Wicked This Way Comes was controversial, so parents pressured the school system to change to this half-way through.)

But from the viewpoint of this girl, in 7th grade--No. I just couldn't get through it. I couldn't care less about the characters, or the subject matter. It got so bad that I started making up voices for each of the characters--I had the Captain speaking in a stereotypical, lisping, "homosexual" manner, & made everything he said into innuendo ("I'll lay to that," which he said frequently, took on a whole new layer of meaning), and STILL couldn't get through it. I tried everything.

I don't know. I'm sure a lot of people vehemently & violently disagree with me, but that's okay. I hate this book. :(
daedelys avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 1218 more book reviews
Just couldn't get into this story. Gave up 1/3 of the way through.
daedelys avatar reviewed Treasure Island on + 1218 more book reviews
Just couldn't get into this story. Gave up 1/3 of the way through.
reviewed Treasure Island on + 11 more book reviews
The cover of the book I have does not match this one. It is not illustrated by N C Wyeth, it is condensed and adapted by Nancy Fletcher-Blume and illustrated by Jerry Dillingham. Dalmatian Press. If anyone has the version of the book shown in the cover picture, let me know, that's the one I want to read!
reviewed Treasure Island on + 25 more book reviews
In very very good condition. hard back. appears not to have been read. beautiful book
reviewed Treasure Island on + 11 more book reviews
Never been read. Has a stamp on frond page that says "This book belongs to __________" I never filled it in, but you can if you'd like.