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Robert Louis Stevenson


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Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Scottish essayist, poet and author of fiction and travel books, known especially for his novels of adventure.

Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh as the son of Thomas Stevenson, joint-engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses. Since his childhood Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis. In 1867 he entered Edinburgh University to study engineering, but changed to law and in 1875 he was called to the Scottish bar. During these years his first works were published in The Edinburgh University Magazine (1871) and The Portfolio (1873).

Instead of practicing law, Stevenson devoted himself to writing travel sketches, essays, and short stories for magazines. An account of his canoe tour of France and Belgium was published in 1878 as An Inland Voyage, and Travels With A Donkey In The Cervennes appeared next year. In 1879 Stevenson moved to California with Fanny Osbourne, whom he had met in France. They married in 1880, and after a brief stay at Calistoga, which was recorded in The Silverado Squatters (1883), they returned to Scotland, and then moved often in search of better climates.

Stevenson became famous with the romantic adventure story Treasure Island, which appeared in 1883. Among his other popular works are Kidnapped (1886), The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1886) and The Master Of Ballantrae (1889). He also contributed to various periodicals, including The Cornhill Magazine and Longman's Magazine, where his best-known article "A Humble Remonstrance" was published in 1884. It was a reply to Henry James's 'The Art of Fiction' and started a lifelong friendship between the two authors.

From the late 1880s Stevenson lived with his family in the South Seas, in Samoa. Fascinated by the Polynesian culture, Stevenson wrote several letters to The Times on the islanders' behalf and published novels like The Beach Of Falesa (1893) and The Ebb-Tide (1894), which condemned European colonial exploitation.

Stevenson died on December 3, 1894, in Vailima, Samoa. His last work, Weir Of Hermiston (1896), was left unfinished.

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Recent Forum Posts on Robert Louis Stevenson

Villion and R.L.S.

Dear guys I'm reading "USA" by John Dos Passos. In "1919" (the 2nd part of the trilogy), there's biography of Jack Reed, the famous brave American writer and journalist. In part of this biography, there's a reference to "Villon" (and I'm not sure if it's referring to "Francoi Villon", the French poet of 16 century, or "Jacque Villon", the cubist painer of 19 century) and also a reference to "R.L.S." At the same time, I know that Stevensen has written "A Lodging For the Night" but I can't link it with "Villon" in this text. Here's the text: Refrain; the rusty machinery creaked, the deans quivered under their mortarboards, the cogs turned to Class Day, and Reed was out in the world: Washington Square! Conventional turns out to be a cussword; Villon seeking a lodging for the night in the Italian tenements on Sullivan Street, Bleeker, Carmine; research proves R.L.S. to have been a great cocksman, and as for the Elizabethans to hell with them. Please answer my following questions: 1) Which "Villon" is the writer referring to, the poet Villon or the painter Villon; 2) What's the meaning of "seeking a lodging for the night in the Italian tenements..." 3) is there any link between "Villon" and "R.L.S."? 4) is there any relation for their reputation as "gay or homo"? 5) What are Elizabethans doing there? Thanks you in advance. Best regards Kahroba

Posted By Kahroba at Sat 11 Aug 2007, 3:59 AM in Stevenson, Robert Louis || 2 Replies

A Lodging for the Night

I finished reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde yesterday and went on to the shorter stories also included in the volume. Among them was "A Lodging for the Night." I was wondering if anyone has read this story and would care to discuss it, I was left feeling like the story was a little vague. So I am just curious if anyone else has read it and cares to discuss. :D

Posted By grace86 at Tue 20 Mar 2007, 1:09 PM in Stevenson, Robert Louis || 2 Replies

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