November 2011: Robert Louis Stephenson's "Treasure Island" and our next book

Avast be'ind, mateys!  October was all about pirates.  We sailed on the Hispaniola from Bristol to the Caribbean with Jim Hawkins, hid in an apple barrel, defeated a mutiny, disposed of Israel Hands, discovered Captain Flint's treasure - and got safely back from the eighteenth century to Bath Library in time to discuss Robert Louis Stephenson's Treasure Island at our November meeting.  And no, we didn't talk like pirates ... much!

First serialised in 1881-2 and then published as a book in 1883, Treasure Island established the gold standard for pirate stories ever since, so there was much for us to talk about: the - often impenetrable - technical details of knots and rigging; the characterisations of the heroes and villains; the nature of leadership; the serial style of the book with its cliffhangers and short chapters; Long John Silver's longevity as a fictional icon; and the moral ambiguity and complexity of this most manipulative and yet most enduring of characters.

But does Treasure Island still appeal?  The answer seems to be a resounding "yes" - with some reservations.  Despite the occasional nautical language, it was variously described as gripping and easy to read, with atmospheric opening chapters and some truly terrifying characters - particularly Pew (who we learned is never actually called "Blind Pew" in the book).  However, there is an imbalance between Stephenson's multi-dimensional, often complex characterisations of the "baddies/pirates" versus his more one-dimensional and ultimately less interesting "goodies/gentlemen".  It is possible to believe in and be both terrified by and attracted to Silver ... as Jim was.  He has the qualities of a leader and the flaws of a man.  Squire Trelawney on the other hand has little depth as a character and less for the reader to care about or relate to in consequence.

Believed to be the first story book to deliberately target both adults and children, creating the "cross-over" genre exploited most recently by J K Rowling's Harry Potter series, Treasure Island is still borrowed from libraries by all age groups.  It has been reproduced in a wide range of formats, from film to audio, from cartoon books to Ladybird children's versions, and as a result the story is extremely accessible to a wide range of readers, listeners and watchers. 

As a group, our "memorable moments" were wide-ranging, demonstrating the book's breadth, depth and appeal.  From the skeleton arranged to point towards Flint's treasure, to Ben Gunn ("many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese - toasted, mostly"), to Jim's mortal combat with Israel Hands on the deserted Hispaniola, to Pew blindly tapping his way towards Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow ... and many more.

Treasure Island has established an enduring legacy.  From established and familiar catch phrases like "Them that die'll be the lucky ones", or "Toasted mostly", or "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" through to how we think about pirates and parrots and treasure maps where X marks the spot ... and NEVER forget the Black Spot!

Next month's book is What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.  What a contrast that will be!

October 2011: Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Eagle of the Ninth" and our next book

The group tackled Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth today: sadly Waitrose was right out of mulsum and dormice so we had to make do with coffee and mini Bakewells, but what an interesting discussion we had, with plenty of historical and social context.

In the book’s Foreword, Sutcliff wrote that she created the story from two elements: the disappearance of the Ninth Legion (Hispana) from the historical record following an expedition north to deal with Caledonian tribes in 117 AD; and the discovery on 9 October 1866 of a wingless Roman eagle in excavations at Silchester, near Basingstoke.   The lost legion is an enduring legend and exciting unsolved mystery - conjuring up an image of Roman soldiers tramping out from York, only to be swallowed forever by the swirling northern mists and rain. 

The first two chapters are challenging, introducing adult characters and using complex dialogue and descriptions - possibly a reason for the book being described by some as "difficult to get into".  Today's publishers would probably choose to edit out these chapters or move them down the order to become a reflective back story once some serious action has taken place.  But even for those who didn't enjoy them, the rest of the book was ample reward for persevering.

Sutcliff made no concessions to her readers: she expected there to be some familiarity with Latin names and places and with the history and geography of Roman Britain.  Is this evidence of the change in educational focus in the past sixty years - dumbing down, even - with the teaching of history no longer having a linear contextual approach, and most children having little Latin education?  

Although this is a story about two male characters, it was felt to be an enjoyable read for both girls and boys of around Year 8 and upwards - once the problem of getting them to take it down from the library shelves had been overcome.  It was noticeable that the key female character was written from a 1950s perspective: the subservient home-maker/girlfriend/wife, who had no adventures or strong views of her own - despite historical evidence to the contrary about early British women's role in society - and the issue of slavery is dealt with lightly: whilst entirely foreign to us, neither Marcus or Esca had any cause for comment.

Sutcliff was writing about a time of significant upheaval and unrest, when British tribes and the Roman occupiers were colliding and society was fragmenting, with some choosing to stay and build their lives here while others returned home.  According to one reviewer, Marcus is 'a typical Sutcliff hero: a dutiful Roman who is increasingly drawn to the British world of "other scents and sights and sounds; pale and changeful northern skies and the green plover calling'."  We liked him, but we liked Esca better.

In summary: we enjoyed Eagle of the Ninth very much and some of us would like to read more of Sutcliff's work - perhaps The Silver Branch which is the next in the series, or some of her Arthurian legends, or The Queen Elizabeth Story (1950), or Black Ships Before Troy (which was published posthumously in 1993).

Our book for 2 November is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson (1883): a pirate tale of buried gold, Pew and the black spot, Captain Flint, Ben Gunn and his requests for cheese, Long John Silver - that most enduring of pirates - and the boy Jim.  "Them that die'll be the lucky ones!"