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| Plot Summary of Kidnapped |
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"If 'Treasure Island' is the pirate story par excellence, then 'Kidnapped' is the romantic Scots adventure story of all time. Written in 1886, it is set in the turmoil and aftermath of the 1746 Jacobite Scots rebellion against the English at Culloden - events that established much of the national Scots character, which persists to this day. The story follows David Balfour, the canny eighteen year old, who is keen to seek his fortune. He sets out from the lowlands of Scotland to meet his mysterious relative, in search of work and 'whatere he may find'. His adventures begin at almost at once, and dark family secrets are soon only the starting point for an adventure that is a sort of Scottish Odyssey, with sea voyage, shipwreck, good friends and fights aplenty in the Hieland mountains and valleys. He meets and teams up with the excitable Alan Breck, a fighting man, and a lover of lost causes. The pace is sustained throughout and the narrative wrings the maximum effect from the most basic action plot and dialogue. The superficial simplicity of the whole belies the psychological depths portrayed in the masculine tensions and arguments that develop between the fugitives, and the book is so well written that it has earned the praises of the literary sophisticate, including Henry James and Jorge Luis Borges. I recommend the Penguin Classics edition for this story as it has an excellent little glossary and set of notes explaining the rich Scots dialect terms which season the dialogue. One odd thing I did notice - there is many a dram of spirits consumed, but it is all brandy, not a drop of guid Scotch."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Kidnapped |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Somewhat obvious
Time/era of story:
- 18th century
Exploring into the wild
Yes
Plotlets:
- stranded
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- physically sick
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Mountains:
- climbing on trails
Water?
Yes
Water:
- drowning
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 8 or more
Unusual forms of death
- drowned
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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