Kidnapped (Illustrated Classic): 100th Anniversary Collection Paperback – Illustrated, December 1, 2018

I doubt that there is a better paperback edition of Kidnapped than the Sea Wolf Press edition. It has about 100 detailed line drawings, including full page illustrations and smaller drawings on the Contents page and the first page of every chapter. The first letter of each chapter is worked into a thumbnail drawing. The drawings are from a 1921 edition. There are footnotes to translate some of the Scottish words. I have bought other public-domain titles which were obviously photocopies of an old edition. This edition of Kidnapped looks like a new edition. The paper is from a stock typically used for books, not photocopy paper. The text is sharp and clear; the layout fits the page perfectly. The cover has a soft texture on the exterior.The story moves quickly. It’s an old-fashioned adventure story without a lot of description or analysis. The political situation in the background will be unfamiliar to many Americans, but enough information is given in the story.There are no female characters until almost the end, when a maid – no name given – saves the lives of the two heroes with a courageous action, at great risk to herself. She does this without any romantic aspirations. She comes and goes in only five pages.

I purchased this for my nine-year-old grandson. I read it when I was about the same age. He enjoyed "Treasure Island," so this seemed a logical choice and indicated an interest in trying it. He may have some "difficulty" with words at times, but as he is far above his reading/compressions level so I believe he will figure them out with context clues or refer to a dictionary. The only other "difficulty" is with the political and religious turmoil that provides the backdrop of the novel. This will require some explanation by an adult.

The illustrations are very nice, with captions from the text showing you what the artist is trying to depict. Stevenson is a great writer for adults. He sort of shot himself in the foot billing himself as a boy's writer. To be sure it is an adventure story of survival and a young man coming to the realization of the harshness of the 18th century, but Stevenson's writing style is more palatable to adults than children, especially in modern times. Vivid descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and the post-45 oppression they faced from the British. If you've read the first few Outlander books or watched the first couple of seasons on TV, you'll feel right at home here, half expecting David Balfour and Alan Breck to stumble into Lallybroch during their flight from the redcoats.

I ordered two copies. I agree that the book is easy to read and has nice details. My issue is that one of the books was not bound correctly. Every other page fell out. The one I gave to my grandson was fine thankfully. I am using the one that falls apart. I should have and could have returned the book, but I hate the hassle of returns. That is my only complaint.

This is one of Stevenson's best known books for a reason. The plot is complex, the characters well defined, and the narrative moves at a fast pace. But -- reader beware -- the text is filled with mid-18 century vocabulary and Scottish terms that can confound even the most diligent reader. This is not a book that will interest the young reader.

Liked the inclusion of period language. A bonus.

This is a great copy of this classic! My 12 year old son is loving reading this!

It took a long time to get here, but just what I wanted.