Scots – do not give rest to many writers who admire them for perseverance, the desire for independence and a tempered temper. As I can not judge nowadays in modern Scotland, but during Stevenson’s time, this part of the United Kingdom has not yet fully reconciled with English domination, attempting to try to gain lost sovereignty. Unsurprisingly prejudiced attitude towards the protagonist, who will try with all his might to show that he is not worse than them, and even better, because in his family there are Scots.
The beginning is Stevenson’s tedious: lived and was a nice little boy. And they gave him a ticket to the big world: see, they say, uncle, son. And Uncle under the transparent name Ebenezer, as usual, a miser. And, unsuccessfully trying to kick this boy off, he sends it to the brig. Then riot, adventure, adventure. During the reading, I often thought that Stevenson, a little kind and sympathetic, really wanted to tell not about Balfour or Brecke, but about Scotland itself. But how about it you tell? One heather and mountains, and the sea. “All this, the entire book, and sees the kidnapped David Balfour, wandering through the expanses of Scotland, sees, then lying on his belly, hiding from the Anglic soldiers, then roasting on a small rock.
This book is very good for children: they learn about Scotland and learn how to communicate admirably: here you are “sir” at every step, who polishly quarrel quarrels in order to puncture an opponent like a chicken. They learn about betrayal and mutual help, about baseness and justice.