{"id":13902,"date":"2023-09-27T14:39:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T13:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/?p=13902"},"modified":"2025-03-21T20:39:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T20:39:44","slug":"robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream","title":{"rendered":"Robert Stevenson: The Story of the Writer Whose Greatest Novel Was His Cherished Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Readers around the world know Robert Stevenson as an author famous for his adventure novels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/iedinburgh.info\">Iedinburgh.info<\/a> tells you more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet, few realize that the writer&#8217;s own life was full of exciting events as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Find out more in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a79d06cd42f1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a79d06cd42f1\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Early_Years\" >Early Years<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#An_Unexpected_Decision\" >An Unexpected Decision<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Literary_Debut\" >Literary Debut<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Fruits_of_Travel\" >Fruits of Travel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Realizing_a_Dream\" >Realizing a Dream<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#New_Works\" >New Works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Poetry\" >Poetry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-robert-stevenson-the-story-of-the-writer-whose-greatest-novel-was-his-cherished-dream\/#Sudden_Death\" >Sudden Death<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_Years\"><\/span><strong>Early Years<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The future writer was born on November 13, 1850, in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At age three, Robert suffered from croup, which later had severe consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In particular, many biographers believe Stevenson had a severe form of tuberculosis, worsened by heavy smoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_Unexpected_Decision\"><\/span><strong>An Unexpected Decision<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After graduating from Edinburgh Academy, Robert enrolled at the University of Edinburgh. Initially, he studied engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, later the young man unexpectedly switched to studying law. He successfully graduated in 1875.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Literary_Debut\"><\/span><strong>Literary Debut<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robert&#8217;s first published work appeared in 1866. It was the historical essay, <em>The Pentland Rising: A Page of History, 1666<\/em>. This was a booklet published thanks to funds from the writer&#8217;s father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Around that same time, Robert began to develop a deep interest in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fruits_of_Travel\"><\/span><strong>Fruits of Travel<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1876, Stevenson travelled by canoe through Belgian and French waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upon returning home, he wrote the book <em>An Inland Voyage<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the author found himself in France again in 1878, he wrote a cycle of short stories titled <em>The Suicide Club<\/em> and <em>The Rajah\u2019s Diamond<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, these stories were published in the journal <em>London<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Realizing_a_Dream\"><\/span><strong>Realizing a Dream<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s important to note that, despite having written and published several successful works, Stevenson\u2019s greatest dream remained writing a full-length novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, in the autumn of 1881, he began writing a story initially called <em>The Sea Cook<\/em>. As you may have already guessed, it eventually became known as <em>Treasure Island<\/em>. Stevenson first shared chapters of his manuscript with family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the editor of the children&#8217;s magazine <em>Young Folks<\/em> read the first chapters, he agreed to publish the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The serialized publication finished in 1882, but Stevenson didn&#8217;t achieve immediate success. In fact, the magazine received several angry letters from readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The novel was published as a book in 1883. It wasn&#8217;t until the third, illustrated edition that the work became successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the novel brought Stevenson worldwide fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_Works\"><\/span><strong>New Works<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the success of <em>Treasure Island<\/em>, Stevenson continued creating new novels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In particular, he wrote the historical adventure novel <em>The Black Arrow<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Poetry\"><\/span><strong>Poetry<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s worth mentioning that, for a long time, Stevenson didn&#8217;t take his poetry seriously, nor did he intend to publish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, after writing forty-eight poems about childhood memories, he decided to compile them into a collection titled <em>Penny Whistles<\/em>. Initially, he published only a few copies as gifts for friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn&#8217;t until 1885 that this collection reached the public, though in a revised and edited form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, the author prepared and released a second poetry collection, titled <em>Underwoods<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sudden_Death\"><\/span><strong>Sudden Death<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/03\/17200641\/ad_4nxdixj122ofpnelbkdudcpmd4amjdzfi7t4lkhdirthaq2ngnhg-ltpciowk_fizjyxrwrk_wntptkx915tkoakchygah-qfimetjtwh81rk2ylciyvn0e_-zrgbaczobhh8gdyeqqkeymcowcravqyrvoh0xp9sjkknr.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The famous writer passed away in Samoa, where he had relocated with his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On December 3, 1894, after completing work on his novel <em>Weir of Hermiston<\/em>, Stevenson entered his living room and found his wife in a very poor mood. Attempting to lighten the atmosphere, he suggested dinner accompanied by a glass of Burgundy. Suddenly, Stevenson cried out and, by early evening, around eight o&#8217;clock, he had died.<br><br>Photos: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.poetryfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">poetryfoundation.org<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bestseller.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bestseller.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Readers around the world know Robert Stevenson as an author famous for his adventure novels. Iedinburgh.info tells you more. Yet, few realize that the writer&#8217;s own life was full of exciting events as well. Find out more in this article. Early Years The future writer was born on November 13, 1850, in Edinburgh. At age [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":526,"featured_media":13908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4818],"tags":[5509,5510,5506,5512,5505,5514,5513,5508,5511,5507],"moimportance":[32,35],"motype":[4825],"moformat":[88],"class_list":["post-13902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cultural","tag-author","tag-books","tag-library","tag-literature","tag-novel","tag-readers","tag-reading","tag-story","tag-writers","tag-writing","moimportance-golovna-novyna","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","motype-eternal","moformat-copywriting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/526"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13902"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13906,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13902\/revisions\/13906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13902"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=13902"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=13902"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=13902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}