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Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-1894). Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson. W as a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer .
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Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson • Was a Scottishnovelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. • Stevenson has been admired by many authors, who said of him that he "seemed to pick the right word up on the point of his pen, like a man playing spillikins“.
Childhood • Stevenson inherited poor health. • RLS recalled this time of sickness in the poem "The Land of Counterpane“and dedicated the book to his nurse. • His illnesses often kept him away from school. • Throughout his childhood he was writing stories. His fatherpaid for the printing of Robert's first publication at sixteen.
University • in 1867 he entered the University of Edinburgh • no enthusiasm for his studies • devoted much energy to avoiding lectures. • In April 1871, he announced to his father his decision to leave the university.
Early writings and travels • In 1873, Stevenson fell ill, • He was sent in the South of France. • On his return to Edinburgh, he spent much of his time writing book reviews and articles and experimenting with short stories. • One of his journeys in Belgium and France with Sir Walter Simpsonwas the basis of his first real book, “An Inland Voyage”.
Marriage • in 1876 he first met Fanny Vandegrift Osbourne • in 1878, Fanny returned to San Francisco. • in August 1879, he fallowed her, • He took second class passage on the steamship Devonia • It broke his health, and he was near death when he arrived in Monterey. • In May 1880, Stevenson married Fanny.
Best known works • “Treasure Island”, his first widely popular book; • “Kidnapped”; • “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, • The basic theme of true identity have attracted such writers as Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), Hans Christian Andersen ('The Ugly Duckling'), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Crime and Punishment), Bram Stoker (Dracula, 1897), Franz Kafka ('Metamorphosis'). • “A Child's Garden of Verses” and “Underwoods”.
Last years • He died in 1894, probably of a cerebral haemorrhage • Stevenson had always wanted his 'Requiem' inscribed on his tomb. • Under the wide and starry sky,Dig the grave and let me lie.Glad did I live and gladly die,And I laid me down with a will.This be the verse you grave for me:Here he lies where he longed to be;Home is the sailor, home from sea,And the hunter home from the hill. • However, the piece is widely misquoted, including the inscription on his tomb, which closes: • Home is the sailor, home from the sea,And the hunter home from the hill.
