Imaginations from the Land of Blankets
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, on November 13, 1850. According to his memories, he spent his childhood in what he called the “land of blankets.” From a young age, the boy struggled with severe bronchial and lung diseases (doctors diagnosed him with croup at three and tuberculosis at twelve), which forced him to forgo playing outside with peers in favor of reading books in bed. His entertainment came from dreams and fantasies, which he first committed to paper as a teenager. At just 15, he wrote his debut book, “The Pentland Rising,” which he published at his parents’ expense in a limited run of 100 copies to give as gifts to friends.
Robert Stevenson at 14 years old
The Guiding Beacon
Robert’s father, Thomas Stevenson, was a hereditary engineer specializing in lighthouse design, and Robert initially intended to follow in his father’s footsteps. After graduating from Edinburgh Academy, the young Stevenson enrolled in the engineering department at the University of Scotland, where he earned a silver medal for developing a new type of flashing light for lighthouses. However, he unexpectedly found his true calling in the law, graduating from the faculty of law in 1875. In his legal practice, Stevenson’s keen intellect drew resources for exploring life “in depth,” while his travels provided him with knowledge about the world “in breadth.” Ultimately, his pen produced captivating series of stories such as “The Suicide Club,” “The Diamond of the Rajah,” and “New Arabian Nights,” while his numerous travels inspired collections of essays like “The Roads,” “Travels with a Donkey,” and others.
The multi-volume works of Stevenson, 1909
The Nature of Details
The British writer’s observations provided ample material not only for detailed descriptions of objects and phenomena but also for creative reflections like “The Philosophy of Umbrellas.” His thorough examination of the subject in the essay asserted that an umbrella, designed to protect against rain, reflects the social status and character of its owner: a silk umbrella, according to the writer, indicates a hypocrite, while a checkered fabric is chosen by respectable individuals.
Treasure Island map from the frontispiece of the 1883 edition
Meanwhile, when filling the pirate’s chest in “Treasure Island,” the author took a cue from his father, incorporating a suggested inventory of contents into the novel unchanged. Stevenson enriched the work with details that have since become synonymous with the adventure genre: the raucous pirate song, the ominous black spot, the blood-stained gold on a lost island, and the mysterious map that shows the way. Interestingly, the map inspired the idea for the novel. The author drew it alongside his stepson, whose meeting with Stevenson’s mother would prove to be a pivotal moment in his life.
Love at First Sight
In 1876, while traveling through Belgium and France with a friend by canoe, Stevenson had a promising encounter with the married, ten-years-older American woman Fanny Osbourne, who was burdened with children. They met in the French village of Barbizon, where Mrs. Van de Grift Osbourne, an art enthusiast, had come to Europe with her 16-year-old daughter Isabella and 9-year-old son Lloyd (in the future, the stepdaughter would transcribe her stepfather’s works, while the stepson would co-author his adventure plots).
Fanny Osbourne
The story of their mutual love serves as a testament that romance is not merely a novelist’s invention. The personal life of this prominent figure of neoromanticism in literature portrays Robert Stevenson as the greatest romantic in real life. He was willing to sacrifice everything for the woman he loved.
Robert Stevenson’s family in 1893: wife Fanny, Stevenson, his stepdaughter Isabel, and mother Margaret Balfour
The Energy of Feelings
When Stevenson, weakened by his long-standing illness, learned from a letter about his beloved’s serious condition, he immediately boarded a steamboat and sailed to her on another continent. The journey was long and arduous, but upon arriving in America, he found that Fanny had moved to another city. Out of money and exhausted, Robert desperately sought to reunite with her. He traveled on horseback, fell, and spent two days in the woods with no hope of rescue. Yet, the energy of love works miracles: Stevenson was saved, and the woman he loved recovered and nursed him back to health. After separating from her abusive husband, Fanny married Stevenson in 1880, and her children found a loving mentor in their stepfather. The family returned to Britain, where Fanny helped Robert reconcile with his relatives, who had previously disapproved of their union. They eventually found their paradise on the exotic Pacific islands, where the ailing Brit had to relocate due to deteriorating health.
Stevenson with family in Vailima, Samoa, 1892
The Final Resting Place
The island of Samoa also became Robert Stevenson’s final resting place. On December 3, 1894, the writer spent the day working on a new, unfinished piece. In the evening, he set down his pen and paper to descend from the second floor of his home to the living room. A bottle of French wine he had brought for dinner remained unopened. Suddenly, the writer turned pale and died of a stroke.
Stevenson with chief Tui Ma Le Al Fano
The locals mourned the death of their “white chief-narrator” alongside his family. They trusted the magical words of their Tuisitala, who exposed and condemned the plundering practices of European colonizers. The islanders buried their friend atop Mount Vaea, where they have preserved his grave under a concrete tombstone for nearly 130 years.