When David Balfour's father dies, he sets out to find his uncle, whom he has never met. His uncle Ebenezer turns out to be a horrible miser, unkind and unfriendly, even hateful. He has David kidnapped and shipped off to a slave colony in the Carolinas, but the ship never leaves Scottish waters. A Highland gentleman, Alan Breck Stewart, befriends and rescues David, and the two run around Scotland having adventures and trying to make their way back to the lowlands. Alan Breck then helps David Balfour acquire his rightful inheritance, but they have to part ways, which always makes me sad. Still, it's such a jolly adventure. And I do love Alan Breck. My goodness, he's such a splendid character. So fierce and loyal! Not that I don't love David Balfour too, because I do, but my heart really belongs to Alan Breck in this book.
In fact, I discovered that there's this little phrase I'm fond of saying that I totally got from this book as a teen, and then forgot over the years where I had gotten it. When Alan Breck kind of remembers something, but doesn't want to swear to it, or if he doesn't want people to know he knows something for sure, he'll say "it sticks in my mind that..." I say that fairly often! And now I know where I got it from!
Now that I've finished reading this aloud to my kids, we're going to have to watch the classic Disney movie version. It's not on Disney+ because of course not, but I do have it on DVD, so yay!
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for gunplay, swordplay, shipwreck, and other bits of violence.
This has been my 39th book read and reviewed for my third Classics Club list.
I love that book. The old film with "Book'em Dano" James MacArthur and Peter Finch was great. The 1995 movie with Armand Assante as Alan Breck wasn't bad--mostly because I liked Assante in the role; I didn't care for whoever it was that played David Balfour. Kidnapped is one of those books that a boy should grow up reading, and continue reading as a man when he relates better to Breck than to David.
ReplyDeleteStanley, I haven't tried the 1995 movie because I love the old one so much, I just watch it over again instead. But maybe I will, one day.
DeleteYes, this is definitely a book that can grow with you!
Oh man, I love this book!! And the Disney film is amazing!! One of my favorites, mostly because it has my biggest childhood crush in it.. James MacArthur. I watched and loved every Disney movie he was ever in...
ReplyDeleteI still have a crush on James MacArthur ;-) Between Kidnapped and Swiss Family Robinson, who wouldn't? I haven't seen Third Man on the Mountain yet, but I hear it's very good. I liked him a lot in Spencer's Mountain. And, of course, Hawaii Five-0. He also guest starred in an ep of my favorite show, Combat!, which makes me so happy :-)
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