‘Across the Plains’ is a vibrant collection of travel and exploration pieces from Stevenson’s life. ‘Across the Plains’ itself recounts Stevenson’s journey from Glasgow to New York before his long train ride to California. It offers a fascinating insight in to how our world used to be, from the weeks of travel to the vastly different food, and unfortunately the vast prevalence of xenophobia.
Other tales such as ‘Fontainebleau’ are love letters to the beauty of a small French town populated by artists where life is slow and procrastination is the order of the day. Or for the history buffs among you ‘The Old Pacific Capital’ gives a fascinating account of California’s old capital of Monterey.
It is a collection perfect for those fascinated with the Victorian age, or those of you obsessed with ‘Carnival Row’, there’s just no elves unfortunately.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), was an author with a formidable legacy. You will be hard pressed to find anyone alive today who has not come across his work in one form or another. The brilliant mind behind ‘Treasure Island’ and the ‘Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, has had a profound impact on every aspect of entertainment to this day with his brilliant creations. Despite dealing with ill health all his life he was a prolific traveller, spending his later years in Samoa where he fought vigorously for the rights of the natives, earning their love and respect. R.L Stevenson was a character in his own right, passionate and adventurous, his spirit shines through in his work, from his novels to his travel guides. You simply owe it to yourself to experience his creations, he was a true titan of literature on whose shoulders we all stand.