Virginibus Puerisque represents the legendary author’s first collection of personal essays. Far from being a droll affair they are playful and spirited, they are written in defiance of the hardship of everyday life and the contemptuous philistines who rage against the arts. These essays are here to calm and help, they are positive reflections on things we all worry about. In ‘Childs Play’ Stevenson sooths our fears over lost childhoods, and then takes us on a sweeping orchestration of bravery in ‘The English Admirals’. The essays are playful and thoughtful and absolutely perfect for a calm commute home.
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.
