I just finished Treasure Island. First time ever. It's particularly interesting after seeing Johnny Depp channel Keith Richards in two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, not to mention reading the preface and how so much of the pirate lore we know today is based on Stevenson's novel. Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are products of this novel.
I can't say I would've ever picked up this book had it not been for J-bo recommending it. I've always considered it a young adult, or rather, young boy, story that would not appeal to me. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it. It's written in bite-sized chapters, each chapter making you want to read the next, and the next, before dozing off.
Also in the past year I have read another classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, equally entertaining and a little creepy ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. I would highly recommend - I liked it much better than Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, though not sure I can pinpoint the reason. thus raising my expectations ... kind of like hearing all of the early reviews/hype for a movie and then feeling let down once actually seeing it. Perhaps?
Needless to say, all of these suspenseful, strange classics take you out of ordinary life or add a bit of spice to everyday life. These works get me to thinking about my own writing and future creations.
There's something very intriguing about a world different than your own - particularly ones involving hidden treasure, marooned pirates, or scientific experiments gone awry. The fascination and curiosities that result and transport you to other time periods and/or fairly improbable situations (though credible enough so that you wonder what if ...)
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