Unique to this title is:

• A study of the themes present in Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses
• A historical introduction

You may, of course, skip all of it and go straight to the main title if you do not want any spoilers and come back later to the beginning.

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an only son of a prosperous civil engineer. He entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of 17 and studied to be an engineer to follow his father in the family business; however, he soon realized that he was not cut out for that profession. His father agreed to let him study law instead and although Stevenson graduated from the law school, he never practiced law because, by then, he knew he wanted to be a writer.

In Treasure Island, the story starts when a drunken sailor named Billy Bones arrives at the inn owned by Jim Hawkins' father. Bones stays at the inn for some time without paying his bills. He askes Jim, a 12-year-old boy, to watch for his former shipmates who are after his valuables. When shipmates eventually arrive and Bones mysteriously dies, Jim opens his chest and finds a treasure map.

In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the novel revolves around an investigation carried out by a London lawyer Gabriel John Utterson, concerning the strange relationship between his client, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The novella had a huge impact on modern culture, so much so that the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” became a common way of describing someone's dual nature.

A Child's Garden of Verses is a book of poetry for children. Stevenson dedicated the poems to his nurse Cummy (Alison Cunningham), who cared for him during his many childhood illnesses. The collection includes some of Stevenson's most famous poems, including “The Land of Counterpane”, “My Shadow" and “The Lamplighter”.

Enjoy this timeless classic collection!