British Culture - User contributions [en]

John Millington Synge

2011-01-16T23:14:22Z

CorneliusC:

'''Edmund John Millington Synge''' (16 April 1871, Rathfarnham - 24 March 1909, Dublin). Irish playwright, poet and travel writer. Best known for his play ''[[The Playboy of the Western World]]''.

== Early Life and Childhood ==

John Millington Synge was born in Rathfarnham, near Dublin on 16 April 1871. When he was one year old, his father, John Hatch Synge, died and his mother, Kathleen, decided to move to Rathgar, Ireland, where John grew up with eight siblings. Despite his weak health, Synge lived a happy life in Rathgar, spending a lot of his free time watching birds and collecting their eggs with his cousin Florence Ross.

== Education ==

Due to his weak health, Synge was mainly educated at home by private tutors during his childhood. In 1887 he entered the Royal Irish Academy of Music to learn how to play the violin. A year later, he signed up at the Trinity College Dublin to study Irish and Gaelic, in which he received his B.A. in 1892. The following year, Synge moved to Germany to continue with his music studies and to become a professional musician. However, in 1884 he changed his mind, decided to pursue his luck in literature and returned to Ireland. In January 1885, Synge chose to study literature and languages at the Sorbonne in Paris, where, he also met fellow Irish dramatist [[W.B. Yeats]], who convinced him to spend some time on the Aran Islands.

== The Aran Islands ==

Between 1898 and 1902, Synge spent a few weeks on the Aran Islands each year, living in seclusion from civilization amongst local seamen, studying their habits and their folklore, an experience that serves as the background for his novel ''The Aran Islands'', which he finished by 1901 but was not published until 1907, and the plays ''In the Shadow of the Glen'' (1903), ''Riders to the Seas'' (1904) and ''The Well of the Saints'' (1905).

== The Playboy Riots ==

In 1905, Synge became the director of the newly founded [[Abbey Theatre]], alongside Yeats and [[Lady Augusta Gregory]]. In 1907, the Abbey saw the staging of ''The Playboy of the Western World'', a play in which the protagonists kills his own father. Before its premiere, the play was heavily criticized for reinforcing stereotypes of the violent Irish and for attacking the Nation of Ireland itself. The criticism reached its climax, when a significant part of the premiere audience started to riot during the third act of the play. The riots would continue during the stagings throughout the opening week.
"On the third night Yeats addressed the audience before the curtain rose. If anyone had anything to say against the piece they would be welcomed at a debate which he would be glad to arrange in the theatre at some other time. He was interrupted several times. He asked the interrupters to at least listen to the play so that they would know what it was they were objecting to." (qtd. in O'Malley)

== Death ==

By the time of the Playboy Riots, Synge had suffered from Hodgkin's disease for a long time. The turmoil and stress lead to a quick decrease of his health. In 1908, Synge published his last complete work ''The Tinkers Wedding'', on which he had been working for more than five year. On 24 March 1909, only a couple of days from his 39th birthday, John Millington Synge died from Hodgkin's disease in a nursing home in Dublin.

== Sources ==

Merriman, C.D. ''J.M. Synge'' (http://www.online-literature.com/synge/), 2005

O'Malley, Sheila ''The Playboy Riots'' (http://www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=2820), 2005

Synge, J. M. & Tim Robinson ''The Aran Islands'' London: Penguin Books, 1992

== Links ==

====Works by John Millington Synge====

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a504 | John Millington Synge at Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:58:17Z

CorneliusC: /* Later Life */

'''Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''.

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who invested a lot of her time watching him in reading him religious books and stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out with his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the results of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising healt condition he could only be archieved by staying close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:57:19Z

CorneliusC: /* Education */

'''Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''.

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who invested a lot of her time watching him in reading him religious books and stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out with his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the result of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising healt condition he could only be archieved by staying close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:55:32Z

CorneliusC: /* The Pacific Years & Death */

'''Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''.

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who invested a lot of her time watching him in reading him religious books and stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out between him and his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the result of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising healt condition he could only be archieved by staying close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:54:05Z

CorneliusC:

'''Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''.

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who invested a lot of her time watching him in reading him religious books and stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out between him and his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the result of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising condition he could hope for was if he stayed close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:50:21Z

CorneliusC:

'''Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who took to reading him religious stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out between him and his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the result of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising condition he could hope for was if he stayed close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]

Robert Louis Stevenson

2011-01-12T14:50:07Z

CorneliusC: Created page with ''''Robert Louiss Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best know…'

'''Robert Louiss Balfour Stevenson''' (13 November 1850, Edinburgh, Scotland – 3 December 1894, Vailima, Samoa) was a Scottish novelist, travel writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''

===Early Life===

Born as Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, to Thomas and Margaret Isabella Balfour Stevenson, Stevenson spent a lot of his childhood years in bed, suffering from tuberculosis. One of his earliest influences was his nurse, Alison 'Cummy' Cunningham, who took to reading him religious stories. As a result from his very stiff religious education, Stevenson's first attempts at writing were re-tellings of stories from the Bible, including ''[[The Story of Moses]]'' and ''[[The Book of Joseph]]''.

===Education===

Although Stevenson went to several schools in Edinburgh and London, including Edinburgh Academy, a lot of his education was shaped by private tuition, due to his low health condition. In 1967, he enrolled at Edinburgh University to study engineering and follow in the footsteps of his father, a famed lighthouse engineer. In 1971, however, Stevenson changed his course of studies to law and became an editor of the ''Edinburgh University Magazine''. The following years were shaped by an inclining revolt against his Christian upbringing and a turn to a more Bohemian lifestyle, which lead to a falling out between him and his father. In 1975, Stevenson graduated in law but was, by now, sure that his future was in writing.

===Later Life===

Following his university years, Stevenson, in an attempt to find a more suitable climate for his unimproved health, took to traveling. His earliest book-length publications ''[[An Inland Voyage]]'' (1878) and ''[[Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes]]'' are the result of these travels. During a trip to France he also met Fanny Vandergrift Osbourne, whom he later married in San Francisco, California, before moving back to Britain in 1880. The Stevenson family spent the consecutive years moving between Great Britain in summer and France or Switzerland in winter and despite it being a time of great restlessness and severe illness, it was also the time of Stevenson's biggest popular success. Between 1881 and 1886, he wrote ''[[Treasure Island]]'' (1883), ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' (1886) and ''[[Kidnapped]]'' (1886)

===The Pacific Years & Death===

During a cruise through the Pacific in 1888, Stevenson arrived at the conclusion that the most promising condition he could hope for was if he stayed close to the equator. In 1890, he purchased land on a Samoan Island to settle with his family. He became acquainted with the Samoan culture and was nicknamed Tusitala (i.e. The Writer of Tales) by the islanders. Many of his published works were now also set in the Pacific, most notably ''[[In the South Seas]]'' a collection of his articles and essays, which was published posthumously in 1896.
Robet Louis Stevenson died on 3 December 1894 in his house in Vailima, Samoa. According to his wish, he was burried on Mount Vaea and had a part of his poem ''Requiem'' inscribed as an epitaph.

==Sources==

Cruse, Amy ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' Rockville, MD: Wildside Press LLC, 2008

Dury, Richard ''Robert Louis Stevenson's Life'' (http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/life)

Shirley Carpenter, Angelica & Jean Shirley. ''Robert Louis Stevenson - Finding Treasure Island'' Breckenbridge, CO: Twenty-First Century Books, 1997.

Teuber, Andreas ''Robert Louis Stevenson'' (http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/stevensonbio.html#_inthesouthseas)

Winter, George Frederick ''Robert Louis Stevenson - A Biography'' (http://www.suite101.com/content/robert-louis-stevenson-a29067)

==Links==

====Lewis Carroll web pages====

[http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ | Robert Louis Stevenson Website]

====Works by Lewis Carroll====

[http://books.google.com/books?as_brr=1&q=inauthor:%22Robert+Louis+Stevenson%22&btnG=Search+Books | Robert Louis Stevenson on Google Books]

[http://robert-louis-stevenson.classic-literature.co.uk/ | Robert Louis Stevenson's Works on Classicliterature.co.uk]

[http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a35 | Robert Louis Stevenson's works on Projekt Gutenberg]