Treasure Island

I remember when I was younger trying to read Treasure Island. The version my family had in the house was a really old looking worn out hardcover with a very colorful image printed directly on the front and back, so it felt exciting for me to hold onto. However, as I tried to actually read the book, I became extremely bored because nothing seemed to be happening. I had a difficult time picturing what was happening back then, so I had to read the book very slowly. Finishing a single page took me at least twenty minutes, but I read on because I thought the story might get interesting at some point.

The very few images I remember are the mean old captain who stayed at the inn, who everyone in the town generally disliked, and to whom my reaction was something like, "This is boring. All he's doing is sitting and taking walks." and blind Pew, to whom my reaction was, "He's just a meaner version of the old captain." 

I remember being bored because everything happened at the inn. There was no adventure, no traveling from place to place, and no sailing on great big ships like the cover of the book suggested. The only time I remember being kind of excited was when blind Pew grabbed onto Jim and threatened him. I read up until the point where blind Pew left the inn for the first time, then stopped. How long were they going to stay at the inn? I skipped ahead few chapters and looked at a chapter title that said something along the lines of, "In which Blind Pew Dies," and assumed that a ton more chapters after that would take place at the inn, so at that point, I put the book down and gave up, imprinting memories of an extremely boring story in my mind. 

Well it's been more than fourteen years since then, and, just yesterday, I decided to try reading Treasure Island again. I actually really didn't want to read it because of the boring memories I had of it from my childhood, but I reluctantly started reading anyways because the alternative books at my disposal were even worse sounding.

After finishing it, I have to say it was really good, a very easy read, and fun at that. It was kind of like watching a movie. I could see all of the struggles the characters were going through and felt for them. I could feel the tension outside the inn as Jim hid himself from the pirates, and the excitement when the shooting started. It was a blast.

......Okay, let me level with you. I did finish reading Treasure Island, but I read it in an on-off distraction prone state, so while some of the images from the book shine like diamonds with amazing emotion and excitement to me even now, a month after reading it, other parts have just blurbed out into nothingness. I don't want to go into a random-rant/thoughtless-typing-session about the things that stood out to me in the book, for it would bore you to death even more than a stupid meta-paragraph like this.

If you haven't read Treasure Island, give it a chance. It's a very easy read, and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.

Have fun.