A Date to Treasure

I got a little surprise today when I went to Google.  I hadn't been aware that the great Robert Louis Stevenson had been born on this date.  And the reason Google decided to change its logo to harbor one of his most beloved tales?  It had been 160 years ago.

So hail to he who created one of the best books ever written!

And I can't not mention his wonderful characters who are the crew of the story, most notably Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver.

Obligatorily I must point out that Treasure Island is connected on purpose to Peter Pan, or rather the other way around.  Sir J.M. Barrie and Stevenson were friends and Captain Hook scared the daylights out of Silver (aka Barbecue) even though Silver had been described as the most feared pirate.

This year also marked another milestone date of birth - Barrie's of course.  150 years.

Hmmm.  I didn't realize they were 10 years apart. 

If you've never read Treasure Island, let this historical day prompt you to do so and you can find out wht it's deemed a classic.  More than well deserved.

Isle Watch Both...

Perhaps you recall that Treasure Island is one of my favorite books. In my top five. Or three even. Besides being connected to Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) both in text and the friendship of Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir J.M. Barrie, it’s a masterpiece of entertainment and the source (it would seem) of EVERY pirate cliché [with the exception a hook for a hand, of course. ;) ]

You might also recall that in this post I reported on a new film adaptation of it. Despite it being slated as a “hipper” version, I’ve become excited, or at least hopeful, that Stevenson’s classic is done justice with modern filmmaking.

Well, now we have two shots at it. You know how there were two volcano movies virtually at the same time, two asteroids hitting the Earth movies, two cute insect movies, etc… well, now, yes, it seems Warner Brothers is also setting sail with a film based on the book Treasure Island.

Normally I’d roll my eyes at the “two alike movies” scenario, but here it’s a second chance to get it right, so to speak. I certainly have not seen ALL (there roughly 50) of the adaptations of the book, but the few I have seen have been good, but not “good enough.”

So here’s hoping the complexities of Long John Silver shines on the silver screen. And a lot will depend on the actor playing Jim Hawkins. Without a good Jim, you’ll have nothing.

Digging for More...

I suppose I should have seen this coming.
I really should have…
…but I didn’t.

Another movie adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is on the way.
If you’re not already aware, Treasure Island is one of my favorite books. In my opinion, it’s one of the best books ever.

It’s not only a cherished favorite of mine, but Stevenson had been friends with Barrie. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that the stories of Peter Pan and Treasure Island are connected, on purpose. I even have my character Jeremy Strache adore the book in my novel What If It’s a Trick Question?

I’ll admit that the prospect of a Treasure Island done with the flair and caliber of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is tempting. But do we really need another adaptation of it? That’s what some said about Hogan’s Peter Pan film. However, there’s a big difference. Before Hogan, no Pan film (other than silent) existed. According to Wikipedia, there are over 50 movie versions of Treasure Island. So why do it again? So that we CAN get the savvy treatment it might deserve? Okay, maybe…

…but then why do they have to go and say they want Long John Silver to be “hipper” and what does that even mean?

Disney already tried a “hip” version of Stevenson’s classic. It didn’t quite work. I can’t say I disliked Treasure Planet, but I certainly did not consider it good. Much to enjoy in it, sure, but overall they didn’t capture the essence of the book for me. Not by a longshot. They spent too much focus re-inventing it into a space theme. But I will say I loved their Jim Hawkins, which is saying a lot, since I love that young man to pieces.

Thus, I’m a little worried about this one… it will probably turn out to be an overt bastardization like the recent movie of Sherlock Holmes.

Oh well…

Get "Cross" with Me...

You might recall my April Fool joke: Peter Pan vs. Tom Sawyer. I’ve been thinking more about it. No, not terribly much. And especially, no, I don’t mean as a viable project. Just in general. It would be be quite the pairing, good for a lark. I then recalled my other match-up for Peter Pan: Mary Poppins. Also a crazy-cool meeting of characters. Again, not to be written in actuality. Just the playful entertainment value. So, naturally, I began to wonder who else might be intriguing to befriend (or pit against) Pan. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get further than one other idea before writing this post.

Quite frankly, he just may be the most logical pairing. One of my absolute favorites: Jim Hawkins of Treasure Island. Why logical? Besides the quite obvious reasons that Hawkins loves adventure and has had more than his share of a run-in with pirates, there’s the fact that the books are already purposely connected. (Via Barbecue and Hook.)

I’d love to see Jim and Peter battling pirates together. But I also don’t think I would ever try to manifest it beyond internal amusement. For one thing, it just seems “wrong.” For another, it doesn't actually work out. Peter Pan lives forever whereas Jim Hawkins does not. Even if their match-up adventure were placed immediately after the end of Treasure Island, it seems to me that the timeline is off. (In terms of what stage of development Peter would be experiencing then.) But it IS fun to think about!

Next I wondered about this very subject - “crossovers.” It happens in the comic world quite often. Another set that springs to mind: television shows. I think as with much, I am on the fence. It depends, of course, on the merits and execution.

How do you feel about the crossover of tales/characters?

And -- just for fun -- anyone else you’d like to see Peter Pan run into?

(Don’t worry, it won’t show up in anything I write in earnest!)

Addendum: Reading through my "Pan vs. Poppins" post again, how could I have forgotten THIS match-up? I might want to see that one more than Hawkins. Even better - Peter Pan and Jim Hawkins teaming up against the character in the picture!

Hook-ed on Villains...

Penguin Group polled 600 readers as to the Top Ten Scariest Villains.
Sir J.M. Barrie’s Captain Hook made second. Not too shabby!
He falls just under Jadis the White Witch of C.S. Lewis.

What I find interesting is that both of them are known to behave sweetly occasionally. Yet the undercurrent of villainy remains, even ironically intensifies. Take this line from Barrie:

He was never more sinister than when he was most polite…

Quite a statement on “bad guys,” wouldn’t you say? I suppose it has to do with the deception. The ability to pretend to be nice. Knowing cruelty lurks beneath is somehow scarier than a villain who is constantly mean.

I have to wonder, though, about the last one on the list - Robert Louis Stevenson’s Long John Silver. Yes, he’s a nasty man. But by the same token, he can be quite caring. And not in the way that Hook or Jadis manifest. The complexity of Silver is one of the aspects of Treasure Island that makes it one of my favorite books. I don’t know that I would dub him a villain. I mean, he’s only after the treasure and will do anything in his power to get it. But is that so different from Squire Trelawney in the novel? Greed motivates all the characters, except, I would say, the main character Jim Hawkins. As far as I remember, he’s in it for the adventure. And his designs on the treasure are such that he’s interested in making a better life for his mother.

And I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again. Long John Silver and Hook knew each other. The evidence is right there in the texts. (Plus, Stevenson and Barrie were great friends.)

Also notable is that Roald Dahl produced two baddies who made the list. As did the collected stories of the Brothers Grimm.

1 White Witch (The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – 1950)
2 Captain Hook (Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie – 1904)
3 The Grand High Witch (The Witches by Roald Dahl – 1983)
4 Wicked Stepmother (Snow White by Brothers Grimm – 1810)
5 Cruella De Vil (The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith – 1956)
6 Voldemort (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling – 1997)
7 The Child Catcher (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming – from the 1968 film. Not the original book)
8 Miss Trunchbull (Matilda by Roald Dahl – 1988)
9 The Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood by Brothers Grimm – 1810)
10 Long John Silver (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – 1883)

Good to see badness prevail!

Is there anyone you'd have put on this list instead?