Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island

Overview: Ever since The Captain has moved into the Admiral Benbow Inn, Jim and his family haven’t had very much peace. And it doesn’t get much better when former colleagues of The Captain’s start showing up for business meetings. After the old man’s untimely demise, Jim and his mother run off with the money owed to the bill. Of course, Jim had grabbed an oilskin package with a secret. Can Jim and a few honest folk beat The Captain’s former colleagues to the treasure? Only time will tell.

Story Telling: We have an adventure story. Or, you could call it a pirate’s tale. It’s definitely a boy’s story.

Dislikes: It’s mostly a matter of tastes, as I’ve never truly bought into the romanticizing of the piracy or pirate life.

Likes: It is a more traditional story, so there are rules of conduct safe for the younger ears.

Conclusion: There’s really nothing wrong with this story. Enjoy it with your buccaneers.

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H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror

Overview: The town of Dunwich has a pretty sordid past. The city is know for accusations of witchcraft. The decadent Whateleys are known to be some of the worst practitioners. So why is Wilbur Whateley growing so fast? And why is he living in a shed, instead of his large, boarded up house?

Story Telling: We have a supernatural horror this time around. And hard to review, as are most short stories. You run the risk of ruining the tale for others. Here’s hoping I succeeded in not doing that one.

Dislikes: The Whateleys–Wilbur and his grandfather in particular–were treasonous. That’s the best way to explain it.

Likes: Henry Armitage was a brave man. He stood up for what was right, and in his seventies as well.

Now take this with a grain of salt. From how it appears, and from what I’ve heard, Mr. Lovecraft wasn’t an atheist in the vein of Mr. Dawkins. Of course, this is if he was an atheist at all. Sometimes people of today can mistake what someone’s beliefs about a higher power is. He did, however, have a problem with those who would betray their fellow man for the sake of their would-be gods. The One True God does not ask us to sacrifice our neighbors, nor humanity as a whole in order to gain His favor.

Conclusion: This was quite the interesting tale. And it’s clean enough for the whole family to enjoy. Enjoy the scares, especially around Halloween.