The Master of Ballantrae

Just finished this great Robert Louis Stevenson book. The blurb: "Set at the time of the Jacobite uprising, The Master of Ballantrae tells of a family divided". Boy, are they ever! "The intensity of the feud between the Durrisdeers, and the portrait of James - an incubus 'touched with the lurid flickerings from the Pit' - draws upon the deepest, darkest corners of Stevenson's imagination". I loved it. Interestingly, James repeatedly changes from charmer to tormentor - rather like the dramatic but convincing changes in the character of Long John Silver. And this comparison made me realize how strong a theme this is in Stevenson - the entire subject of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - and a particularly fascinating theme for me personally. Gripping tale - great read!