The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-04-02
BY a. Dc I. Cinsras

Robert Louis Stevenson, William
Sloane Publishing Co, New
York City. 566 pages.)
Sometimes q human being APP
pears who IS ambitious in a man
liner different from others in the
world of men. He desires sue
cess only in the control of some
Imedium like paints or clay or
words. Robert Louis Stevenson,
lborn in Edinburgh, Scotland in
1850 was one of these men, and
the medium of expression he
loved was words.
Probably the two most impor-
liant things this biography has to
say is that Robert Louis Steven
son was a human being and a
fine writer. MIR. Furnas handles
his subject with genuine SYM
pathy and affection For in
launching a biography of Steven
son, the author faced the job of
pricking two deeply Undecided
myths.
More than with most writer's
Stevenson's personal life has be-
come identified IN the minds of
Ibis readers with his two most
Tread books, "A Child's Garden of
Verse" and Treasure Island
He has become an ethereal.
spiritual man and writer for
boys, with little Of the flesh and
blood Of the human about him.
The second myth is lodged in
the barrage Of criticism In the
. years following his death, which
has lessened his reputation as
writer out Of all proportion to
the normal pendulum swing of
literary balance. The temptation
for the biographer would be to
Igo too far in his attempts to
prick these myths and again he
would create false, il different,
picture. Mr.. Furnas however, has
managed to find the truth be-
lhind the myths. He defends and
Iexrlains without CORRESPONDING
his defense and explanation,
Several interesting facets of
Louis development emerge as
the biography progresses. One is
his early exposure to the rigidi-
ties Of Calvinism, and the aura
of theology which permeated the
home of his prospecting upper
middle class parents. His father,
Thomas Stevenson. was civil
engineer with . great personal
ldevoutness and his mother a
very religious woman.
Even at three the Holy Book
tangled with Louis thinking.
When told the sheep and horses
knew nothing Of God, he asked
that the Bible be read alDud To-
them. He was worried that he
would not be able to play his
harp well in heaven. And as Mr.
Furnas points out, when he Is
..told OF the naughty woman
amounting Christ's feet. he asked
why God had seen fit to make
her naughty? A question that, af-
Ter sonorous laboring, even the
Westminster Confession leaves
unanswered.
Later when he was Of univer-
sity age. he found himself def
initely at odds with the tenets
lof Calvin, his devout parents
were very distressed. And this
situation in turn disturbed Louis.
| In 1873 when the Victorian era
was still at its height, Louis
wrote:
il / had forseen the
| real hell of everything since, ]
think I should have lied as ]
have done so often before. ] SO
far thought of my father. but ]
had forgotten my mother. And
|nows they are both i'll, both
silent. both as down in the
mouth as--I can find no smile
If ii we're not 100 late. I think ]
coula almost find it in my heart
10 retfact, but am ! to live my
whole life as one falsehoods . :.
They don't see either that my
game is not the light-hearted
|scoffer; that | am not Gas they
call mel the careless infidel
Il reserve Gas | told thern) many
points until | acquire further In
formation
Louis lack of completely and
witty frankness about himself
also made rich fodder for super
ficial critics Of his work. In de-
scriblng his finger exercises In
learning how 70 write. the an-
thor Of Treasure Island has this
TO say:
whenever I read book
or a passage that particularly
pleased me. in which thing was
said or an effect rendered with
ugopriety. in which there was
either some conspicuous force or
some happy distinction in the
style. I must SIT myself down
and set myself TO ape that quail
II. I was unsuccessful and knew
III but at least in these
vain bouts. GOT some, practice in
rhythm. in harmony, in construc-
Etsnn ard the coordination Of