The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 5 March 1998
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Three bored men, down to their last few pennies, vow to go out into London's streets and pursue whichever adventure befalls them. What ensues is a series of remarkable stories in which the protagonists encounter several characters who may or may not be conspirators in a bombing plot on behalf of Irish independence. The characters weave intriguing and troubling tales of their histories. The chapters stand alone as adventures, but the whole is tied together nicely in the end. There is a strong satirical bent throughout the book, but some of the stories carry hidden political punches as well. The relationship of the various characters is mysterious, yet Stevenson does little to perpetuate the mystery. He is more concerned with the storytelling, and that storytelling is terrific. More than that, one dare not write, as details would quickly expose the interconnected aspects of the stories. Suffice to say that in a book about British wanderers, Stevenson manages to tell tales of murderous Mormons, crazed Voodoo practitioners, and wayward Bohemian princes, among others. Very entertaining.
See also: [Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent]