The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 03
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 03
This third volume of Stevenson's collected works contains two distinct treasures: the romantic novel "Prince Otto" and a collection of sharp literary essays. In "Prince Otto," Stevenson subverts the fairy tale prince, presenting a monarch whose royal duties have calcified his marriage into mere performance. When conspiracies force Prince Otto and his wife Serafina to shed their ceremonial skins, what emerges is a surprisingly tender meditation on how couples grow strangers and find their way back. The accompanying essays ("Familiar Studies of Men and Books") reveal Stevenson's critical mind at work: his incisive takes on Victor Hugo's theatrical grandeur, Robert Burns's raunchy genius, and Walt Whitman's democratic poetics demonstrate why Stevenson remains one of the finest essayists in English. These pieces balance scholarly insight with personal passion, arguing that to truly know a writer's work one must grapple with their contradictions. Together, the volume showcases Stevenson's range: from novelist of manners to critic of souls.
