Across the Plains: With other Memories and Essays

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Overview

The celebrated Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson arranged for his friend the art historian Sidney Colvin to select and organise the essays in this volume, many of which had originally appeared in 1888, though some date back to the early 1880s. It was published in 1892, two years before Stevenson's untimely death. Colvin obtained many of the pieces from their original publishers, including magazines such as Fraser's, Longman's, The Magazine of Art and Scribner's. What is particularly noteworthy about this collection is that although Stevenson had settled in the South Seas well before it appeared, all the items included were written prior to his journey there. Colvin mentions that the concluding pieces in particular were written during a period of considerable gloom and sickness for Stevenson, who himself claimed to 'recover peace of body and mind' after moving to the Pacific in 1890.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108003650
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/20/2009
Series:	Cambridge Library Collection - North American History
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.26(d)
Lexile:	1150L (what's this?)

About the Author

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) is best known today for his adventure stories such as Kidnapped and Treasure Island. This son of an engineering family, though frail of health wrote many works including poetry and plays. In many ways his life was more exciting than his fiction.

In 1876 he met Mrs. Fanny Osbourne, 11 years his senior, in Paris. In 1879, against his family's wishes, he followed her to San Francisco. Lacking funds he traveled in steerage across the ocean and by emigrant train across the USA. Always frail of health, Stevenson reached San Francisco in poor condition. Nursed back to health, he married her.

Date of Birth:

November 13, 1850

Date of Death:

December 3, 1894

Place of Birth:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Place of Death:

Vailima, Samoa

Education:

Edinburgh University, 1875

Table of Contents

1. Across the plains; 2. The old Pacific capital; 3. Fontainebleau; 4. Epilogue to 'An inland voyage'; 5. Random memories; 6. Random memories continued; 7. The lantern-bearers; 8. A chapter on dreams; 9. Beggars; 10. Letter to a young gentleman; 11. Pulvis et umbra sumus; 12. A Christmas sermon.