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ROBERT
LOUIS STEVENSON
An only child born in Edinburgh in 1850 he suffered from constant ill
health and as a result he had a nanny to look after him. Of a God-fearing
Calvinist disposition, perhaps it was at nightime when she told him, unknown
to his parents, terrifying stories that contributed to his highly active
mind.
His early life in Edinburgh though was instrumental in shaping his writing
style. In 1867 he started studying engineering but in 1871 persuaded his
father he wanted his career to be in writing. A compromise was reached
and in 1875 after studying Law he qualified as an Advocate, although he
never practised. Most of his student drinking time was spent in the old
town which was a complete contrast to where his well to do parents lived
in the new town. It was this duality which many artists believed to lie
at the centre of the Scottish psyche which pervaded Stevenson's work and
continued to do so for the rest of his life.
After his marriage in 1879 to Fanny Osborne, who he met in France in 1877,
he began to produce his best work. Due to poor health his parents funded
his travelling abroad during the cold Scottish winters and eventually
in 1887 when his father died his connection with Scotland was severed
and he took his family abroad eventually ending up in Samoa. In 1894 he
died in Vailina.
His
works include:
Treasure Island and The strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr.Hyde The
later inspired by the celebrated Edinburgh thief Deacon
Brodie.
