Senior Living: Discovering literature in retirement: Treasure Island
by Garden of PalmsRetirement is the perfect time to get into classic literature. The increase in free time means you can get lost in a book with no distractions, revisit worlds from your childhood, and discover new favorites. One book that’s fun to revisit as an adult is Treasure Island. Even if you didn’t read it as a child, Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic is worth having on your reading list.
As a senior living community in Los Angeles, Garden of Palms appreciates the value that classic literature has to offer. Keep reading to learn why you should grab a copy of Treasure Island from your local library or bookstore today.
Why Treasure Island?
Commonly regarded as one of the most iconic adventure stories of all time, Treasure Island is more than just a story for children. Although Stevenson wrote his novel for boys, the gripping plot and complex characters create a world with plenty to offer for readers of all ages.
While the narrator of Treasure Island is a child, the novel was influenced by adult adventure stories of its day. Among its most famous characters is the story’s villain, Long John Silver. With a peg-leg, questionable morals, and a parrot on his shoulder, Long John Silver is the quintessential pirate. Stevenson has been credited with creating our modern-day concept of pirates, and in Treasure Island, it’s easy to see why.
Yet despite the initial stereotyping, Silver is a compelling and three-dimensional character. Though he may be an untrustworthy criminal, he isn’t a driftless one. Instead of spending all his time at sea, stealing and murdering, he’s a married, well-educated pub owner who is working toward creating a stable, respectable future for himself.
Interestingly, Long John Silver is at times a morally grey villain who shares personality traits with the young protagonist. This hints at one of the story’s major themes – the nature of good and evil, and what separates them – which remains relevant today. Treasure Island encourages the reader to question such concepts, making the novel more complex than one would normally expect from a children’s story.
Garden of Palms - Los Angeles, CA
Filled with strong characterizations and timeless themes, Treasure Island earns its reputation as a classic and engaging tale that remains influential to this day. Whether you decide to re-read it for nostalgia’s sake, or enter Stevenson’s world for the first time, it’s a quick read that’s packed with plenty of excitement, mystery, and suspense.
At Garden of Palms, we know that intellectually stimulating activities, like reading classic literature, are an essential part of the retirement experience. That’s why we schedule a regular book club as one of our many amenities offered for our senior living community.