Riassunto
Riassunto di Catriona
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love a Scottish adventure with a young hero, a Highland heroine and a loyal, boastful friend. It suits anyone who enjoys history, courtroom intrigue, sea and moor, and a love story full of misunderstandings.
Che cos’è questo libro
Catriona is the sequel to Kidnapped, written by Robert Louis Stevenson in the early 1890s while he lived in Samoa. It follows David Balfour in the weeks and months after he claims his inheritance in 1751. The story is told by David himself, looking back on his youth. It gives you politics, danger, travel and a love story, all in one lively voice.
David comes to Edinburgh with money in his pocket and a promise to keep. His friend Alan Breck is hunted for the Appin murder, and James Stewart of the Glens stands accused of it. David knows the true killer was neither man. He means to tell the Lord Advocate so, even though everyone warns him it may cost him his neck. Along the way he meets a girl with grey eyes, Catriona Drummond, the daughter of a Highland outlaw. She is bold, proud and loyal, and she changes his plans.
This summary walks through the story in order, then looks at its themes and the way it is told. Start with the first morning in Edinburgh, where a young man in new clothes steps into a city he does not know.
In questo riassunto
- 1A Beggar on Horseback in EdinburghFree
- 2The Lord Advocate Offers a Bargain
- 3Three Daughters, a Highlander and Simon Fraser
- 4A Broken Promise and Catriona's Trust
- 5Neil, Alan and the Sands of Gillane
- 6Prisoner on the Bass
- 7The Race to Inverary
- 8The Memorial and the Tee'd Ball
- 9Life in the Advocate's House
- 10What the Story Is Really About
Punto chiave 1 di 10
A Beggar on Horseback in Edinburgh
The story opens on August 25, 1751. David Balfour leaves the British Linen Company with a porter carrying his money. Only days before, he was a ragged fugitive with a price on his head. Now he is a landed laird with a sword at his side and three visits to make. He must see his kinsman at Pilrig, the lawyer Stewart who acts for Appin, and the Lord Advocate himself.
While he waits out a shower in a close, soldiers bring in a tall prisoner. A girl dressed like a lady stands nearby with two ragged Highland lads. She speaks Gaelic to them and scolds them for losing the coin meant to buy her father his snuff. David is drawn to her at once. He steps forward, apologizes, and finds that they both know the braes of Balwhidder.
She gives her name as Catriona Drummond, which is the name she uses in place of the forbidden name of the Macgregors. The prisoner is James More, her father. David gives one of her followers, red-haired Neil, a sixpence for the snuff. In return she tells him where she lives, beyond the village of Dean.
David's pride is a running thread here. He cannot bear to look foolish in front of a pretty girl, and so he speaks to a stranger in the street. That impulse brings him into the story's central relationship before he has even met his enemies.
His first stop is Stewart the Writer, who lives up fifteen flights of stairs. Stewart is a lawyer of the Appin clan and a nervous man. He agrees to help get Alan to France and warns David that giving evidence will put him in danger. Stewart reminds him that this is a case of clan against clan, and that the Campbells want a hanging.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- David Balfour
- A young Scotsman whose determination to tell the truth tests his friendship with Alan and his courtship of Catriona.
- Catriona Drummond
- James MacGregor’s proud daughter, whose devotion to her troubled father complicates her growing attachment to David.
- Alan Breck Stewart
- David’s Highland friend, wanted for the Appin murder, who depends on his help to evade the authorities.
- Prestongrange
- The Lord Advocate, whose courteous dealings with David conceal the pressures and competing interests of government.
- James MacGregor
- Catriona’s father, whose troubles place demands on her devotion and complicate her relationship with David.
- James Stewart
- The man facing trial for the Appin murder, whom David hopes to help by giving truthful evidence.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 103,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 6 h 50 min
- Listening time11 h 25 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Catriona
What is Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson about?
It follows David Balfour in 1751 as he tries to clear Alan Breck and James Stewart of a murder. He faces the Lord Advocate, is kidnapped to the Bass Rock, and falls in love with Catriona Drummond.
Is Catriona a sequel to Kidnapped?
Yes, it continues David Balfour's story after Kidnapped. Alan Breck, Cluny, Rankeillor and the Appin murder return. The story is told by David himself and can also be enjoyed as a tale of its own.
Is Catriona based on a true story?
The setting is real. The Appin murder of 1752 and the trial of James Stewart of the Glens are historical, and Prestongrange and the Duke of Argyle were real people. David, Catriona and most scenes are invented by Stevenson.
Who is Catriona Drummond?
She is the daughter of James More Macgregor, an outlaw. She uses the name Drummond because the Macgregor name was forbidden. She is proud, brave and fond of her father, and she becomes David's friend.
Is Catriona easy to read?
It has a lively first-person voice, short chapters, and plenty of dialogue and action. Humor from Alan Breck and Miss Grant keeps the story moving, and the Scots speech is easy to follow in context.