Riassunto
Trama e riassunto di Il signore di Ballantrae
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love adventure with a dark heart, stories of family rivalry, and Scottish history seen through character. It also suits anyone curious about Stevenson beyond Treasure Island.
Che cos’è questo libro
Two brothers, one coin, and a hatred that crosses oceans. One is brilliant, charming and ruthless. The other is dutiful, plain and slow to anger. Stevenson built it as a dark tale of hatred between kin. The story travels from a Scottish house to France, to pirates, to India by way of a strange servant, and at last to the frozen wilds of North America.
In questo riassunto
- 1A coin toss splits the Durrisdeer familyFree
- 2The Master rides out and the family waits
- 3Henry inherits a house and a marriage
- 4The Master returns and takes what he wants
- 5Mackellar watches a household under siege
- 6Pirates, exile and the tale of Chevalier Burke
- 7Hatred finds a battlefield and crosses an ocean
- 8What it means when brothers become enemies
- 9How Stevenson tells it through unreliable witnesses
Punto chiave 1 di 9
A coin toss splits the Durrisdeer family
At Durrisdeer in southern Scotland, the old lord has two sons. James, the elder, is the Master of Ballantrae. He is handsome, quick and brave, and everyone forgives him. Henry, the younger, is quieter and works the estate for little thanks.
During the rising of 1745, the cautious lord wants his house safe whichever side wins. So one son will ride for the rebel cause and the other will stay and support the government. The choice is made by tossing a coin.
The coin sends the Master to glory and danger and leaves Henry to bear the cost. Henry fears what the result will mean for him. From this small act, a lifetime of resentment grows.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- James, the Master of Ballantrae
- The charming, ruthless elder son of Lord Durrisdeer is Henry's rival and Alison Graeme's promised husband.
- Henry Durie
- James's dutiful younger brother stays at Durrisdeer to manage the estate while his brother joins the Jacobite cause.
- Ephraim Mackellar
- The loyal family steward narrates most of the account, strongly favouring Henry over his brother James.
- Alison Graeme
- Promised to James, she belongs to the brothers' family circle and faces competing claims upon her loyalty.
- Lord Durrisdeer
- The brothers' father favours his elder son James while seeking to protect the family through political uncertainty.
- Chevalier Burke
- An Irish soldier of fortune, he accompanies James abroad and contributes his own account of their adventures.
- Secundra Dass
- James's devoted Indian servant accompanies his master and remains a mysterious presence to the watching Mackellar.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 88,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 5 h 50 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 9 other languages
Questions about Il signore di Ballantrae
What is The Master of Ballantrae about?
It tells of two brothers in a Scottish noble family after the 1745 Jacobite rising. One is charming and ruthless, the other dutiful and proud, and their rivalry grows into a long feud that crosses the sea to America.
Who tells the story in The Master of Ballantrae?
Most of it is told by Ephraim Mackellar, the family steward, who writes as a witness with strong opinions. A section is also given to the memoirs of the Irish soldier Chevalier Burke.
Is The Master of Ballantrae based on a true story?
The book presents the tale as family papers written by Mackellar. The setting is real, built around the Jacobite rising of 1745, and Stevenson published the novel in 1889 after it ran in magazines.
Why is it called The Master of Ballantrae?
Master was the title given to the heir of a Scottish lord. The Master of Ballantrae is James, the elder son of the Durrisdeer family, and the title marks the position his younger brother resents.
Is The Master of Ballantrae hard to read?
The plot is clear and fast. Most readers follow it easily.