The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale (1888)

Brutal story ( )

This book lacks the high levels of suspense, action, and adventure in some of Stevenson's better-known works (though there is some piracy and a trek through the American wilderness). Instead, it focuses mostly on the relationship between two brothers, as described by an admittedly partisan old servant. As such, it's an interesting read -- is the older brother really as evil as he's painted? Is the younger brother some sort of martyr, or just a whinging grump? I'm not sorry to have read this book . . . but I won't be reading it again. ( )

This was interesting for the setting, early America, immigrant fleeing from Scotland and all that. The story itself did not move me much, rather typical of its times. Not my favorite Stevenson, but others may disagree. ( )

Read a number of Stevenson’s works (I’ve reviewed Treasure Island and Jekyll & Hyde on Arukiyomi) and, on the whole, enjoyed them. This I enjoyed too but boy was it hard to get into. I think this might be for two reasons. Firstly, he doesn’t start off too clearly. Secondly, I’d chosen to read this while squatting in the outhouse our host family built for us in the village – not the most comfortable of places. I found a snake in there one night!

But by the time I’d got about 50 pages in, the pace quickened and I saw what I was dealing with. Here we have a wealthy lord in Scotland and two sons divided on either side of support for the English crown and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Each son is the mirror of the other. Basically it’s Jekyll & Hyde but in two different people instead of one.

Thus begins a life-long battle of sibling rivalry which is only ended by death and this is a long time coming. While Jekyll & Hyde takes place exclusively in the person of one man in London, the two characters in this roam far and wide to places as far flung as upstate New York and India.

There are plenty of twists on the way too so I felt that, had the style not been so archaic, it might actually be a more widely-read novel. Alas it is not. ( )

A novel of adventure and action on one level; a novel of psychological terror on another. Stevenson structures his narrative around themes of family pride, rivalry between brothers, and psychotic dominance whose power eventually destroys everyone.
The story of the Durie family is "framed" in the discovery of a hundred-year old manuscript written by the narrator, Ephriam Mackellar. A feud between the two Durie brothers: James, the elder and the Master of Ballantrea, and Henry, the younger, his pawn, span the period of history of the Scottish rebellion and battle of Culloden to the early settlement in the New World. The Master, supporter of the losing side in the rebellion and reported killed,actually escapes. Henry, not aware that his brother still lives, succeeds to the title, the estate and his brother's betrothed, Alison Graeme. The Master returns, to the surprise of his family, and proceeds to squander all the money he can get from the estate.
A third level of the narrative twines within this action, through the discovery of papers written by a fellow soldier of the Master, who related their adventures after fleeing from Culloden
(captured by pirates and becomming pirates themselves, acquiring and hiding treasure, committing a series of murders evidently for gain as well as for the fun of it).
Meanwhile the psychological "cat and mouse" game between James and Henry reaches flash point when Henry realizes that the evil James is planning to corrupt Henry's son as well as seduce his wife. They fight a duel. James is killed but his body mysteriously disappears before the family can establish his actual death.
Eventually James reappears, alive and well, at Ballantrea and the family decides to flee secretly to America. James discovers their new home and follows them. Meanwhile there is a political attempt (though feeble) to reinstate James as true Master of Ballantrae in England which causes Henry to loose his reason. The eventual show-down between the two brothers results in one of the worst fates of an evil-doer in literature. Let me just say that the "cat and mouse" game intensifies, the hidden treasure (real or imaginary) spurs horrific consequences to the searchers and James pays the price.
Power and control over others through psychological intimidation winds throughout the narrative. Vital pieces of information are witheld at crucial points from crucial characters and there is uncertainty of the reliability of certain narrators. Stevenson places the reader in the delicious position of sorting out what exactly is happening and attemping to determine the how and why of James and Henry's actions. The Master of Ballantrae will keep you thinking long after you finish the novel. ( )