Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "buccaneers and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title "Treasure Island or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola" with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North and Jim Hawkins as the main character in the story.
Traditionally considered a "coming of age" story, Treasure Island is an adventure tale known for its atmosphere, characters and action, and also as a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality (as seen in the character Long John Silver) unusual for children's literature now and then.
It is one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perceptions of pirates is enormous, including treasuremaps marked with an "X", schooners, the "Black Spot", tropical islands, and one-legged seamen carrying parrots on their shoulders. It is also well-renowned for its many adaptations in different media, whether it be the 1950 Walt Disney film, the 1978 Japanese anime Takarajima, the 1988 Soviet animated film, the 1996 movie Muppet Treasure Island, or 2002's Treasure Planet.
