The Ebb-Tide

By: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

Emma, I have scratched out the beginning to my father, for I think I can write more easily to you. This is my last farewell to all, the last you will ever hear or see of an unworthy friend and son. I have failed in life; I am quite broken down and disgraced. I pass under a false name; you will have to tell my father that with all your kindness. It is my own fault. -- with Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, the son of an engineer. He briefly studied engineering, then law, and contributed to university magazines while a student. Despite life-long poor health, he was an enthusiastic traveller, writing about European travels in the late 1870s and marrying in America in 1879. He contributed to various periodicals, writing first essays and later fiction. His first novel was Treasure Island in 1883, intended for his stepson, who collaborated with Stevenson on two later novels. Some of Stevenson's subsequent novels are insubstantial popular romances, but others possess a deepening psychological intensity. He also wrote a handful of plays in collaboration with W.E. Henley. In 1888, he left England for his health, and never returned, eventually settling in Samoa after travelling in the Pacific islands. His time here was one of relatively good health and considerable writing, as well as of deepening concern for the Polynesian islanders under European exploitation, expressed in fictional and factual writing from his final years, some of which was so contrary to contemporary culture that a full text remained unavailable until well after Stevenson's death. R. L. Stevenson died of a brain haemorrhage in 1894.

©2013 Robert Louis Stevenson (P)2013 Audible Ltd

An interesting book

A great book that reminds one to keep their sea legs about them. I found this story relatable, intriguing, and generally well written. I liked this book and highly recommend it.

No Need to Write a Review; It’s in the Book.

The final chapter of this audiobook is a review (or rather “defense”) of The Ebb Tide, written by Israel Zangwill in 1894. It seems that other critics who had extolled Stevenson’s output up till then had a hard time with this one.

I don’t know if Zangwill’s defense helped the book’s reception 128 years ago. But it went a long way to helping me understand the otherwise unfocused sense of sheer enjoyment this story gave me, augmented by Barnaby Edwards’ fine performance.

Good Adventure; confusing psychology

This really is an odd story: a great adventure full of both physical and verbal vonflict; but personally I found its plot hard to follow. I recommend it to readers who have no trouble sorting out lots of details, especially personal ones that come between people.

Gets better as it goes along, w truly great passages

An enigmatic tale, not as famous as some others by RLS, but excellent in its ambition and great descriptions of the inner and outer—ie, characters, seascapes, islands.

Momentum builds as story proceeds. Opening chapter seems a bit sluggish compared to what comes later; the second half, the quartet, is crackling. Hang in there, stick with it.

Chapter 7 is a masterpiece from beginning to end: the island, the lagoon, Atwater.

The narrator does a dexterous job handling 5 different voices, and he too gets better as the story goes along. The American accent of Captain Davis sometimes seems a bit off, but 4 British voices are distinct and Atwater is so vivid he seems like another actor altogether, but isn’t. Very good job.

Another intriguing story from RLS!

This was a great story, it kept me listening with anticipation til the very last words! And in the end, it brought years to my eyes. The characters were well developed and believable. And in true RLS fashion, the dialogue was clever and sprinkled with wry humor that made me laugh out loud. The narration was pretty good overall...in my opinion, the expression occasionally was a little over-done. I also pictured the characters younger than the voices/tone that the narrator gave for them. But in all, I think was read well.

Good story poor reading

I enjoy the story, although this isn’t one of RLS’s typical books. This is more of an intellectual exercise in the classes of humanity. The reader did well but his voice and interpretation of the Captain were hard to listen to. I think the way he would express or emote the Captain presented something inconsistent with what RLS intended to convey. IMHO.