A classic, and for good reason. I had read the abridged version of this as a kid, long ago, but recently finally sat down to read the full thing. I realized that this book created or popularized so many of the tropes we associate with pirates today:
- Buried treasure on an island
- Maps where X marks the spot
- Pirates with peg legs and parrots
- The language/dialect of pirates (shiver me timbers!)
- The songs of pirates (yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!)
- And so much more
Many of these tropes are likely not historically accurate, and I’ve now seen them played out in so many other works of fiction that they almost seem quant, but despite that, it’s still a fun, well-written story.
