Writing in the Style of Robert Louis Stevenson

The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Write a short passage in the style of this author on a topic of your choice.

'Macfarlane!' he said somewhat loudly, more like a herald than a friend.

The great doctor pulled up short on the fourth step, as though the familiarity of the address surprised and somewhat shocked his dignity.

'Toddy Macfarlane!' repeated Fettes.

The London man almost staggered. He stared for the swiftest of seconds at the man before him, glanced behind him with a sort of scare, and then in a startled whisper, 'Fettes!' he said, 'You!'

'Ay,' said the other, 'me! Did you think I was dead too? We are not so easy shut of our acquaintance.'

I chose this particular passage because of its relative simplicity, in comparison to other passages in the story. I thought it be more appropriate for the task, and allow me to focus more primarily on the sentence structure as opposed to the use of complex language and vocabulary.

The passage above was taken from the work of Robert Louis Stevenson: THE BODY SNATCHER.

Stevenson's sentences in THE BODY SNATCHER are quite long and where two sentences could exist, becomes instead one sentence in the form of separate clauses linked with the use of either a comma or semicolon. This is basically his style, which allows him to better describe the subject as a whole: this could include a person, an object, some other people, and eventually leading up to the main event. We see this used frequently in the passage below, taken from THE BODY SNATCHER. If instead of these semicolons, period, the tone of the reader's voice would not achieve...

It was but two steps from the small parlour to the door of the old George Inn; the wide oak staircase landed almost i...

... middle of paper ...

...now!

Swear to me!

-They went to someone for two days

before they went to the dealers.

Why?

-There was something...

Something else in the drugs...

...something hidden.

- What?

I never went to the drop-off point.

It was in the Narrows.

The police only go there in force.

- Do I appear a policeman

No...!

-Somewhat

[BATMAN RELEASES THE MAN FROM THE PLATFORM, SITUATED ON THE 9TH FLOOR OF THE BUILDING]

[SCREAMING]

(DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO IT STANDS ANOTHER BUILDING, EQUALLY AS TALL. THE MAN IS CUAGHT AND DANGLES FOR AN INSTANT JUST ABOVE THE GROUND, BEFORE HE IS DROPPED TO THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM OF THE DARK AND WET ALLEYWAY]

[THE MAN LOOKS UP TO SIGHT HIS AVENGER. NOTHING IS TO BE SEEN]

End.

Bibliography:

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/stevenson/robert_louis/s848bs/

By Nicholas Wilson