Stevenson's pithy prose works to good effect in the short story/novella format. The stories here deal with sin and retribution, family curses, unexpected good fortune, and stoic philosophy.
"The Merry Men" - A young man travels to see his distant uncle and cousin on an isolated island farm and to search for sunken treasure. However, he finds his uncle sorely changed by storms, shipwreck, and secret sin."The Treasure of Franchard" - An ex-doctor in a French country town adopts an orphan boy after talking with him and seeing in him the "child of his mind". Unlucky in business, untrustworthy with riches, the doctor finds that his impulsive act of love rewards him more than he could ever have predicted.
"The Body-Snatcher" - A medical student tasked with stocking the anatomy classroom becomes entangled in dark and unsavory deeds.
"Olalla" - A convalescing British soldier in Spain lodges with a strange family. Once cruel nobles in the land, the remaining scions of the line are almost feral, except for the beautiful, haunted daughter Olalla.
"Will O' The Mill" - Stevenson traces the quiet, introverted life of a country boy whose unorthodox philosophy and actions earn him a reputation for wisdom in the surrounding area. More a prose poem than a story, my only complaint is that it goes on a little too long. The conclusion is sufficiently moving, though. Perhaps the best touchstone here is Ecclesiastes.
Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 dark and unsavory deeds
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