Kidnapped is an adventure novel that first appeared in fourteen weekly instalments between May and July 1886 in the children’s periodical Young Folks Paper. It was the third and final Stevenson novel to be serialized in Young Folks, after Treasure Island (1881–1882) and The Black Arrow (1883). The publication of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in January 1886 increased public interest in Stevenson’s work, giving Young Folks an opportunity to market Kidnapped on the back of that success. Later in 1886, the publishers Cassell & Company published the first volume version of the novel, and Stevenson’s continued popularity led to their 1888 publication of The Black Arrow as a standalone volume, too. Though Treasure Island has since surpassed Kidnapped in global popularity, owing in large part to its many adaptations, Kidnapped is...
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Citation: Gangnes, Madeline B.. "Kidnapped". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 May 2025 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10100, accessed 09 June 2026.]
