Edward Trelawny really did lead the life of a reckless Romantic hero, and in this autobiography he felt free to embellish upon his experience with no less brilliant abandon. Freedom to do what one chooses, no matter the cost or consequences, is the overriding theme of Adventures of a Younger Son, in which Trelawny tells of his struggle for independence from his domineering father, of his going to sea (he had fought pirates with the British Navy in the South Seas; here, though, he becomes one), and of his love for the ...
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Edward Trelawny really did lead the life of a reckless Romantic hero, and in this autobiography he felt free to embellish upon his experience with no less brilliant abandon. Freedom to do what one chooses, no matter the cost or consequences, is the overriding theme of Adventures of a Younger Son, in which Trelawny tells of his struggle for independence from his domineering father, of his going to sea (he had fought pirates with the British Navy in the South Seas; here, though, he becomes one), and of his love for the daughter of a Greek rebel chieftain. The wonderfully exciting story Trelawny has to tell is made all the more memorable by his vigorous and unpretentious prose and gift for bold description -- qualities that contribute a gritty realism to even the most spectacular of his inventions.
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