The Amateur Emigrant
Robert Louis Stevenson
Read by Annise
In July 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson left Scotland to meet his future wife in her native California. Leaving by ship from Glasgow, Scotland, he determined to travel in steerage class to see how the working classes fared. At the last minute he was convinced by friends to purchase a ticket one grade above the lowest price, for which he was later thankful after seeing the conditions in steerage, but he still lived among the 'lower' classes. His comments on the experience make interesting reading. His father however was so shocked at the thought of his son associating with people 'beneath him' that the work was not published for a number of years, (Summary by annise) (2 hr 48 min)
Chapters
| The Second Cabin | 16:37 | Read by Annise |
| Early Impression | 18:12 | Read by Annise |
| Steerage Scenes | 16:31 | Read by Annise |
| Steerage Types | 23:52 | Read by Annise |
| The Sick Man | 20:01 | Read by Annise |
| The Stowaways | 28:55 | Read by Annise |
| Personal Experience and Review | 24:38 | Read by Annise |
| New York | 19:52 | Read by Annise |
Reviews
a bracing read
BillR
This is an unusual work, combining the viewpoint of a traveler to the US in the late 19th century who was on the cheap, but was nonetheless well-lettered and a good storyteller. The reader does the work justice.
NO STEERAGE FOR ME
Avid Listener
A mildly interesting look at steerage passengers who were mostly emigrants. The observing abilities of RLS are not up to the level of Hawthorne or Irving, but they were OK. Good reader.