By Robert Louis Stevenson. Edited by Sidney Colvin and Colin Heston

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts VII–X”, collected in Volume XXIV of the Swanston Edition of Stevenson’s works, continues the extensive and illuminating correspondence begun in Volume XXIII. Edited with scholarly care and personal insight by Sidney Colvin—Stevenson’s close friend, literary executor, and biographer—this volume brings readers deeper into the final and most prolific years of Stevenson’s life, offering a vivid and intimate portrait of the author as both a public figure and a private man.

These later letters, written primarily during Stevenson’s residence in the South Pacific, particularly in Samoa, reflect a period of creative intensity, political engagement, and personal reflection. They reveal Stevenson not only as a master of prose but also as a keen observer of colonial politics, a devoted family man, and a figure of growing international literary stature. His correspondence from this time is rich with commentary on his ongoing literary projects—including The Ebb-Tide, St. Ives, and Weir of Hermiston—as well as his thoughts on morality, justice, and the responsibilities of the writer.

The letters are addressed to a wide range of recipients: family members, literary peers, publishers, and political figures. They are filled with Stevenson’s characteristic wit, warmth, and eloquence, but also with moments of vulnerability and philosophical depth. His reflections on illness, exile, and mortality are especially poignant, as he continued to write and correspond despite the increasing toll of his chronic health conditions.

Sidney Colvin’s editorial work is essential to the value of this collection. His introductions to each section, along with detailed footnotes and contextual commentary, provide readers with the necessary background to fully appreciate the historical and personal significance of the letters. Colvin’s close relationship with Stevenson lends the edition a unique authority and emotional resonance, as he was not only a literary scholar but also a trusted confidant of the author.

“The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Parts VII–X” is more than a supplement to his published fiction—it is a living document of a writer’s mind and spirit, capturing the voice of Stevenson in all its complexity: humorous, passionate, reflective, and profoundly human.

The Swanston Edition presents these letters with scholarly rigor and literary sensitivity, making them an indispensable resource for students, researchers, and admirers of Stevenson’s work. Together with Volume XXIII, this volume completes one of the most comprehensive and engaging collections of literary correspondence from the Victorian era.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. p.279p.

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By Melissa Barden Dowling

Clemency & Cruelty in the Roman World delves into the intricate complexities of power, justice, and morality in ancient Rome. Melissa Barden Dowling expertly navigates through the historical landscape filled with tales of both compassion and ruthlessness, shedding light on the stark realities of Roman governance.

Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, Dowling explores the dual nature of Roman rulers — their capacity for clemency in granting mercy, contrasted with their inclination towards cruelty in enforcing dominance. By examining a wide array of historical sources and narratives, the book offers a compelling narrative that challenges conventional views on Roman justice and authority.

Spanning from the heights of the Roman Empire to its darkest days, Clemency & Cruelty in the Roman World presents a thought-provoking exploration of how power dynamics shaped the foundations of Roman society. Dowling’s work serves as a captivating journey into the heart of Roman civilization, inviting readers to reconsider their perceptions of ancient governance and the enduring legacies of clemency and cruelty.

University of Michigan Press, 2006, 366 pages

MAY CONTAIN MARKUP

DIANA PATON

INTRODUCTION: On August 1, 1838, the day of the complete abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean, the newly free members of the Mount Zion mission in Jamaica paraded to celebrate their freedom. They marched three abreast to the church and schoolhouse: first men, then children, and finally women. On arrival outside the church, the congregants were met by their minister and his wife, who read out phrases adorning banners carried in the parade. These slogans predicted a bright liberal future for the island. "Wages are better than whips," stated one. A second read, "We will work for our wives and children." "No Bond but the Law," read a third. Each was greeted by "three hearty cheers."'

DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS. Durham and London. 2004. 296p.

Edited by Chris Cunneen, Antje Deckert, Amanda Porter, Juan Tauri and Robert Webb

The Routledge International Handbook on Decolonizing Justice focuses on the growing worldwide movement aimed at decolonizing state policies and practices, and various disciplinary knowledges including criminology, social work and law. The collection of original chapters brings together cutting-edge, politically engaged work from a diverse group of writers who take as a starting point an analysis founded in a decolonizing, decolonial and/or Indigenous standpoint. Centering the perspectives of Black, First Nations and other racialized and minoritized peoples, the book makes an internationally significant contribution to the literature.

The chapters include analyses of specific decolonization policies and interventions instigated by communities to enhance jurisdictional self-determination; theoretical approaches to decolonization; the importance of research and research ethics as a key foundation of the decolonization process; crucial contemporary issues including deaths in custody, state crime, reparations, and transitional justice; and critical analysis of key institutions of control, including police, courts, corrections, child protection systems and other forms of carcerality.

The handbook is divided into five sections which reflect the breadth of the decolonizing literature:

• • Why decolonization? From the personal to the global

• • State terror and violence

• • Abolishing the carceral

• • Transforming and decolonizing justice

• • Disrupting epistemic violence

This book offers a comprehensive and timely resource for activists, students, academics, and those with an interest in Indigenous studies, decolonial and post-colonial studies, criminal legal institutions and criminology. It provides critical commentary and analyses of the major issues for enhancing social justice internationally.

London; New York: Routledge, 571p.