
The Golden Dream
'The Golden Dream' Summary
A young Englishman struck by Gold Fever! He is desperate to travel to California and become part of the great gold rush. He journeys to this remote and unfamiliar place and there he discovers the true value of gold, humanity and God.
Robert Michael Ballantyne was also a gifted painter whose works were exhibited in some of the most important galleries in Europe and Scotland. He came from an eminent family of journalists and publishers and his uncle James Ballantyne was Sir Walter Scott's publisher. The family's wealth disappeared with the financial crisis that struck England in the late 19th century. Young Robert was compelled to abandon his studies and travel to Canada in search of employment. He wrote long and detailed letters home to his mother to ward off homesickness and this was what probably sparked the writing talent in him.
Many of his Canadian and American experiences formed the basis for his writing. He returned to Scotland aged 22 and in the next year itself, his first book, titled Hudson's Bay or Life in the Wilderness of North America was published. It achieved instant success and there was no looking back after that. He published a series of adventure stories which appealed to both young and old. His most famous work, The Coral Island, is still read with great pleasure even today.
Ballantyne was a meticulous and painstaking writer, who was extremely particular about getting the details right in his books. In fact, though The Coral Island was such a grand success, he'd made a minor mistake in it while referring to the thickness of coconut shells and this haunted him for years! In future works, he ensured that he researched every single fact thoroughly before putting it down.
One writer who owed a deep literary debt to Ballantyne was another famous Victorian adventure story-teller, Robert Louis Stevenson. In fact, he never lost an opportunity to confess how much The Coral Island had inspired his own book, Treasure Island. In his preface, Stevenson writes a laudatory poem praising writers like Ballantyne who provided the vision for such novels.
The Golden Dream is packed with authentic details about gold mining and the social milieu of the era. Ned Sinton is a memorable young hero, filled with curiosity and pluck, who follows his dream into an unknown and faraway land.
An exciting read!
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1861Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

Robert Michael Ballantyne
Scotland
Robert Michael Ballantyne was a Scottish author of juvenile fiction who wrote more than 100 books. He was also an accomplished artist, and exhibited some of his water-colours at the Royal Scottish Aca...
Books by Robert Michael BallantyneDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Redskin and Cow-Boy: A Tale of the Western Plains by G. A. Henty
The central interest of this story is found in the many adventures of an English lad who seeks employment as a cowboy on a cattle ranch. His experienc...

Hans Christian Andersen: Fairytales and Short Stories Volume 5, 1860 to 1865 by Hans Christian Andersen
This volume contains a collection of Hans Christian Andersen's works written between 1860 and 1865. Known for his captivating fairy tales, Andersen we...

The Last of the Plainsmen by Zane Grey
Travel along as Mike Vendetti aka miketheauctioneer narrates an outstanding true account of a trip made in 1909 by Zane Grey and a plainsman, Buffalo...

Criminal from Lost Honour by Friedrich Schiller
This short story explores the intricate relationship between circumstance, morality, and crime. Through the lens of Christian Wolf, an innkeeper who...

Valiant Runaways by Gertrude Atherton
In 'Valiant Runaways', set in the rugged frontier of California, a group of young protagonists face perilous encounters with nature and conflict. Thei...

Bible (DRV) Apocrypha/Deuterocanon: Judith by Douay-Rheims Version
Judith is the 18th book of the Bible and one of the historical books in the Old Testament. The overall theme is the power of prayer. The Israelites ar...

Conjuror's House, a Romance of the Free Forest by Stewart Edward White
Set in the rugged wilderness of the Canadian North, "Conjuror's House" follows the clash between a young free trader named Ned Trent and Galen Albret,...

People Minus X by Raymond Z. Gallun
In a chilling future, a disastrous scientific experiment decimates the moon and leaves millions on Earth dead. Through a revolutionary advancement, ar...

Bible (Fillion) Apocrypha/Deuterocanon: Livre de Judith by Fillion Bible
Le Livre de Judith est un texte biblique appartenant au Deuterocanon, un groupe de livres considérés comme faisant partie du canon biblique par les ca...

The Fur Country by Jules Verne
The Fur Country or Seventy Degrees North Latitude is an adventure novel by Jules Verne in The Extraordinary Voyages series, first published in 1873. T...
Reviews for The Golden Dream
No reviews posted or approved, yet...