The Wrong Box

“The Wrong Box” by: Robert Louis Stevenson is a rather old book written by a classic author. This book is a rather ridiculous, hilarious look at what happens when a naughty young man switches all of the labels on boxes in a train. The contents of all of these boxes include a classic sculpture that is worth a great deal of money and a dead body. As everyone knows everything is more interesting when there is a dead body involved.

The plot revolves around a Tontine an organization in which many young men, including two brothers, subscribe money. By chance the last two surviving members of this organization are the two brothers; Joseph Finsbury and Masterman. Whoever lives the longest will inherit all of the money that was put into the Tontine. When the book opens they are both old men with sons of their own.

Old Joseph Finsbury is kept under lock and key by his two sons Morris and John, who only think of their father as an investment. They are determined that he will outlive his brother, their uncle, so that they will inherit the whole Tontine. Morris keeps a strict watch on his father, making sure that he always dresses for the weather, and visit’s the doctor often to make sure he is healthy. Joseph Finsbury resents his son’s efforts though. He views Morris as confining his freedom.

However, everything changes when Joseph and his two sons Morris and John are traveling and are in a deadly train wreck. When Morris and John wake up they find themselves in the midst of chaos and their father is nowhere to be found. Both search around briefly only to find a dead body that they think must be their father, Joseph.

Morris and John decide to hide the body so that they can still win the Tontine by concealing their father’s death and waiting for their uncle to die. But of course, somewhere along the way the body is mislaid when the labels are switched on the train. Morris and John are afraid that the body will be found. The body meanwhile is being passed from hand to hand in a chaotic manner each owner more panicky than the one before.

Little do Morris and John realize, though, that the body that they so painstakingly concealed is not even their father. Joseph Finsbury survived the accident, and saw his chance to escape the unhappy and oppressive life that his sons forced upon him.

Many things happen and by the end you feel very confused. Overall I would label this book rather silly and eccentric. It lacks the polish and suspense that Stevenson usually employs with his work. The plot seems carelessly thought out and the characters although well thought up are clumsy and confusing. You never really get to know them or find out how they all intersect. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book. Although written by a classic author it definitely is not Stevenson’s’ best.