How did Robert Louis Stevenson’s reputation change after his death?

Following his death, Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary reputation experienced significant fluctuation. Initially, a reaction against his work set in, during which he was dismissed by critics as merely a mannered, imitative essayist or simply a writer of children’s books.1

Furthermore, his biographical image suffered due to early canonization, which later prompted writers to construct a counter-narrative portraying him as an immoral swaggerer. Access to his personal correspondence eventually corrected these misconceptions, revealing a sensitive, intelligent writer who possessed no illusions about life.1

By the 1950s, the critical pendulum had swung back, firmly establishing Stevenson’s reputation as a writer of originality and power. He is now recognized for his perceptive essays on the human condition, his brilliant adventure novels that blend history and psychology with subtle moral overtones, and his short stories that effectively combine romance, irony, and horror.12