We think Long John Silver is the best part of this book. He's totally what we imagine a pirate should be: cunning, sly, peg-legged, with a parrot on his shoulder. There's a reason why he's what we think of when we hear the word "pirate." It's in part because of Long John Silver's popularity as a character that Treasure Island has become the most popular, most enduring pirate novel ever. Long John Silver seems like the classic pirate because he's the character whom all other pirates in popular culture are based on. He's the granddaddy of them all, and we love him for it.