The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Horror, Literary

Reading Robert Louis Stevenson's classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I was reminded of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both novels involve the idea of tampering with science in a controversial way and expecting positive results. Much like Victor Frankenstein learns that you can't "play God," Dr. Jekyll comes to realize the dark side of experimentation gone wrong. Neither character has the resolve to own up and take responsibility of their actions until things are well out of hand. As much as the novel illustrates how the results of science can turn awry, the story also questions duality within oneself. In the novel, the rational side (Jekyll) of a man is tempted into various forms of sin and sinister behavior (Hyde). One side soon becomes the more dominant of the two, and there is a struggle to escape from this dark side. When Jekyll becomes Hyde, he erupts into various forms of grotesqueness. Hyde is physically repulsive, but also repulsive in character. Hyde in many ways is an outlet for Jekyll to experience unrelenting freedom and "do as he pleases", despite the costs or consequences. It's ironic that this newfound "freedom" for Jekyll's other self actually turns into a form of a prison, where he has to physically isolate and hide himself from society to protect others. There are many morals this novel delves into and investigates. There are also many thinking points about human psychology and human nature. In many ways, this novel is groundbreaking and innovative, ahead of its time. It's easy to see why this novel has spawned countless film adaptations and productions, remaining quite popular and part of our pop culture. Not only that, but this novel is just a great book, well written and with so many different elements. It has exceptional moments of suspense, mystery, philosophy, science, and a darkly Gothic atmosphere to lure you in. Stevenson's novel is one to read, and then come back to and read again.

Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this story and it was first published in 1896. It is told in the third person by an attorney, Gabriel Utterson, who was both a friend of and lawyer of a well-respected physician, Dr. Henry Jekyll. Mr. Utterson becomes concerned about his friend when given Dr. Jekyll's will that leaves everything to a strange man named Edward Hyde. Mr. Utterson becomes curious about Mr. Hyde and investigates him. When he finds horrifies him. While Henry Jekyll is kindly, jovial, and dedicated to helping others in this community, Mr. Hyde seems utterly without any redeeming characteristics and is prone to despicable acts. When Mr. Utterson asks his friend why he would leave his estate to such a person, Dr. Jekyll will not answer. What is the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? What are the horrible things that attorney Utterson will find as he gradually uncovers the truth? Why is Dr. Jekyll protective of Mr. Hyde and dedicated to making sure he ends up cared for? What secrets does Dr. Jekyll have? Is Dr. Jekyll really good person everyone thinks them to be? The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is intriguing and complex. The characters are well-drawn and evolve over the course of the story. The pace of the story can be described as moderate, with a few rapid developments spaced across long periods of buildup. The word-choice is sophisticated, as is the vocabulary. What I did not like is the fact that Robert Louis Stevenson was very prone to use complex, compound sentences with a plethora of semicolons. Some of the sentences seem to run on, the paragraphs were often quite long, and it was not unusual to go more than two pages without a paragraph break. When that occurred the author came off as long-winded. I had never read this book before but I had read other pieces by Robert Louis Stevenson. I was able to get this one free as an e-book and, while I did enjoy the story, I am not sure that I would want to pay for it. If you have not read it and are curious, I suggest you visit your local library. Thank you for reading my review, which I previously posted on a now-closed site.

Well written, fast paced, suspenseful. Quite enjoyable even knowing the underlying plot. Sensational without being over the top. I learned several new words as well!

A classic has two sides. Just like the main character, the book surprises you. In this case, the story is not written in Jekyll’s perspective, but in Utterson’s. It’s a slow build up to the ultimate twist, which is that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same. I was surprised to find this out as pop culture has made that it is no longer a twist, but the story itself. With that said, for the time, it really is a good twist. Just to have a story about two men, only to find out they are one and the same, is a great twist. However, the story really should have been written Jekyll’s perspective. Taking away what pop culture had done to it, Jekyll’s side if the story is more interesting. No that the story with Utterson was bad, it was a good mystery, but Jekyll’s affairs were where the intrigue lies. It’s also add introducing semi h a strange idea at the very end of the story. Not to mention how much story was going on with Jekyll’s, we really should have been following him from the very start. As with my review, it was a great book. It has plenty of atmosphere, a richly intriguing writing style and good characters. The mystery, like I said, was well set up. It seems to be in the same style as a Sherlock Holmes thriller. It’s a good book. Check it out, but both of you might like it.

Beautifully written and heady story about a narcissistic, brilliant man who struggles between sadistic hedonism and the egotistical desire to be highly respected in a victorian era. His manufactured drug allows him to indulge, but as his tolerance to the drug increases, he hits rock bottom due to his out of control behaviors. He attempts to quit cold turkey on his own and enjoys a brief flight to health. However, his urges defeat his good sense, and he spirals into self-destruction.

Value for money

Buen libro de buena calidad.

did not mention it is an abridged version.

"Dr Jekyll et Mr Hyde" est un classique incontournable qui explore la dualité de l'âme humaine. À travers une écriture captivante, Robert Louis Stevenson nous plonge dans une intrigue sombre où le bien et le mal s'affrontent au sein d'un même individu. J'ai été fasciné par l'évolution du personnage et la manière dont l'auteur illustre la lutte intérieure entre la morale et les pulsions. Ce livre, bien que court, offre une réflexion profonde sur la nature humaine et reste pertinent, même aujourd'hui. À lire absolument pour les amateurs de littérature classique et de récits psychologiques !

I am a geek for this novella, I enjoy so many different modern interpretations of it. I love giving my own take on elements of it in everything I write. I love how ambiguous some parts are to read into. I love how there's certain things that in modern English now seem queer coded, I don't know if that's what they meant by it at the time, but I certainly enjoyed reading it like that. Edward Hyde you're one of my favourite bastard fictional characters... even if you trample children and murder old men.