Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Review
This was another classic book, like the Phantom of the Opera, that I had heard a lot about but never actually sat down and read. It is a pretty quick read, well written, and fairly disturbing...although maybe not by today's standards.
Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of Mr. Utterson, a lawyer who is a friend of Dr. Jekyll's and who observes Dr. Jekyll's strangeness from an outside perspective. Mr. Utterson has some experience bumping into Mr. Hyde as well and finds Mr. Hyde a most disturbing character. Most people know the premise behind the story, so the surprise twist at the ending isn't really a surprise. Basically Mr. Utterson tells you about Dr. Jekyll and how Dr. Jekyll's life is intertwined with the disturbing Mr. Hyde. Things culminate when Mr. Utterson receives a journal of Dr. Jekyll's that explains Dr. Jekyll's experiment in full.
This is a dark, mysterious read. If would have been full of suspense had I not already known the story. From Mr. Utterson's point of view the things that happen to Dr. Jekyll and involving Mr. Hyde are disturbing and upsetting. It isn't until you read Dr. Jekyll's journal, at the end of the book, detailing his experiments that things get very creepy and a bit spooky.
As a chemist I have to say that the chemistry described in the book and it's affect on Dr. Jekyll is ridiculous. I realize this is a work of fiction however and choose to ignore that, although I had to mention it.
Stevenson's writing is very readable; and the mystery and gloominess pervading the story is distinct. The story is very engaging and I found myself hard-pressed to put the novel down. At times the language is dated and a bit wordy, but I expected that.
Overall I am happy that I read this. It was nice to get the full version of the story and see what all following works were based on. It is a good piece of literature and an enjoyable read. Dr. Jekyll's journal at the end brings up some deeper questions about duplicity of personalities and the good and evil that dwells in all humans; so from that aspect it also gives the reader some food for thought.
Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Overview
Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.
This edition of
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde includes an Introduction and Afterword by Charles L. Grant.
British lawyer Mr. Utterson had proof. Hyde was a foul, twisted, shrunken creature who had brutally stomped a little girl and beaten an old man to death--for no reason. Hyde left a trail of evil across London; the mere sight of him made stranger violent with fear and disgust...
But Hyde was Dr. Jekyll's sole heir.And that made no sense at all. Henry Jekyll was the kindest, most civil, most respected man in England. What power could a monster like Hyde hold over Jekyll's soul? Utterson vowed to solve the mystery, and free his friend from Hyde's clutches...until his hunt led to a horror beyond blackmail, beyond extortion; to a secret so shocking, so sickening, so personal--
That the sheer terror of the truth could drive men mad...
Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Specifications
The young Robert Louis Stevenson suffered from repeated nightmares of living a double life, in which by day he worked as a respectable doctor and by night he roamed the back alleys of old-town Edinburgh. In three days of furious writing, he produced a story about his dream existence. His wife found it too gruesome, so he promptly burned the manuscript. In another three days, he wrote it again. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was published as a "shilling shocker" in 1886, and became an instant classic. In the first six months 40,000 copies were sold. Queen Victoria read it. Sermons and editorials were written about it. When Stevenson and his family visited America a year later, they were mobbed by reporters at the dock in New York City. Compulsively readable from its opening pages,
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is still one of the best tales ever written about the divided self.
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Customer Reviews
Worth the read - Lindsay Barker - Minnesota USA
I always thought I knew this story just because the idea of having a dual personality is an idea with which a lot of us can relate. I knew that the story was about a doctor who made some potion of sorts that turned him into an unscrupulous man. But there were several things that I learned from taking the short amount of time to read this story. I did not know that the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was being told in the aftermath of the confusion of it all. I discovered that there were deep of emotions and grief tied to Dr. Jekyll's decisions and actions. I also learned that Hyde was the complete picture of the devil on our shoulder. So for knowing what the book was about, I was missing key pieces that I found delighting to discover while reading it for myself. I would recommend it. I have the Cricket House Books publication of it myself.The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde It is compact and was easy to carry along in my purse.
Amazing Classical Read. - J Bennington - Indiana
Wow! What an awesome book. This classic thriller/mystery was such a gripping tale of duplicity. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. It wasn't what I imagined it to be, but after filtering all the 1880's lingo, I was spell bound the minute Mr. Utterson stepped on the scene of Dr. Jekyll's front door. I would highly recommend this to anyone over the age of 13. This short novel didn't waste a single word. It was filled with beautiful prose, realistic dialogue (for it's time) and quite a thrilling plot and twist.
The brilliance comes through in such passages as,,, "First, because I have been made to learn that the doom and burden of our life is bound for ever on man's shoulders, and when the attempt is made to cast it off, it but returns upon us with more unfamiliar and awful pressure..." found near the end - near the end of the author's own life. Somehow that makes this book more meaningful and its theme more powerful...5 Stars!
Jeff Bennington
Killing the Giants
The Rumblin: A Short Story
A story everyone references... - Stephen Tessitore - Florida, USA
...But most people have probably not read. At least for me, it was brand new. I've seen the movies with the effect of the Hyde potion (the crackling, morphing, turn to a gigantic character). The book was a lot more subtle, and if we didn't all know the story to some extent, would have been a great mystery. It's also seen through the eyes of a friend of Dr. Jekyl's, which makes the story entertaining as he unravels the causes of Jekyl's strange behavior. I would reccomend the book to anyone who hasn't read it and wants to be able to say they did! And, anyone who wants to expand their Old English vocabulary to give their Kindle's lookup tool some excercise.
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