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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," by Robert Louis Stevenson, is part of the "Barnes & Noble Classics"" "series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of "Barnes & Noble Classics" New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. "Barnes & Noble Classics "pulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Idealistic young scientist Henry Jekyll struggles to unlock the secrets of the soul. Testing chemicals in his lab, he drinks a mixture he hopes will isolate--and eliminate--human evil. Instead it unleashes the dark forces within him, transforming him into the hideous and murderous Mr. Hyde.
"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" dramatically brings to life a science-fiction case study of the nature of good and evil and the duality that can exist within one person. Resonant with psychological perception and ethical insight, the book has literary roots in Dostoevsky's "The Double" and "Crime and Punishment." Today Stevenson's novella is recognized as an incisive study of Victorian morality and sexual repression, as well as a great thriller.
This collection also includes some of the author's grimmest short fiction: "Lodging for the Night," "The Suicide Club," "Thrawn Janet," "The Body Snatcher," and "Markheim."
Jenny Davidson is Assistant Professor of eighteenth-century literature and culture in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Her novel "Heredity" appeared from Soft Skull Press in 2003.
"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" dramatically brings to life a science-fiction case study of the nature of good and evil and the duality that can exist within one person. Resonant with psychological perception and ethical insight, the book has literary roots in Dostoevsky's "The Double" and "Crime and Punishment." Today Stevenson's novella is recognized as an incisive study of Victorian morality and sexual repression, as well as a great thriller.
This collection also includes some of the author's grimmest short fiction: "Lodging for the Night," "The Suicide Club," "Thrawn Janet," "The Body Snatcher," and "Markheim."
Jenny Davidson is Assistant Professor of eighteenth-century literature and culture in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Her novel "Heredity" appeared from Soft Skull Press in 2003.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 1886
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About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson
5,378books6,652followersRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
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October 15, 2010
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories turned out to be a relatively quick read. Here are my thoughts on these stories:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This was a little different than I expected. It's rather introspective, if that's an appropriate word. The emphasis is not on the action or the dirty deeds that Mr. Hyde perpetrates. Instead, the focus is on the duality of the natures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In truth, they are not separate men. They are two different aspects of one man's nature. Dr. Jekyll somehow discovers how to separate out the primal aspect of himself, the one who follows his most deepest, uncivilized urges. As time passes, he comes to realize that Mr. Hyde is winning control over him.
I would think that this is really an allegory here. As human beings, we all have a dark side. Some of us try to control it more than others. Some throw a hypocritical facade over that dark person inside of them, pretending to be upright and moral. I don't believe that Dr. Jekyll really needed a serum to undergo this change. To see this story played out in the fantastic/science fiction manner makes it more interesting, surely. But, humanity often needs no potion to be at its darkest and most monstrous.
In learning something about Mr. Stevenson's background, I can see why he chose to write about the hypocrisy of society. He came from a Presbyterian tradition, which follows the religious theory of predestination, in which some are called to salvation, and they have a better, more prosperous life, as a result. Those who are doomed to damnation, will lead low, desperate lives. Mr. Stevenson came to question this and reject these doctrines in his life. I could see some of his philosphical musings about his religious background playing out in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll was born to privilege. He worked to keep up a facade of morality, when he really wanted to indulge his darkest desires the whole time. When he invented the serum, this allowed him to do so without so-called feelings of guilt. However, this became his fatal flaw. His true self could no longer be hidden.
To my surprise, this was not an action-oriented or lurid story. The narrative shows the observations of the friends of Dr. Jekyll, and towards the end, an epistolary narrative is used, in which we see the workings of Dr. Jekyll as his life undergoes this transformation.
This was a thoughtful, somewhat philosophical story (at least in my inexpert opinion). It gave me something to think about. Hypocrisy is something I truly dislike. It is one thing to be a person who tries to life a good life; it is another to pretend to be moral, but hide your dark proclivities behind a polite mask. I have a feeling that Mr. Stevenson had similiar feelings on that subject. At 81 pages, this is a short read, and it's written in a very readable style. My edition has footnotes for some of the more obscure terms that Mr. Stevenson used. I'd recommend it to the readers with an inclination towards the classics, and for those who would like to see the origins of the figure (or should I say figures) who have become a part of pop culture through film versions, pastiches, and modern literary works, such as . I would give this story a four star rating.
A Lodging for the Night
This was another thought-provoking story. The beginning shows a rather heinous murder. The rest of the book shows one of the persons who was there during the murder. I started out thinking the worst of this man, but Mr. Stevenson gave me some insight, and helped me to see him through a different pair of glasses. Mr. Villon seeks shelter on a cold night, ending up in the home of a much adored military hero. He has to sit and listen to a self-righteous lecture for the price of a meal and a warm place to pass the night. Again, Mr. Stevenson's background in the privileged middle class of Presbyterian Scotland comes to play. Mr. Villon makes a good case for himself. He wants to be a moral man, but he has no other options besides thievery to keep food in his belly and a roof over his head. He asserts that he follows his own moral code, even if others think him behind the pale. On the other hand, the soldier can feel self-righteous that he is not a thief, and that God has blessed him with plenty for his moral actions. His success in life is due to his good character, or so he attests to. However, Mr. Villon points out that as a soldier, he committed or has been party to similar actions, but they are deemed respectable because of his high position in life. Mr. Villon had something of value to say here. It's too bad that the soldier couldn't look past his own sense of entitlement to see the wisdom in what this 'low' man had to say. It would have been a good lesson for him. I actually got quite involved in this story. I would give it four stars.
The Suicide Club
This turned out to be three related stories. They are very much in the mystery/adventure/suspense genre. And they were quite thrilling, especially the first. Imagine that there is a club where men can go to have themselves done away with when they are tired of living. They pay a fee, and each night, they show up. Fate will determine when they die and how. But, the person pulling the strings is doing so out of his own greed. Will justice be done here? This story had me on the edge of my seat. I literally didn't know how it was going to end. The end turns out to be open-ended, and it leads into two more stories. I liked how the next two stories start with different narrators, and I had to figure out how they tied into the first story. The way in which they relate was very imaginative. There is more mystery and suspense as each subsequent story unfolds, and I learned what they had to do with our protagonists from the initial story. I think Mr. Stevenson had a good hand with suspense, as shown through these stories. Four star rating.
Thrawn Janet
I had some trouble with Scottish brogue in which most of this story was written. I had to concentrate really hard to decipher what was being said. Despite that, this was a very chilling story indeed. The minister in this story was a brave man. I could see how he was much changed by his blood-curdling experience with the titular character in this story. To say more would spoil it. If you can handle the brogue, give this a try. Four stars.
The Body-Snatcher
This is actually a reread for me. Another story in which the worst monster in the closet is human, and a nice facade hides a putrid center. This story is based on the real life incidents of the Resurrection Men of Edinburgh, Scotland (1827-1828), who started out grave-robbing to provide corpses for dissection for an anatomist. Eventually, they started murdering people so they would have a steady supply of these corpses. I liked that there were some pretty scary consequences for the actions of the two grave-robbers in this story; although it's questionable if the person who really needed the lesson learned anything.
Markheim
At first, I didn't really like this story. However, I got thrown for a loop at the supernatural twist it took. Markheim is forced to face his life, and the acts he committed through the years. His false sense of righteousness, and the slippery slope that took him down the path to becoming a murder. It was a real wake-up call for him. And it gave me food for thought. Four stars.
Overall thoughts: I read The Picture of Dorian Gray earlier this month, and I can't help but contrast it with this collection. Mr. Oscar Wilde seemed to be a proponent of not injecting his own sense of meaning into his story. In contrast, there seems to be a lot of Mr. Stevenson's thought processes in his stories. I don't think either is better or worse. I feel that writers have different motivations, and I can learn from any number of them, finding something of personal meaning in their stories. In the case of this volume, I can certainly see why Mr. Stevenson continually revisits the same concepts (although in different ways in each story). It is clear that they played heavily on his mind. Perhaps these stories served as a catharsis for him. Even more than a hundred years later, our society has similar divisions and issues, which might contribute to social ills in no small way (in my opinion). As such, these stories still have a relevance to this reader.
Sadly, Mr. Stevenson has been dismissed by literary critics as a second-rate writer. My personal opinion is that he wrote very well. His stories were entertaining, but they had a strong message to the reader. That's not what I'd consider hack writing. But, each reader has to make their own decision about that.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This was a little different than I expected. It's rather introspective, if that's an appropriate word. The emphasis is not on the action or the dirty deeds that Mr. Hyde perpetrates. Instead, the focus is on the duality of the natures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In truth, they are not separate men. They are two different aspects of one man's nature. Dr. Jekyll somehow discovers how to separate out the primal aspect of himself, the one who follows his most deepest, uncivilized urges. As time passes, he comes to realize that Mr. Hyde is winning control over him.
I would think that this is really an allegory here. As human beings, we all have a dark side. Some of us try to control it more than others. Some throw a hypocritical facade over that dark person inside of them, pretending to be upright and moral. I don't believe that Dr. Jekyll really needed a serum to undergo this change. To see this story played out in the fantastic/science fiction manner makes it more interesting, surely. But, humanity often needs no potion to be at its darkest and most monstrous.
In learning something about Mr. Stevenson's background, I can see why he chose to write about the hypocrisy of society. He came from a Presbyterian tradition, which follows the religious theory of predestination, in which some are called to salvation, and they have a better, more prosperous life, as a result. Those who are doomed to damnation, will lead low, desperate lives. Mr. Stevenson came to question this and reject these doctrines in his life. I could see some of his philosphical musings about his religious background playing out in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll was born to privilege. He worked to keep up a facade of morality, when he really wanted to indulge his darkest desires the whole time. When he invented the serum, this allowed him to do so without so-called feelings of guilt. However, this became his fatal flaw. His true self could no longer be hidden.
To my surprise, this was not an action-oriented or lurid story. The narrative shows the observations of the friends of Dr. Jekyll, and towards the end, an epistolary narrative is used, in which we see the workings of Dr. Jekyll as his life undergoes this transformation.
This was a thoughtful, somewhat philosophical story (at least in my inexpert opinion). It gave me something to think about. Hypocrisy is something I truly dislike. It is one thing to be a person who tries to life a good life; it is another to pretend to be moral, but hide your dark proclivities behind a polite mask. I have a feeling that Mr. Stevenson had similiar feelings on that subject. At 81 pages, this is a short read, and it's written in a very readable style. My edition has footnotes for some of the more obscure terms that Mr. Stevenson used. I'd recommend it to the readers with an inclination towards the classics, and for those who would like to see the origins of the figure (or should I say figures) who have become a part of pop culture through film versions, pastiches, and modern literary works, such as . I would give this story a four star rating.
A Lodging for the Night
This was another thought-provoking story. The beginning shows a rather heinous murder. The rest of the book shows one of the persons who was there during the murder. I started out thinking the worst of this man, but Mr. Stevenson gave me some insight, and helped me to see him through a different pair of glasses. Mr. Villon seeks shelter on a cold night, ending up in the home of a much adored military hero. He has to sit and listen to a self-righteous lecture for the price of a meal and a warm place to pass the night. Again, Mr. Stevenson's background in the privileged middle class of Presbyterian Scotland comes to play. Mr. Villon makes a good case for himself. He wants to be a moral man, but he has no other options besides thievery to keep food in his belly and a roof over his head. He asserts that he follows his own moral code, even if others think him behind the pale. On the other hand, the soldier can feel self-righteous that he is not a thief, and that God has blessed him with plenty for his moral actions. His success in life is due to his good character, or so he attests to. However, Mr. Villon points out that as a soldier, he committed or has been party to similar actions, but they are deemed respectable because of his high position in life. Mr. Villon had something of value to say here. It's too bad that the soldier couldn't look past his own sense of entitlement to see the wisdom in what this 'low' man had to say. It would have been a good lesson for him. I actually got quite involved in this story. I would give it four stars.
The Suicide Club
This turned out to be three related stories. They are very much in the mystery/adventure/suspense genre. And they were quite thrilling, especially the first. Imagine that there is a club where men can go to have themselves done away with when they are tired of living. They pay a fee, and each night, they show up. Fate will determine when they die and how. But, the person pulling the strings is doing so out of his own greed. Will justice be done here? This story had me on the edge of my seat. I literally didn't know how it was going to end. The end turns out to be open-ended, and it leads into two more stories. I liked how the next two stories start with different narrators, and I had to figure out how they tied into the first story. The way in which they relate was very imaginative. There is more mystery and suspense as each subsequent story unfolds, and I learned what they had to do with our protagonists from the initial story. I think Mr. Stevenson had a good hand with suspense, as shown through these stories. Four star rating.
Thrawn Janet
I had some trouble with Scottish brogue in which most of this story was written. I had to concentrate really hard to decipher what was being said. Despite that, this was a very chilling story indeed. The minister in this story was a brave man. I could see how he was much changed by his blood-curdling experience with the titular character in this story. To say more would spoil it. If you can handle the brogue, give this a try. Four stars.
The Body-Snatcher
This is actually a reread for me. Another story in which the worst monster in the closet is human, and a nice facade hides a putrid center. This story is based on the real life incidents of the Resurrection Men of Edinburgh, Scotland (1827-1828), who started out grave-robbing to provide corpses for dissection for an anatomist. Eventually, they started murdering people so they would have a steady supply of these corpses. I liked that there were some pretty scary consequences for the actions of the two grave-robbers in this story; although it's questionable if the person who really needed the lesson learned anything.
Markheim
At first, I didn't really like this story. However, I got thrown for a loop at the supernatural twist it took. Markheim is forced to face his life, and the acts he committed through the years. His false sense of righteousness, and the slippery slope that took him down the path to becoming a murder. It was a real wake-up call for him. And it gave me food for thought. Four stars.
Overall thoughts: I read The Picture of Dorian Gray earlier this month, and I can't help but contrast it with this collection. Mr. Oscar Wilde seemed to be a proponent of not injecting his own sense of meaning into his story. In contrast, there seems to be a lot of Mr. Stevenson's thought processes in his stories. I don't think either is better or worse. I feel that writers have different motivations, and I can learn from any number of them, finding something of personal meaning in their stories. In the case of this volume, I can certainly see why Mr. Stevenson continually revisits the same concepts (although in different ways in each story). It is clear that they played heavily on his mind. Perhaps these stories served as a catharsis for him. Even more than a hundred years later, our society has similar divisions and issues, which might contribute to social ills in no small way (in my opinion). As such, these stories still have a relevance to this reader.
Sadly, Mr. Stevenson has been dismissed by literary critics as a second-rate writer. My personal opinion is that he wrote very well. His stories were entertaining, but they had a strong message to the reader. That's not what I'd consider hack writing. But, each reader has to make their own decision about that.
February 24, 2022
Contains the stories:
- 3/5 - Like many stories that have been re-told, re-imagined, re-interpreted for generations, the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not what one might expect. Hyde is small, not some raging Hulk-like monster but more like the personification of evil or the complete absence of good. The story itself is somewhat disjointed and a bit wordy at times, with plenty of Victorian-era histrionics, but it finds redemption and meaning in the final chapter, musing about the duality of man and - like Wilde's far superior - the heavy tax paid by the soul for amoral behavior.
- 3/5 - one of RLS's first published stories
- 3/5 - feels a little disjointed for having been written and published in multiple installments, but a unique idea.
- 4/5 - despite being written in Scottish, it might be the creepiest story in the collection.
- 3/5 - based on the Burke and Hare murders in Edinburgh
- 3/5 - gothic and philosophical elements that are reminiscent of "A Lodging for the Night"
- 3/5 - Like many stories that have been re-told, re-imagined, re-interpreted for generations, the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not what one might expect. Hyde is small, not some raging Hulk-like monster but more like the personification of evil or the complete absence of good. The story itself is somewhat disjointed and a bit wordy at times, with plenty of Victorian-era histrionics, but it finds redemption and meaning in the final chapter, musing about the duality of man and - like Wilde's far superior - the heavy tax paid by the soul for amoral behavior.
- 3/5 - one of RLS's first published stories
- 3/5 - feels a little disjointed for having been written and published in multiple installments, but a unique idea.
- 4/5 - despite being written in Scottish, it might be the creepiest story in the collection.
- 3/5 - based on the Burke and Hare murders in Edinburgh
- 3/5 - gothic and philosophical elements that are reminiscent of "A Lodging for the Night"
August 30, 2022
حقا انها اشياء لا تشترى
فكلنا تزورنا الكوابيس و لكن هل نستخلص منها روائع روائية مثل ستيفنسون ؟
الفصام. .مرض منتشر أكثر مما نتخيل..و هناك شعرة منه بداخل كل منا !! قد يكون في صورة تقلبات مزاجية بسيطة أو حادة
..و قد يكون في تلك الصورة العبقرية المريعة التي رسمها ستيفنسون في قصته الفريدة. .و التي بدأت بكابوس زاره
هو طبيب وسيم.. ثري ..محترم و لكنه مؤمن لان الروح تنقسم لقسم خير و اخر شرير يتصارعون دائما يبدأ تجاربه لاثبات نظريته "الغبية حقا "( لان الانسان يصارع هوى نفسه ليس اكثر ) ينجح في تحضير تركيبة تحوله نفسيا و جسديا لنقيضه في كل شيء .. بهيميا ..خبيثا..يثير الاشمئزاز. .يهاجم الأطفال و يقتل الشيوخ ..فهو الشر خالصا
بالرواية ابعاد اجتماعية عميقة جعلتها تتعدى كونها قصة رعب خيالية مثيرة..فستيفنسون كان ينتقد الطبقة المتوسطة العليا الغارقة في الزيف و العفن و الشر المتدثربالمبادىء..و هناك من يعتقدون ان الرواية القصيرة ملهمة لكل مبدعي السوبر هيرو المتحولين
و مع تطور الاحداث ؛طبعا تحدث الواقعة ..و يتحول لهايد بدون تركيبة اثناء نومه..و يفقد سيطرته..فهل تتحرر روح جيكل من هايد..إم سيدفع ثمن فضوله الغير حميد؟
المراجعة الأصلية هنا
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فكلنا تزورنا الكوابيس و لكن هل نستخلص منها روائع روائية مثل ستيفنسون ؟
الفصام. .مرض منتشر أكثر مما نتخيل..و هناك شعرة منه بداخل كل منا !! قد يكون في صورة تقلبات مزاجية بسيطة أو حادة
..و قد يكون في تلك الصورة العبقرية المريعة التي رسمها ستيفنسون في قصته الفريدة. .و التي بدأت بكابوس زاره
هو طبيب وسيم.. ثري ..محترم و لكنه مؤمن لان الروح تنقسم لقسم خير و اخر شرير يتصارعون دائما يبدأ تجاربه لاثبات نظريته "الغبية حقا "( لان الانسان يصارع هوى نفسه ليس اكثر ) ينجح في تحضير تركيبة تحوله نفسيا و جسديا لنقيضه في كل شيء .. بهيميا ..خبيثا..يثير الاشمئزاز. .يهاجم الأطفال و يقتل الشيوخ ..فهو الشر خالصا
بالرواية ابعاد اجتماعية عميقة جعلتها تتعدى كونها قصة رعب خيالية مثيرة..فستيفنسون كان ينتقد الطبقة المتوسطة العليا الغارقة في الزيف و العفن و الشر المتدثربالمبادىء..و هناك من يعتقدون ان الرواية القصيرة ملهمة لكل مبدعي السوبر هيرو المتحولين
و مع تطور الاحداث ؛طبعا تحدث الواقعة ..و يتحول لهايد بدون تركيبة اثناء نومه..و يفقد سيطرته..فهل تتحرر روح جيكل من هايد..إم سيدفع ثمن فضوله الغير حميد؟
المراجعة الأصلية هنا
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July 13, 2016
I quite enjoyed the adventure through the Tales of horror with creepy moments, interesting twists and some beating around the bush. The eternal fight between good and evil. A doomed personality with an inner fight between social acknowledgement and dark needs. My favorite tale is
“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde�. It is one of the reasons why I chose this book. I saw some adaptations and wanted to reach the real core of the story. And what did I find?
The second half of the story with all the revelations was really less interesting than the first half which had suspense and was spooky.
The other stories are quite enjoyable. I don't have much sympathy for the walking dead and body snatchers or let’s-do-something-stupid-and-make-everything-more-unnecessary-difficult stuff (the stories about the Prince), but the author’s artistic presentation is quite interesting and I quite enjoyed these stories. They are quite well-written and thought-provoking. The author evokes the fog-shrouded streets so convincingly that I could almost hear the horse's hooves, see the muddy streets.
Though not as frightening as it must have been to the readers in those times, but still a great classic horror book.
All in all the book is definitely not my favorite from Mr. Stevenson (“Treasure Island� is my BBFMC (Best Book From My Childhood)) but quite likable.
March 22, 2017
This was a good story. It also had some very horrific parts. Reading it has made me appreciate Stevnson's work on even more.
April 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this classic. Still enjoyed the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I also enjoyed the short story titled The Suicide Club. For me this is a creepy classic that is fun to read.
October 11, 2020
DNF at 10% because I forgot how stupidly BORING I find Robert Louis Stevenson's books are. This is one of those rare times where I'd rather watch the movies than try to read any of these dull stories
February 23, 2025
Pretty much the case whenever I read a classic book that I don’t care for it as much as I would expect. I think that it is mostly because I was brought up on the movie versions of all of these old stories, never having read the book when I was younger. In that case I give Dr. Jekyll and the other stories in this collection a reluctant four stars.
January 24, 2018
I read this one so I had something to base any retellings I read about the infamous Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story on.
I like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I didn't perceive it to read as dark as I thought it would based upon my other encounters with the story. But it was good and entertaining.
I also enjoyed the Suicide Club a lot. I found myself pretty pulled into that story.
There was one story in this collection of short stories that I am still not 100% sure what went down. It was the narrator. Not that there is anything wrong with giving a narrator a unique tone of voice, but I probably should have read it out loud. The narrator along with the authors writing style just didn't pull things together for me in my head.
The other stories were ok. I found them interesting enough. Sadly since they were shorts, they felt like they just kind of ended, but oh well. They had lessons and morals in them. And I am glad that I went ahead and read them all.
You can find more of my reviews here:
I like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I didn't perceive it to read as dark as I thought it would based upon my other encounters with the story. But it was good and entertaining.
I also enjoyed the Suicide Club a lot. I found myself pretty pulled into that story.
There was one story in this collection of short stories that I am still not 100% sure what went down. It was the narrator. Not that there is anything wrong with giving a narrator a unique tone of voice, but I probably should have read it out loud. The narrator along with the authors writing style just didn't pull things together for me in my head.
The other stories were ok. I found them interesting enough. Sadly since they were shorts, they felt like they just kind of ended, but oh well. They had lessons and morals in them. And I am glad that I went ahead and read them all.
You can find more of my reviews here:
December 25, 2019
3.8 star average across all stories, rounding up to 4 stars.
After reading this entire book, rather than just Jekyll & Hyde, my J&H review still stands from a few years ago (click through to read it here).
Scroll down to see star ratings and brief comments on how AMAZINGLY AMAZING Stevenson's short stories featured in here are. Really, this dude is like Poe for a modern (i.e. late 1800s) audience (and an obvious Poe fanboy to boot).
A Lodging for the Night: 4.5 stars. Absolutely delightful.
The Suicide Club: 5 stars. HELL YES. ALL THE STARS. THIS IS THE GREATEST.
Thrawn Janet: 2.5 stars. Definitely spooky, but the unintroduced abrupt change to Scots was unnecessary. I skimmed it more than properly read it.
The Body-Snatcher: 3 stars. Something about this just didn't captivate me, I don't know why.
Markheim: 4 stars. A bit sloggy and overly wordy, but very Tell-Tale Heart-esque and heavy on the psychological torture that is anxiety.
After reading this entire book, rather than just Jekyll & Hyde, my J&H review still stands from a few years ago (click through to read it here).
Scroll down to see star ratings and brief comments on how AMAZINGLY AMAZING Stevenson's short stories featured in here are. Really, this dude is like Poe for a modern (i.e. late 1800s) audience (and an obvious Poe fanboy to boot).
A Lodging for the Night: 4.5 stars. Absolutely delightful.
The Suicide Club: 5 stars. HELL YES. ALL THE STARS. THIS IS THE GREATEST.
Thrawn Janet: 2.5 stars. Definitely spooky, but the unintroduced abrupt change to Scots was unnecessary. I skimmed it more than properly read it.
The Body-Snatcher: 3 stars. Something about this just didn't captivate me, I don't know why.
Markheim: 4 stars. A bit sloggy and overly wordy, but very Tell-Tale Heart-esque and heavy on the psychological torture that is anxiety.
December 13, 2015
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a book that I would recommend to readers who enjoy a good, suspenseful, enigma. This book has a mixture of horror and mystery. The setting of this story is set near the late nineteenth century so the use of language might be a bit difficult to understand at first, but becomes easier to understand later on in the story. The author does a good job on sending out his message to the readers throughout the whole story. This book is about a scientist called Henry Jekyll making trying to make a potion to completely eliminate the evil out of a human being. However, something goes horribly wrong. When Henry Jekyll drinks the potion, he turns into an ugly, murderous being called Mr. Hyde. When the scientist is Dr. Jekyll, he is a kind and admirable person. When he drinks the potion, he turns pure evil. Jekyll drinks this potion so much that it becomes impossible to handle. The potion becomes useless, and Mr. Hyde pops out of Dr. Jekyll whenever he wants to. The story is mainly about Dr. Jekyll trying to find a way to kill Mr. Hyde and end this chaos. Many readers would think that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two completely different beings. However, the Robert Louis Stevenson's message of the story is that every human being has a pleasant side and an evil side. The author wants the reader to know by the end that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the same people. Dr. Jekyll represents the good soul of the body, and Mr. Hyde represents the evil soul. When Dr. Jekyll decided to kill himself to kill Mr. Hyde, I was both shocked, and satisfied with the ending. This ending thoroughly represented the author's message. Because Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll was the same person, the only way to get rid of Mr. Hyde was to get rid of Dr. Jekyll. While I was reading this book, there were many things that I related to my real life. I've seen the nicest people I know do some horrible things, and this book perfectly shows the story behind it. Many religious beliefs also have the same message with this book. The good karma and bad karma from buddhism, and the yin and yang from taoism. I definitely recommend this book considering that the Robert Louis Stevenson did such a great job on delivering his message.
August 28, 2021
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson 1886
A London lawyer investigates strange occurrences involving his old friend and the evil Edward Hyde.
A London lawyer investigates strange occurrences involving his old friend and the evil Edward Hyde.
April 5, 2020
An obviously impactful piece of pop culture that introduces interesting themes, but it puts underdeveloped characters at the forefront and leaves a lot of details too vague for me to truly connect with this story.
Read for class.
Read for class.
October 17, 2010
Party of my creepy Halloween reads. boo!
Just a quick note: Jeckyll & Hyde was fairly entertaining, filled with the archaic Victorian verbal effluvia. "It was a wild, cold, seasonable night of March, with a pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her, and flying wrack of the most diaphanous and lawny texture." Oh those textures! As usual with these old stories, the mechanisms of the story telling (from the POV of a 3rd party, the tale in retrospect, and telling instead of showing) feel awkward today.
I skipped most the other included stories - some day I'll maybe come back to them. But I did read "The Body Snatchers." It's a creepy little story about resurrection men, who dug up freshly interred bodies and sold them to medical schools for dissection. Reading this made me look up of Dr. Knox and his henchmen Burke & Hare who murdered people just to sell them to the 'good' doctor. The at the Royal College of Surgeons in London talks about the resurrection practice at length. They have a fascinating detailed drawing of a typical surgeon's practice, with a dull, unmarked door on some back alley where the bodies would arrive, a prep room for the bodies, tiny places for the in-house receivers/assistants to sleep, and the big dissection lecture hall in front. Weird stuff. And it's not fiction!
Just a quick note: Jeckyll & Hyde was fairly entertaining, filled with the archaic Victorian verbal effluvia. "It was a wild, cold, seasonable night of March, with a pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her, and flying wrack of the most diaphanous and lawny texture." Oh those textures! As usual with these old stories, the mechanisms of the story telling (from the POV of a 3rd party, the tale in retrospect, and telling instead of showing) feel awkward today.
I skipped most the other included stories - some day I'll maybe come back to them. But I did read "The Body Snatchers." It's a creepy little story about resurrection men, who dug up freshly interred bodies and sold them to medical schools for dissection. Reading this made me look up of Dr. Knox and his henchmen Burke & Hare who murdered people just to sell them to the 'good' doctor. The at the Royal College of Surgeons in London talks about the resurrection practice at length. They have a fascinating detailed drawing of a typical surgeon's practice, with a dull, unmarked door on some back alley where the bodies would arrive, a prep room for the bodies, tiny places for the in-house receivers/assistants to sleep, and the big dissection lecture hall in front. Weird stuff. And it's not fiction!
September 17, 2016
Read the book at least a dozen times, it is a wonderful, heartbreaking story of a genius! one truly wonders what will happen if we feed and release the black wolf that we keep dormant inside us (at least most of us do), if it is fed and then unleashed it certainly will slaughter the white one and become our master.
Reality in wraps of science fiction.
Reality in wraps of science fiction.
September 21, 2019
Relido. Boa leitura.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2023
has become a new favorite author for me.
This year I have read his book and now this collection of stories . I like 's writing style and he produced some very interesting and memorable stories.
My favorite stories out of this book were the Suicide Club trilogy of short stories. Strange/weird, whatever you want to call them, but written with a sense of urgency and they were entertaining.
I'm thankful I have finally gotten to these books this year because they've both been on my TBR shelf for a long time. This collection is especially recommended for fall reading!
This year I have read his book and now this collection of stories . I like 's writing style and he produced some very interesting and memorable stories.
My favorite stories out of this book were the Suicide Club trilogy of short stories. Strange/weird, whatever you want to call them, but written with a sense of urgency and they were entertaining.
I'm thankful I have finally gotten to these books this year because they've both been on my TBR shelf for a long time. This collection is especially recommended for fall reading!
August 8, 2020
Well, I have finished reading The Strange Case, and I must say, what an unnecessarily odd way to tell a story. It is 25,642 words long in total, making this a novella by SFWA's definition.
The story is told from three different perspectives with overlapping chronology from each. The first section is the longest and best-written, accounting for the first 62% of the story. It is a third person limited omniscient account told from the perspective of Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's friend and lawyer. The second part is in the form of a letter written by Dr. Jekyll's friend, academic colleague and rival scientist, Dr. Lanyon. It comprises 11% of the story. The last 27% is written as a first person account by Dr. Jekyll himself.
Dr. Jekyll's account is absolutely awful, containing no drama until the last few paragraphs, only melodrama. It is a tedious, long-winded explanation of events-previously-narrated from an exceedingly dull, one-dimensional goody-two-shoes doctor who drinks a potion so he can cut loose once in a while. His problem is that he likes to get down and break from those stuffy Victorian restrictions a bit too often. What Edwardian wouldn't? It becomes progressively harder to become good Dr. Jekyll again as time goes on. This third section is pure exposition written in interminably long paragraphs. Glazed eye insanity is bound to set in unless, like me, you choose to skim all this verbage.
The main character becomes addicted to a drug that makes him act in a way that brings him misfortune. The situation Jekyll finds himself in is very easy to understand. It's the plight of any alcohol- or opiate-addicted person. There's nothing new here, only the degree of literalness being an addict turns one into a monster.
The remaining stories of the collection were readable, but not particularly entertaining. Stevenson's problem in storytelling seems to be mostly landing on highly improbable plots. For example, who wants to be in a club that encourages its members to commit suicide? Who believes that a prince who wants to execute a subject would find arranging a duel the most efficient means for doing so? Stevenson's stories really make little sense all the way down to their premises, and the writing is not so engaging as to mitigate that and make reading them worthwhile.
The story is told from three different perspectives with overlapping chronology from each. The first section is the longest and best-written, accounting for the first 62% of the story. It is a third person limited omniscient account told from the perspective of Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's friend and lawyer. The second part is in the form of a letter written by Dr. Jekyll's friend, academic colleague and rival scientist, Dr. Lanyon. It comprises 11% of the story. The last 27% is written as a first person account by Dr. Jekyll himself.
Dr. Jekyll's account is absolutely awful, containing no drama until the last few paragraphs, only melodrama. It is a tedious, long-winded explanation of events-previously-narrated from an exceedingly dull, one-dimensional goody-two-shoes doctor who drinks a potion so he can cut loose once in a while. His problem is that he likes to get down and break from those stuffy Victorian restrictions a bit too often. What Edwardian wouldn't? It becomes progressively harder to become good Dr. Jekyll again as time goes on. This third section is pure exposition written in interminably long paragraphs. Glazed eye insanity is bound to set in unless, like me, you choose to skim all this verbage.
The main character becomes addicted to a drug that makes him act in a way that brings him misfortune. The situation Jekyll finds himself in is very easy to understand. It's the plight of any alcohol- or opiate-addicted person. There's nothing new here, only the degree of literalness being an addict turns one into a monster.
The remaining stories of the collection were readable, but not particularly entertaining. Stevenson's problem in storytelling seems to be mostly landing on highly improbable plots. For example, who wants to be in a club that encourages its members to commit suicide? Who believes that a prince who wants to execute a subject would find arranging a duel the most efficient means for doing so? Stevenson's stories really make little sense all the way down to their premises, and the writing is not so engaging as to mitigate that and make reading them worthwhile.
January 16, 2022
This is one of those classics you think you read in high school but turns out you only saw the movies which don't bear much resemblance to the book. This novella was much different than expected. It's told mostly from the view point of Mr. Utterson, Doctor Jekyll's lawyer who is much disturbed that his client wants to leave all his money to an unscrupulous person like Mr. Hyde including a codicle stating that if he disappears Hyde gets it all.
Jekyll and Utterson must be friends because why else would he care? Utterson does meet Hyde at one point making things worse because he and others who have met him all remark on this odd but indescribable deformity that they can't quite put their finger on (You get the idea they're reacting to the sheer evil of him). What took me by surprise (based on the movies) is Hyde is not this big hulking monster. In fact he's small, like a troglodyte according to Utterson.
We actually don't see Hyde do much at all. It's just a feeling of his evil until the maid reports on seeing him beat an important gentleman (Mr. Carew) to death with a cane and his feet. Utterson recognizes who the cane belongs to and becomes more concerned. This doubles down when Mr. Lanyard, a mutual friend of Utterson and Jekyll adds his story to the mix.
Without spoiling what happens to Hyde, we finally learn what Jekyll has been up to using chemistry to bring out his inner evil (with the hopes of expunging it in all men) but the chemical transformations are now beyond his control. He can't stop himself (if I were in high school reading this I see a paper on drug addiction right here).
It is of course a bit flowery in speech and a lot of tell no show which was common in writing in the Victorian era. It's a good novella and I'm glad I finally read it. One thing I will say is there are no women in this thing other than that unnamed maid which surprised me but only because of the Julia Roberts movie Mary Reilly which I knew was based on a book. I assumed the actual story but no, a professional 'fan fic' if you will.
Jekyll and Utterson must be friends because why else would he care? Utterson does meet Hyde at one point making things worse because he and others who have met him all remark on this odd but indescribable deformity that they can't quite put their finger on (You get the idea they're reacting to the sheer evil of him). What took me by surprise (based on the movies) is Hyde is not this big hulking monster. In fact he's small, like a troglodyte according to Utterson.
We actually don't see Hyde do much at all. It's just a feeling of his evil until the maid reports on seeing him beat an important gentleman (Mr. Carew) to death with a cane and his feet. Utterson recognizes who the cane belongs to and becomes more concerned. This doubles down when Mr. Lanyard, a mutual friend of Utterson and Jekyll adds his story to the mix.
Without spoiling what happens to Hyde, we finally learn what Jekyll has been up to using chemistry to bring out his inner evil (with the hopes of expunging it in all men) but the chemical transformations are now beyond his control. He can't stop himself (if I were in high school reading this I see a paper on drug addiction right here).
It is of course a bit flowery in speech and a lot of tell no show which was common in writing in the Victorian era. It's a good novella and I'm glad I finally read it. One thing I will say is there are no women in this thing other than that unnamed maid which surprised me but only because of the Julia Roberts movie Mary Reilly which I knew was based on a book. I assumed the actual story but no, a professional 'fan fic' if you will.
November 7, 2009
Confession - I joined a new book club. I felt like I was cheating on my California book club. I promise I was thinking about them while we discussed the duality of man - the carnal and the supernal. This concept is one those universal battles that all people face- though many do not acknowledge the battle between being their best self and indulging in life's pleasures. Dr. Jekyll is a good man with a good idea about separating our dueling selves, but of course, it does not work out the way he planned and his good British society is altered forever.
I finished this book in audio form walking along the tree lined streets of residential Provo. There was a chill in the air and gorgeous fall leaves crunched under my feet. As the letters were read in the story, I felt another chill - another pull that had nothing to do with the cool November air. It was Henry Jekyll admitting defeat - that his carnal self, which took form in Mr. Hyde, was too strong and would ultimately be the end of the more noble Dr. Jekyll. It made me sad. Giving in felt too real.
I didn't explain this to my new book club. They wouldn't understand. Books alter everything....
I finished this book in audio form walking along the tree lined streets of residential Provo. There was a chill in the air and gorgeous fall leaves crunched under my feet. As the letters were read in the story, I felt another chill - another pull that had nothing to do with the cool November air. It was Henry Jekyll admitting defeat - that his carnal self, which took form in Mr. Hyde, was too strong and would ultimately be the end of the more noble Dr. Jekyll. It made me sad. Giving in felt too real.
I didn't explain this to my new book club. They wouldn't understand. Books alter everything....
May 7, 2020
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a favorite. I read it in Portuguese and while in middle school, and I remembered liking it very much. Now, older and wiser (lol) I read it again just to be more creeped out by it. At first, Dr. Jekyll seems to think of Mr. Hyde as something that can be contained and controlled... until things start to get out of hand and he is filled with terror and angst. I love it.
Lodging for the Night and the Suicide Club are great ones too, they have this creepy/chilling vibe, but I guess Markheim is the one that stood out to me. I'm a slow reader (sometimes I re-read sentences that I love, or I re-read them to finish imagining all the details in my head) and I was especially slow while reading Markheim. The discussion he has with the stranger is deep and gives you plenty of room for reflection.
The Body Snatcher is another favorite. I could actually see a movie in my head. I tend to like horror movies, and it felt like watching one.
Now, Thrawn Janet was difficult to read. I clearly don't know enough English to be able to read this comfortably. I had to use the Portuguese version most of the time.
Lodging for the Night and the Suicide Club are great ones too, they have this creepy/chilling vibe, but I guess Markheim is the one that stood out to me. I'm a slow reader (sometimes I re-read sentences that I love, or I re-read them to finish imagining all the details in my head) and I was especially slow while reading Markheim. The discussion he has with the stranger is deep and gives you plenty of room for reflection.
The Body Snatcher is another favorite. I could actually see a movie in my head. I tend to like horror movies, and it felt like watching one.
Now, Thrawn Janet was difficult to read. I clearly don't know enough English to be able to read this comfortably. I had to use the Portuguese version most of the time.
June 22, 2016
"You start a question, and it's like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently, some bland old bird . . . is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name. No sir, I make it a rule of mine: the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask."
I really, really enjoyed Jekyll and Hyde. Stevenson has performed the miracle of crafting a masterful, engaging plot into a very short book. The mystery and the intrigue start out on page one and drive you all to the very end.
Truthfully, the only problem I have with this book is the lack of female characters. In the course of the entire book, there are only a few unnamed maids to represent the other half of the population. Again, this book was written in the nineteenth century, but it is still very frustrating when you consider many of Stevenson's contemporaries were writing books focusing on woman protagonists, and he can't even be bothered to name his female characters.
April 11, 2021
Book Ranking System:
1 - Bad - Do not read
2 - Okay - Read Once/ Don’t Bother Twice
3 - Good - Read at Least Once
4 - Great - Read at Least Twice
5 - Incredible - Buy Book and Visit Often
Genuinely surprised how good this author is. I’ve heard of Jekyll and Hyde but never looked into Stevenson.
The main story, Jekyll and Hyde was a great look into good intention/bad intention. A duality we all possess.
His other stories in this particular edition (readers digest publishing) were haunting and well written.
1 - Bad - Do not read
2 - Okay - Read Once/ Don’t Bother Twice
3 - Good - Read at Least Once
4 - Great - Read at Least Twice
5 - Incredible - Buy Book and Visit Often
Genuinely surprised how good this author is. I’ve heard of Jekyll and Hyde but never looked into Stevenson.
The main story, Jekyll and Hyde was a great look into good intention/bad intention. A duality we all possess.
His other stories in this particular edition (readers digest publishing) were haunting and well written.
May 15, 2021
I really enjoyed the mystery and profound message in this story. I thought it was very well written and it was a page-turner until the end. Loved it!
December 31, 2021
A captivating story that contains some important truth. All of us have an innate capacity for evil rather than just "bad" guys. This story reminded me a little bit of Walter White from Breaking Bad.
May 17, 2024
What a neat collection of stories by Mr. Stevenson! My vocabulary list has expanded quite a bit with the Bri’ish vernacular in true stories. The psychological and ethical insights are so so cool to read in the light of having read Crime and Punishment last year. Here is my ranking of each individual story IN TERMS OF ENJOYMENT with one-sentence summaries:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 5/5, 78 pages
Psychological book that illustrates the duality of man and the importance of good physiognomy.
The Suicide Club (all 3): 4.5/5, 82 pages
Three interconnected stories concerning a temerarious Prince and his fastidious Colonel friend who try to cure boredom and stumble upon a club that assists suicidal individuals with a deck of cards.
Lodging for the Night: 4.5/5, 24 pages
A poor Master of the Arts watched his companion gets murdered, immediately pickpockets him, and seeks refuge from the biting cold.
Markheim: 4/5, 21 pages
Raskolnikov except he’s British has a therapy session with Satan about his issues.
The Body-Snatcher: 3/5, 23 pages
Two lads who have some seriously deadly coping mechanisms.
Thrawn Janet: 1/5, 14 pages (written completely in Scottish lingo, couldn’t make heads nor tails of it, it’s me not the book :))
Every religious horror movie where there’s a demon girl with her head lolling to the side.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 5/5, 78 pages
Psychological book that illustrates the duality of man and the importance of good physiognomy.
The Suicide Club (all 3): 4.5/5, 82 pages
Three interconnected stories concerning a temerarious Prince and his fastidious Colonel friend who try to cure boredom and stumble upon a club that assists suicidal individuals with a deck of cards.
Lodging for the Night: 4.5/5, 24 pages
A poor Master of the Arts watched his companion gets murdered, immediately pickpockets him, and seeks refuge from the biting cold.
Markheim: 4/5, 21 pages
Raskolnikov except he’s British has a therapy session with Satan about his issues.
The Body-Snatcher: 3/5, 23 pages
Two lads who have some seriously deadly coping mechanisms.
Thrawn Janet: 1/5, 14 pages (written completely in Scottish lingo, couldn’t make heads nor tails of it, it’s me not the book :))
Every religious horror movie where there’s a demon girl with her head lolling to the side.
January 16, 2023
For a book of that age it is really enjoyable to read. The language is not as old-timey as one would think and the story line is quite driven. I knew vaguely what it would be about, which is a bit sad I suppose, because it is intended as this great mysterie that the layer Mr. Utterson has to solve. But if you know the plot twist the suspense gets a little lost. Still engagingly written and has a few takes on morality and duality of men, etc. A little undercooked, maybe, but it's only 80 pages, so you cannot expect wordlclass philosophy.
All in all a nice and entertaining story. Interesting read mostly, because it inspired so many other stories.
Here a little overview:
All in all a nice and entertaining story. Interesting read mostly, because it inspired so many other stories.
Here a little overview:
May 4, 2019
I was hoping Jekyll and Hyde would be longer; that story really did surprise me, and I wanted to keep hearing about the character’s Frankensteinean shame. I liked all the other stories except for Thrawn Janet, which was written in such a strong British dialect as to be unintelligible. I’ll be honest, I read two pages and then skipped it.
Overall this collection of stories is spooky and incredibly well-written.
Overall this collection of stories is spooky and incredibly well-written.
July 4, 2019
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic that many people hear referenced but have never read, so I thought I'd try it out. It was only an 80-page story, so that was surprising to me. The plot was more relaxed and slow-paced than I thought it would be, though I think having been written in the nineteenth century might have had something to do with that. The characters are quite static and Mr. Hyde was far less villainous than I wanted him to be. I was looking for some pizazz here and I surely didn't get it. The rest of the book contained five other stories, four of which I read. Like the first, these were also lackluster and didn't seem to excite me or peak my interest. Meh...
January 17, 2020
One of my all time favorites.
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