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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
3 stars

So, even though I've known the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for years and years, the book was still a surprise to me. I think that part of this was due to having seen the stage play twice and I thought there was actually a "love" element to the book, which would have made the overall impact even more tragic. Overall the basic story was much the way I thought it went but since it's such a short book the impact was stronger than I expected. It really came down to the fact that this poor man just came to a point where he had no choice in which personality took control of his life. I enjoyed the read.

4 Stars for me:

It was a classic I had never read before....and it was not only very good, but definitely held up. The concepts of virtue versus vice battling in man’s soul, and what dangers lie in feeding one more, are just as relevant today.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ★★�(�)

Read: August 2018 as part of my TBR and Summer backpack through Europe challenges.

Well written, disturbing and dark about the battle between good and bad. I quite enjoyed this one, especially the last part when we got the "explanation". But it must have been more shocking back then when the twist wasn't so well known!

Read 2014, A quick read of good and evil; Jekyll and Hyde. A classic use of the double.

3.5 stars

I am pretty sure that I read an abridged version of this in middle or high school and I know that I've seen at least one theatrical production of Jekyll & Hyde so I went in knowing what the story was. This one was picked as my monthly selection for the 1001 TBR Takedown, so, I am finally "officially" reading the unabridged version.

The book was short enough so it was a quick read but it never fully engaged me. It is a well known classic tale of good and evil and the dual nature of men, so there were no surprises here for me. I am glad that I finally got to read it.

Jessica wrote: "3.5 stars

I am pretty sure that I read an abridged version of this in middle or high school and I know that I've seen at least one theatrical production of Jekyll & Hyde so I went in knowing what..."

Now if you haven't already,, you will need to read The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter. I am currently reading it.

Kristel wrote: "Jessica wrote: "3.5 stars

I am pretty sure that I read an abridged version of this in middle or high school and I know that I've seen at least one theatrical production of Jekyll & Hyde so I went..."

I haven't read that one yet. Thanks for the recommendation! It looks good so I've added it to my to-read shelf.

I liked the complex way the story was told- that was very surprising to me (I only knew the bare bones of the plot). Stevenson's language use, while interesting, was overly-flamboyant with vocabulary I thought, and the narrative quite melodramatic. Nevertheless, I did like it and rate it four stars (though just barely).

3 Stars

Wow this book was very...Victorian. Boring narrator who is passively observing the main story. Pages of nothing much happening followed by pages of break-neck action. Society morals. Hidden vices.

I feel like the mystery was super obvious but of course I already know the story. I'd like to know how I would have approached it with fresh eyes.

I was surprised about how thin the plot actually was and that many of the plot elements I was expecting must have been added in later adaptations (I'm mainly famliar with the ever so cheesey musical).

Still, this was an iconic piece of sensation literature which must have given those repressed Victorians a bit of a thrill!

3 stars.

I wish this was not embedded in Western Cultural heritage as I don't think I would ever have figured out the twist ending if I hadn't known it before reading. Enjoyable.

read Sept. 2024

This is another fine book by Stevenson. This novella is so embedded in Western culture that it is hard to know if you’ve read it before or not, yet you probably know the story. Having recently read “The Turn of the Screw� by James, I can’t help comparing them and James comes out poorly. The odd time Stevenson does devolve to wordiness, but mainly his narrative moves along. As well, the premise and it’s execution has a lot of depth because he is vague about Hyde’s depravity. This is what has allowed it to be a ‘classic� � the contemporary reader can interpret it based on current social mores and issues. 4*

Pre-2016 review:

***

A well-known story since my early exposure to it through a Daffy Duck cartoon, I was probably expecting more from reading it. True, it is an interesting tale about how humans are inhabited with good and evil, maybe too about the dangers of scientific experiments, with an interesting narrative structure. But the writing style is heavily Victorian, too much for my liking. Even though it's a short novella, I struggled to enjoy it because of this latter aspect.