Robert Louis Stevenson

Rosemary Border

Oxford Bookworms Library: Stage 4: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

jana 

If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.

God bless me, the man seems hardly human! Something troglodytic, shall we say? Or can it be the old story of Dr. Fell? Or is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures, its clay continent? The last, I think; for, O, my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan's signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend.

Jessie!

Part of a special set of 10 hardcover classics, designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith, that innovatively use foil and a special new binding material to create a highly collectible set.' All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil' Published as a 'shilling shocker', Robert Louis Stevenson's dark psychological fantasy gave birth to the idea of the split personality. The story of respectable DrJekyll's strange association with 'damnable young man' Edward Hyde; the hunt through fog-bound London for a killer; and the final revelation of Hyde's true identity is a chilling exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

What a novel. Read it in prepartion for school and it's very intersting; quite similar in idea to the picture of dorian grey. The dual personality which comes up in this book is way ahead of it's time and I like the scientific theme of gravehunters in this. Did not expect Jekyll and Hyde to be the same man. Great classic, and great pacing with an even greater decision of the novel size.

surtified™

Robert Mighall

And Other Tales of Terror (Penguin Classics)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Sarah Sammis

Yeah that “hyde and seek” line got me. I wonder how the people back then reacted to that line

Hanni

I need to open this with "If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek" is positively the single funniest line ever written in literature.

Stevenson has an unmatch knack for constructing stories that are both straightforward and multilayered. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in particular, seems to speak to many of Western society's persevering anxieties: good vs evil, the hypocrisy of the seemingly virtuous, the internal turmoil of nurture vs nature, the fear of one's own nature - the list goes on. And every time, there is a new facet to be discovered. It is why, in my opinion, it still reads as modern as if it was written this year. An absolutely outstanding little book. 

I need to open this with "If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek" is positively the single funniest line ever written in literature.

Stevenson has an unmatch knack for constructing stories that are both straightforward and multilayered. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in particular, seems to speak to many of Western society's persevering anxieties: good vs evil, the hypocrisy of the seemingly virtuous, the internal turmoil of nurture vs nature, the fear of one's own nature - the list goes on. And every time, there is a new facet to be discovered. It is why, in my opinion, it still reads as modern as if it was written this year. An absolutely outstanding little book. 

Classics with legible texts you can actually read at a fantastic price.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Maximus

Well… You see, the thing is… I wanted to like it.

I remember being of a younger age and having enjoyed watching the film of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring John Hannah and the TV series "Jekyll" starring James Nesbitt. My mistake before starting this book was that I held a firm presumptuous belief that it would be as good as the film and TV series (if not, better). Unfortunately, I found that the structure and delivery of the story were sadly perplexing, excessively wordy, and bouts of incoherence were displayed numerous times throughout. As a result, a convoluted and challenging story to follow. 

I could not help but think that the fancy words and complex sentences in this tale appeared as an insufficient consolation to make up for the absence of simplicity and fluency.

I often comprehend how good I think a story is based on the vivid impact it has on my imagination. In other words, I should be able to transport myself into that world, in that period of time and ideally, immerse myself through the eyes of the character(s). Unfortunately, I struggled to accomplish this goal whilst reading this book. However, the last chapter picked up a small amount of interest despite the complex language. If the story were shorter, yet more focused on Jekyll's narrative and his internal struggle with the use of more simplistic language, it might have been a more inviting read.

I understand that the overall consensus is that this story is very good. Arguably, considered one of the most successful and sophisticated horror stories in current existence. Allow me to state that I was intrigued by the plot, the philosophy behind the duality of human nature, in addition to the internal battleground where the fight between good and evil exists within Jekyll and Hyde. It is a well developed allegory which exposures the reality of human-beings. However, I must prompt that it is in the delivery or indeed, the “execution” of this tale in which I felt discouraged. 

Since the novella was published in 1886, I have reflected that if I was alive at that time and were to have read this book back then, would my views have possibly been different? - If I were more accustomed to the language or writing style for that time period, would that have made a difference? 

As you can see, I was left with more questions than answers after this reading experience.

 - Others which I have contemplated are as follows:

- Can I see something which other people cannot regarding the execution of this novella?
- Can others see something that I cannot? 
- Did my expectations hinder the reading experience?

 The truth is… Who knows, right? - I have no answers to these questions. All I can do is express myself as honestly and open-mindedly as I can in this review. - I hope I have done so.

(To the others who wish to read this book in the future; please do not be deterred on my account).

Class read. Cool premise, and short but suffers from the romantic era writing style. Nonetheless definitely a cultural classic and a good read to get around to

Derek Graf

The line, ""If he be Mr Hyde," he had thought, "I shall be Mr Seek."", is probably the best line I have ever read.

might fuck around and blame everything that inconveniences me on mr. hyde too

An 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old friend Dr. Henry Jekyll and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Romy

Ann Gabrielle

“Evil besides (which I must still believe to be the lethal side of man) had left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay. And yet when I looked upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This, too, was myself. It seemed natural and human.”

this is so female-coded lol

Brandy

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two people with different personalities (good vs. evil) but why is Dr. Jekyll very protective of Mr. Hyde? How are those two people related to each other?

A very well written book that you must read once in your lifetime. Though it's a classic book, I really enjoy the sci-fi element in this book. Totally worth to read. Once you started, you won't stop until the end.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

Marie

Somehow different from the stories and adaptations it inspired.

Different from what I expected it to be but reading such a spoken classic was fun even though I didn't get the opportunity to study it for my exams.

A humane scientist attempts to explore the most loathsome forces of evil behind the doors of his London laboratory

Magdalena Oßenberg

"𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐌𝐫 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐞," 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭, "𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐌𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤."

Iconic. A true horror classic.

Andrew John Kinney

I am amazed by RLS' ability, 140 years after he wrote most of his books, to hold our attention and to entertain. Jekyll & Hyde is a bit more preachy than most of his work, but it still grabs the reader, despite the fact that everyone knows the story. Somehow I had avoided reading it until now. I like Kidnapped and his travelogues better, but it's still a great parable.

Briar's Reviews

Yet another classic off my shelf....

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is very famous in the lore of classic novels, so I figured I would finally pick it up. This book was yet another case of "Why couldn't I read this with an English teacher?" I wanted to hear every little bit of this story be picked apart and explained to me, much like my high school English classes. Especially since this book is written in prose from the time it was published. 

It was definitely interesting, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked. I assume that's because I've seen many of Hollywood's versions of this story. So many, that it kind of ruined the surprise!

This book does have some cool themes and plot lines - losing control, science experiments - all of the really fun topics (for those newbies to the classic scene, think The Hulk but...well, older).

There is one line in this book that was absolutely AMAZING. "If he shall be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek!" Seriously, that level of humour is truly epic. This book gets a star for just THAT comment. That level of play on words is EPIC.

My biggest con for this book was how it's written. Yes, it's old and they had a different writing style back then. But, for me, it was a real hassle sticking to the book. I kept pulling myself away only to jump back in to finish it. Hence, why I need an English major to hold my hand as I read this book.

Two out of five stars.

Know Anyone Like This in Your Life? Politicians? Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde. The work is commonly associated with the rare mental condition often called ""split personality"", referred to in psychiatry as dissociative identity disorder, where within the same body there exists more than one distinct personality. In this case, there are two personalities within Dr. Jekyll, one apparently good and the other evil. About the Author: Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850 - 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was just as great as the first time I read it but the other stories were pretty disappointing. I ended up not reading the last few ones.

Lyn 

La historia te envuelve desde el primer momento. Realmente me encantó como se mostró el mundo y la vida a través del personaje(s), y la manera de escribir, el desarrolló de la historia y el plot twist... Increíbles.

Colleen

4 Stars

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde was a departure from Stevenson's other works but just as influential. This is a story that has seeped into many forms of media and been retold or borrowed from countless times. Stories this influential are always worth a read especially when they are this short. 

And it is not just the length that makes Dr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde an quick read. The writing is clear and mostly fast-paced. The ideas behind it, the cautionary tale about the good and evil inside all of us, are timeless. 

This must have been mind-blowing for those original readers who were truly surprised by the ending. These days, the twist is so well known, I doubt it would be a surprise ending for anyone. Even many of modern synopses blatantly state it. But I don't think that detracted from the story's merit. 

The only big con was that the denouement veered towards info dumping and deus ex machina. It lost the momentum of the rest of the story which made it a tad anticlimactic. This is still a must read classic though particularly if you wish to gain a better understanding of where certain ideas in modern media came from. 


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

i was quite enthralled by the beautiful, beautiful writing and i adored the sombre and gloomy atmosphere. i just wish i hadn't known how it would end. :/

Sampurna Saha 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sound cooler than they actually were (which is my way of saying this book was incredibly boring)

Although I had to read it in English I found it partially enjoyable 

Keira tanya

Felipe Saldarriaga 

La experiencia que tuve con esta historia fue en versión audiolibro, me encanta la narrativa que lleva detrás, la ambientación de la época tanto en la descripción de los momentos como en los diálogos es genial. Aún asi, hay detalles que se alargan mucho para avanzar con la trama.

Millie

I mean its actually a pretty good book, interesting, and easily worthy of its classic status, but studying this almost sent me into a coma. The day of the exam they had to administer me CPR, mouth to mouth, and a defibrillation electric shock to wake me up in the morning. 4-1 stars for trauma. I still got that A.

Oxford Bookworms Library: Stage 4: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

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