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Summary: Great Plot, but the narrative could be a lot better!!
Review: The book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has a great plot, but it could be written better. Also, the book is somewhat hard to understand because it is written in an older form of English. The author, Robert Louis Stevenson, does however do a good job of describing the setting. The story takes place in the late 1800's in London, England.
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Summary: The strange case of dr.jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Review: i thought this was a good book.
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Summary: There's nothing like the real thing
Review: I have read or seen performed several different versions of the Jekyll and Hyde story, but none of them compare to the original short novel. Usually extra characters and subplots are introduced, but in Stevenson's story the plot is simple and the characters few. Stevenson had a gift for characterization, and one can't help but pity Jekyll after reading his final confession.
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Summary: A Masterpiece of Short Fiction
Review: This book is, without a doubt, Stevenson's best ever work. All his other books pale in comparison. This is the classic tale of suspense and horror, and we are kept hooked until the end. Since this is a rather short book, it can be easily read in one sitting. Got a rainy day, or even an hour to waste sometime? Well, this book is the perfect thing to read. Stevenson sure packs a lot of story and suspense into these few short pages! Highly reccommended.
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Summary: A great tale
Review: This was a wonderful book about a man with two identities and how he struggles to maintain them. Not really that scary but it did make you think a lot. Recommended!
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Summary: Narrative Technique
Review: Stevenson created Utterson to narrate the story. But large sections of it are composed of Lanyon's letter to Utterson and Henry Jekyll's diary. The advantage of this is that it allows Stevenson to prolong the readers' suspense. In a way, Utterson, Enfield, and, for a time, Lanyon, are in the same position as the readers: observers trying to understand the mystery surrounding Henry Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson allies readers with Utterson and Enfield. Then, after we learn Lanyon knows Jekyll's secret, we, like Utterson, read his letter eagerly. Lanyon's narrative reveals the secret that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. But, because Lanyon is also an observer, his narrative cannot tell us anything about Jekyll's motive. We need Jekyll's own account for that. Thus, the narrative method Stevenson chooses prolongs our suspense. Gradually revealing information about Jekyll just heightens our desire to know the full story. By the time we get to Jekyll's story, we are at a fever pitch. I doubt Stevenson could have kept the pace of suspense had he used third-person point of view, and he certainly wouldn't have been able to do it using Jekyll as a first-person narrator. The drive of Utterson's limited point of view matches our own. Stevenson's reliance on a limited first-person point of view also contributes to the story's theme. Perhaps Stevenson uses Utterson, Enfield, and our own ignorance of Jekyll's actions as a metaphor for human ignorance generally. In his narrative, Jekyll repeatedly refers to his life as the result of one choice among many choices he could have made. He creates Hyde to experience life and the other aspects of his personality denied by that choice. Jekyll argues that the choice he has made in selecting one life over another is discriminatory and limiting. It excludes other forms of knowledge and experience. Maybe Stevenson hoped to gain reader sympathy for Dr. Jekyll by associating our ignorance and desire to understand the Jekyll/Hyde mystery with Jekyll's desire to know more of the life he sacrificed to play the role of a respected doctor.
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Summary: Intriguing
Review: This book was entirely engrossing. It kept my attention constantly. In many ways it can be paralelled to Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Grey". Jekyll and Hyde was an adept look at the nature of Victorian Society. It touched on such issues as the importance of appearance and the inevitable consequences of one's actions. It was incredibly compelling, and had no boring sections (like Dorian Grey did). An excellent novella and a very good read!
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Summary: Thrilling audio adaption: Theatre for the mind!
Review: I'm the guy who wrote the adaption for the monterey soundworks audio cassette version of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Just to explain what the product isn't: it isn't a book on tape. What it is: is a dramatization of the story with many different talented voice acters, intriguing sound effects and original music. The story is brought to life through the characters and the action. What you don't get is some English guy reading to you out of the book. Being an adaption runing approximately 80 minutes, some changes had to be made, especially since the original text is either a novella or a long short story! The most notable change is the expansion of the Inspector's role as he joins Utterson (Dr. Jekyll's lawyer) in investigating the mysterious Mr. Hyde. Other than that, the adaption faithfully delivers the story of Dr. Jekyll exploring the duality of nature that exists in man, and the disastrous results of what he found. This adaption won a 1999 Independent Publisher Award. Give a listen to the monterey soundworks audio cassette version and let me know what you think. Email me at jmatmckinley@yahoo.com. Thanks.
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Summary: The review
Review: The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde maintained my interest throughout the whole book. Dr. Jekyll is a respected man in the community. Friends become concerned when Mr. Hyde begins to prowl around the residence of Dr. Jekyll. This is because Mr. Hyde has been seen and suspected in many crimes around the city. Theories develop concerning the whereabouts of Dr. Hekyll when he places himself into seclusion. The question arises if he must destroy himself before Mr. Hyde destroys him. Could this monster, Mr. Hyde, be the creation of Dr. Jekyll or is he being blackmailed. For the answer read this interesting book.
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Summary: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - abridged Audio
Review: This review is for the audio "mystery theater" tapes put out by Monterey Soundworks. I recently listened to this story while driving a distance and I swear it gave me chills. My kids (ages 9 and 5) were so engrossed, they insisted on staying in the car to hear the last few minutes! This is not a typical "book on tape"...the story is actually performed by various actors and they do an excellent job! I encourage everyone to try this -- theater of the mind!
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