Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Vintage Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Stevenson's classic horror tale of the beast buried within
Review: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is assured a place in the history of horror fiction because it the literary classic that represents the archetype of the werewolf (the human with the hiding inside). Along with Mary Wollstonecraft's "Frankenstein" (the Thing Without a Name) and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (the Vampire) Robert Louis Stevenson's novella is part of the gothic foundation of the modern horror story. All have in common the fact that they promise to tell a story that might best be left untold, which, of course, is exactly the sort of story we want to hear.

Given that Stevenson was writing when the genre of horror fiction was not recognized as such, it is surprising that "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is cast in the form of a mystery novel. Stevenson invites his readers to try and get ahead of the story, to put the clues together and come to the conclusion. Today it is nearly impossible to pick up this story and not know the "secret," but if you think back to the late 19th-century when this story was written you can get a sense for how Stevenson used the biases and limitations of his readers to his advantage in keeping them from what we might consider to be an obvious conclusion.

More importantly, Stevenson is writing several decades before the writings of Sigmund Freud revolutionized the whole idea of human psychology. Yet we can certainly find evidence of the conscious and subconscious mind of which Freud would write. Stevenson reinforces this metaphor with the block of buildings that divides this particular part of London, with one side representing the civilized world of a respected physician and the other side the squalor of the world inhabited by an inhuman creature who gives in to his every earthly desire. The novella also speaks to the topic of evolution, with Hyde being described as "ape-like," reinforcing the idea that our most human attributes remove us ever further from the category of mere animal.

Of the three classic horror novels, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is the most accessible. Not only because of its shorter length, but also because its evil is more realistic, even in terms of our imagination. We might be unable to reanimate the dead or to become the walking dead, but we can certainly relate to the idea of unleashing the beast buried with us. Even if we could not, we can recognize the "werewolf" in the real world in the form of serial killers who try to show a civilized face to us in public. This is not to say that the novella is simplistic, for Stevenson offers a sophisticated narrative. If this is one of those literary you have never read because you already know the story, then you should take out an evening to sit down and finally get around to reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Satisfying
Review: Equally entertaining in it's own right, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde maintained my interest. However, since it is not the slang I am used to in speech and in text, the language was difficult for me to comprehend at first. But as the story progressed, I was able to keep up with the extensive vocabulary and sentence structures. The story line captivated me, being mysterious and well put together. Dr. Jekyll is a jolly man who is well liked and well respected, and with good reason. Initially, I was fond of this character as his lawyer, Mr. Utterson, described him throughout the book. Yet, when it is revealed what Dr. Jekyll did, my opinion of him becomes shady and unsure. This character is essential and puzzling in this story, causing one to wonder his credibility. Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, is a man who is easily dislikable. He shows no reason to be admired most notably when he does the unthinkable. Murder, mystery, missing links and possibly psychotic scientists ... and that's just the beginning. This book obviously had no trouble intriguing me.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book
Review: This is most definately the best Victorian mistery I have read! Haunting, sinister, profound & truly spine-tingling!

When Mr. Utterson, a dry (yet very likeably) London Lawyer looks at the last will of his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll his suspicions are arroused; what is the relationship between his respectable friend Harry Jekyll and the evill Mr. Edward Hyde? After Mr. Hyde is witnessed murdering a distinguished MP, Sir Danvers the story gets truly terrifying at times - yet I couldn't put it down!

At first I thought that my knowing the ending (as most people will!) before I read the book would ruin it but I still found it most enjoyable!

Rating:
Summary: yet another uninteresting 'classic'...
Review: We were always told in school to read the classics...and so, having embarked on an attempt to do this, I find it very uninspiring. Just as interesting as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde novel is both unexciting and a waste of time. Maybe the modern day media has dullened my senses, maybe I have become anaesthetized to the twists and turns of this timeless classic. Then again, maybe it is hugely overrated by literature readers who get their cues from the 1940's.

Rating:
Summary: yet another uninteresting 'classic'...
Review: We were always told in school to read the classics...and so, having embarked on an attempt to do this, I find it very uninspiring. Just as interesting as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde novel is both unexciting and a waste of time. Maybe the modern day media has dullened my senses, maybe I have become anaesthetized to the twists and turns of this timeless classic. Then again, maybe it is hugely overrated by literature readers who get their cues from the 1940's.