Three horror classicswith an introduction by Stephen King
Some of literatures most popular and enduring horror icons in one indisp... read full description
Some of literatures most popular and enduring horror icons in one indisp... read full description
reviews
Jun 11, 2011
Marvin
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This is one of my all-time favorite paperbacks. A single binding of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr.Jekyll and Mr Hyde with an introduction by Stephen King. I have separately rated Frankenstein as four stars, Dracula as three stars, and I would rate Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde as a big time five stars. Yet the reason I would go a full five stars on this edition is two-fold...
1) The idea of placing these novels together is a stroke of genius. You have the three cornerstones of modern horror. F More...
1) The idea of placing these novels together is a stroke of genius. You have the three cornerstones of modern horror. F More...
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Oct 26, 2011
Rahel
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Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a captivatingly mysterious novel set in London during the late 1800s. It tells the story of Mr. Gabriel Utterson, a town lawyer, as he investigates the mystery surrounding an old friend and colleague of his, Dr. Henry Jekyll. Utterson is alarmed to discover that Dr. Jekyll’s will had named an unfamiliar Mr. Hyde as the sole beneficiary of his estate. This raises questions that Utterson becomes determined to have answered. Upon meeting Mr. Hyde
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Oct 26, 2011
Caleb
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“The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson, is about a man named Henry Jekyll who performs experiments in an attempt to separate the dual personalities of good and evil found in every human being. He wishes to give each a separate entity so that they may not conflict. Instead, he unleashes his secondary dark personality within the same body.
Two men. Two polar-opposite personalities. One body. This age-old story is one that most people have heard, but simply More...
Two men. Two polar-opposite personalities. One body. This age-old story is one that most people have heard, but simply More...
Oct 23, 2011
Chase
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Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde was an extremly enjoyable book the mystery contained within the worn pages of this spectacular book, is a mystery that will leave you reading nonstop, leaving you with the yearning to know every detail this short, but fantastic story contained. This book was enjoyable, however the only thing I wished would have been different is the beginning chapter. the opening of this book was not really a pull in to read more. In books one of the most importaint parts that i b
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Oct 19, 2011
Matthew
rated it:
Dr. Jekyll created a potion that changed his life. Dr. Jekyll lived a well spent life, born among wealth, and with a hardworking, decent nature. From his birth Jekyll had an interest in the indecent and evil side of life. This interest stuck with him until fully grown when he finally discovered a way to act on it without affecting his reputation.
Mr. Utterson, the protagonist of the story and a friend of Dr. Jekyll, is a lawyer who helped create a peculiar will for a good friend Dr. Jekyll More...
Mr. Utterson, the protagonist of the story and a friend of Dr. Jekyll, is a lawyer who helped create a peculiar will for a good friend Dr. Jekyll More...
Oct 23, 2011
Caitlin
rated it: 
Good vs. evil plays a substantial role in the chilling mystery of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. Revolving around Dr.Jekyll, a well known and well acclaimed scientist living in London, his number one goal turned to separating his ‘evil’ side from his body and into it’s own. To accomplish this, Jekyll concocted a potion that would transform him in to the perilous Edward Hyde. The creation of the disguise gave Jekyll the ability to go about his dirty and malicious deeds and then safely return to his
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Dec 13, 2010
Karen
rated it: 
I only read the Dracula portion of this book so that's all I'm reviewing.
I liked it. It was good. If it had been written today, it DEFINITELY would have been a trilogy. So, I kept thinking we were coming to the end...and then a whole new segment would begin. And for that reason, it seemed too long to me. First I thought it was about going to his castle and how to escape. Then it was about the poor girl and what was going to happen to her. And THEN it was about catching the villain. All More...
I liked it. It was good. If it had been written today, it DEFINITELY would have been a trilogy. So, I kept thinking we were coming to the end...and then a whole new segment would begin. And for that reason, it seemed too long to me. First I thought it was about going to his castle and how to escape. Then it was about the poor girl and what was going to happen to her. And THEN it was about catching the villain. All More...
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Jul 12, 2010
Steven
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This isn't the exact edition I have, but it's content is the same, incl. the foreword by King. Highly influential in my life, much to the chagrin of my mother and others who thought I should've read "better" things. Dracula has stood up, though the others, though great, seem dated. Stoker and King are the only writers of vampire stuff I've read. I'm kinda protesting...
July 12, 2010...Okay, I found the book and looked up the ISBN and so now the edition's right--but witho More...
July 12, 2010...Okay, I found the book and looked up the ISBN and so now the edition's right--but witho More...
Oct 26, 2011
Katie R
rated it:
The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a good book. I enjoyed the plot of the book but i did not enjoy the authors diction that he used. I was really excited about reading a Halloween classic, when my English teacher talked about it sounded like a really good book, but as i got toward the end of the book i was more confused and questioning if there was really such a thing as leading a double life. In the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde there was no background or details on the characters.
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Oct 30, 2011
Jessica
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The story of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde is about a man who is so evil that he's split into two versions of himself. The evil side is constricted by societal regulations, that he can only show his true colors when he takes the form of Mr.Hyde. This story is good for a spooky but psychological fix. Jekyll is guilty and feels remorse for his other side that he wants to split the two so he won't have to be that person anymore. However even when he is in his natural form (Dr.Jekyll) he still feels the nee
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Oct 16, 2010
travelgirlut
rated it:
I actually only read the Frankenstein portion of this book. I had already read the other two stories previously. As for Frankenstein, it was very different from what I would have guessed from the popularized portrayals I've seen in various forms of media. I had no idea what the story was about, so it was a nice surprise to read it and see what really happened in the story. I also think it's amazing that Mary Shelley wrote this when she was 19. In the introduction Stephen King says that the
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Jan 07, 2012
Meredith
rated it:
The plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was interesting, but reading the book was not. What I mean when I say this is the story sounded interesting when someone had told me about it before reading the story. The fact that a man lived two separate lives (trying to describe the story without giving too much away) UNREALISTICALLY made the story sound mysterious. All throughout the story, I was waiting for a twist. I was thinking, "Okay, I know that was going to happen, but what next?" It turn
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Oct 21, 2011
Alex
rated it:
You know the book you've read is mediocre at best when the most well-written part was the introduction, even if someone as great as Stephen King wrote it. Three classics in the horror genre, whose influence is felt to this day, you'd think one of them would be above average. Nope. King actually gives fair warning in his intro that the stories are not written particularly well, but I wondered if maybe he was being too harsh. Turns out he was being too kind.
First was Frankenstein by Mar More...
First was Frankenstein by Mar More...
Oct 29, 2010
Harmonybites
rated it:
These three together are the horror classics modern authors like King, Rice, Crichton, Thomas Harris are greatly indebted to. I think Stoker's Dracula is the strongest novel of the three--one with unforgettable characters, a propulsive narrative, and one where the narration and dialogue feels more natural. All three interestingly enough have first person elements. Dracula is almost entirely told through journals and letters; Frankenstein is framed as a letter about Victor Frankenstein including
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Feb 22, 2011
Ana
rated it:
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / 0-451-52363-6
The classic three foundational works of horror, and the inspiration for dozens if nor hundreds of movies, are packaged here together in an attractive tight package.
"Frankenstein" is something of a love-it-or-hate-it work and I will confess of falling on the more heretical side of that equation - there's a strong didactic feel to the work and Shelley comes off a little too hand-wringing and pearl-clutc More...
The classic three foundational works of horror, and the inspiration for dozens if nor hundreds of movies, are packaged here together in an attractive tight package.
"Frankenstein" is something of a love-it-or-hate-it work and I will confess of falling on the more heretical side of that equation - there's a strong didactic feel to the work and Shelley comes off a little too hand-wringing and pearl-clutc More...
Aug 31, 2010
Eric
rated it:
Although I own this edition of the book, and read the Stephen King introduction to it, I am reading a different edition of the three novels. I found a website -- DailyLit -- that emails you snippets of classic books every day, so that they can be read in a serialized manner over the course of a few weeks to months, depending on the length of the work. I am going to experiment with reading these three novels that way and review those editions of them, and my experience with Daily Lit, when I fi
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Jun 14, 2011
S.
rated it:
Frankenstein - I had read this story previously, so I skipped reading it in this book.
Dracula - Finished this story on 2011Jun10.
I'm don't read many novels using the epistolary structure, so that made the beginning feel a little distant and disjointed. But once the story had gotten under way, I was pulled in and couldn't wait to sneak opportunities to keep reading this. As a story I'd recommend this, but when you add in the influence this has had on generations of novelists, it More...
Dracula - Finished this story on 2011Jun10.
I'm don't read many novels using the epistolary structure, so that made the beginning feel a little distant and disjointed. But once the story had gotten under way, I was pulled in and couldn't wait to sneak opportunities to keep reading this. As a story I'd recommend this, but when you add in the influence this has had on generations of novelists, it More...
Mar 22, 2010
Roberta
rated it:
Stephen King, that perennial adolescent, isn't fit to fetch Mary Shelley's coffee.
I picked this up in a bargain bin and what a bargain it was! All three were so much better than any screen adaptation ever made. Some of the the descriptions were deliciously disgusting. These are all fine examples of what horror writing should be.
I picked this up in a bargain bin and what a bargain it was! All three were so much better than any screen adaptation ever made. Some of the the descriptions were deliciously disgusting. These are all fine examples of what horror writing should be.
Oct 20, 2010
Jill
rated it:
I only read "Dracula" from this book of 3 classics. Having not seen any Dracula movies, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I loved that there were religious undertones that accompanied the fight between good and evil. There was some comic relief, though it was somewhat morbid. I thought the ending was spectacular, and I was anxious throughout. I was impressed with how quickly things tied up, but it was completely well done.
Jul 16, 2011
Linda
rated it:
I thought the book "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley was amazing considering the author was only 19 when the book was published. Amazing imagination, and amazing verbiage (definition: overabundance of words)! Thus the two stars!
Jul 11, 2010
Matt
rated it:
I've read Frankenstein and am reading Dracula, and have not read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde yet. I put a review of Frankenstein under a separate listing for it alone, which I'm not going to bother taking down...
So far Dracula seems to be far more engaging and more maturely written than Frankenstein was, but I will update this someday, when I've finished reading.
So far Dracula seems to be far more engaging and more maturely written than Frankenstein was, but I will update this someday, when I've finished reading.
Mar 08, 2009
CC
rated it:
A hard book to rate because I liked Dracula so much (couldn't put the book down and devoured the pages) and I disliked Frankenstein so much (one of the worst "classics" written in my opinion).
Feb 15, 2011
Jordan
rated it:
Different than I remembered it and so I was glad I read the book. I am not much for monster stories science fiction but the underlying storyline is good.
Sep 15, 2011
Alicia
rated it:
A fantastic collection of 3 of the greatest classics in literature (not just the horror genre). A must-have for any library.
Oct 08, 2009
Zuri
rated it:
I actually enjoyed this book. The story line was very creative, especisally since Marry Shelly was my age when she wrote it. I could never make up a story so creative with that kind of diction, not at this age st least! Maybe in my later years when i mature a little more.
Aug 12, 2008
CJ - You Carry On As If I Don't Love You
rated it:
Dracula is THE vampire story. The granddaddy of all of vampire stories! Yes, it could be a bit slow but it is essentially a tale of light versus darkness of civilized man vs baser nature, of sensuality vs proper and it delivers.
A must read for anyone interested in vampire novels as well as anyone interested in the human struggle.
Frankenstein is another amazing piece of writing. Another tale of primitive baser desires vs civilized thinking. Of man vs nature. The ultimate m More...
A must read for anyone interested in vampire novels as well as anyone interested in the human struggle.
Frankenstein is another amazing piece of writing. Another tale of primitive baser desires vs civilized thinking. Of man vs nature. The ultimate m More...
Nov 13, 2011
Stephen King introduction in this omnibus edition.
Stephen King recommended book. In Chapter 3 of Berkley's 1983 paperback edition of Danse Macabre, King said: "The three novels I want to discuss in this chapter seem to have actually achieved that immortality, and I believe it's impossible to discuss horror in the years 1950-1980 with any real fullness of understanding unless we begin with these three books."
Those three books are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and
Stephen King recommended book. In Chapter 3 of Berkley's 1983 paperback edition of Danse Macabre, King said: "The three novels I want to discuss in this chapter seem to have actually achieved that immortality, and I believe it's impossible to discuss horror in the years 1950-1980 with any real fullness of understanding unless we begin with these three books."
Those three books are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and
