The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde & Other Tales; Kidnapped; Treasure Island

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Contents:

Kidnapped
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Treasure Island

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Fantasy, Novels, Science Fiction, Literature

648 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1886

About the author

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole, this book is 3*, but since there are five stories I feel I should rate each one also...

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was a fun read, and nice seeing where all the many, many adaptations found their basis. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, more thinking that it would be seen from Jekyll/Hyde's POV as he lived this double life. Instead, we see the end of his double life from an outsider's view, and because everyone now knows that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person the story lost a lot of its mystery. Still, it was enjoyable - 3*

The Treasure of Franchard was alright with a nice moral to the story, but the main character - Doctor Desprez - was annoying and quite hypocritical. 2* (On a side note, I was talking about the story to a friend a couple of chapters in and kept referring to Desprez as 'the doctor' because I couldn't remember his name. He then said 'it isn't Doctor Who is it?' and from there on out I did have a picture of David Tennant's Dr Who running round in the story...)

I gave up on The Merry Men after about ten pages and simply skipped it. This edition explains any words which we may not understand in brackets after the word, and between this and the ridiculously heavy Scottish accents transcribed I was battling through most of the speech sections and barely understanding what was going on. I couldn't be bothered figuring out what was being said or flicking back to find meanings of words which had been explained once that I couldn't remember - 1*

I didn't really know anything about Kidnapped when I began reading it past the obvious - someone was going to get kidnapped. The start of the story was interesting enough, as was the conclusion - and quite clever on the part of the characters. David Balfour was alright, and I quite liked Alan Stewart but the tedious nature of the vast majority of the story put me off - 2*

Treasure Island was basically the entire reason I bought this Omnibus, with Jekyll and Hyde as an added bonus. It's a very good story that trots along at a nice pace. Again, we all know what happens from the various adaptations but it was nice to finally see the basis for them all - 4*

[Judy]

I read the Penguin edition, the print is so tiny it was very difficult to read. The story was not what I expected it to be, it's actually much deeper than what I imagined of Dr. Jekyll drinking some potion and turning into a monster, kind of like The Hulk. I guess I got that picture from some film adaptation. It's more in the way of a morality tale, of what happens when you give in to your baser lusts. I also read some of the notes on it, which seem to say that it's referring to masturbation and syphilis (for which, at that time, there was no cure). But actually, the brilliance is in that it doesn't tell you what sins he performs (except for violence and murder), so you're free to imagine the worst.

I wonder why he told it at such a remove, through Lanyon and Utterson. I mean, at the end, he tells it from the first person, but why go through all that puzzling, except if it was to make it a mystery. What do you think?

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen adaptaions in small parts of Jekyll and Hyde, however, I have not read the full story. What a wild and crazy tale of dual personality and a look at trying to see if one can control their darkest persona. Unfortunatley for Jekyl it backfires and things do not go well.

There is a sequel of sorts that takes Jekyll and Hyde to a new level, I do not remember the title or author. It was far more disturbing than the original.

[David Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

More introspective than I expected.

[Liza ❤️❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was oh my god like amazing. If our school did this book for gcse I would be so happy like . Plot twist so much like everything. Amazing.

[David Stern · Rating 3 out of 5]

I freely admit, I would have enjoyed this one much more if I didn't know the twist (that Jekyll is Hyde). I imagine that when this came out, it shocked audiences.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was alright! Dr Jekylls account chapter was a mental challenge to read.

[Mark Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Audio:] (I listened to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde only) Fantastic book that speaks to the insidious nature of sin. It's a great message for self control--don't give your lusts a chance to exercise or you'll be overpowered by them. There's a part of me that would like to add to this book and make it more pointed; the lasciviousness more dark, the angst of Jekyll as he looses control more graphic. The movies on this book stink, but one thing that would have been nice in the book is for Jekyll to loose a love interest because of his weakness.

[Christy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story we all know, but how many have read it? It’s short and creepy, even knowing what will happen from movies and such. The quintessential story of our human temptations taking hold of us, of feeling like a different person in one’s own body, embracing evil until one realizes it’s not easy to escape that embrace.

[Rene' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not anything like what I thought it would be. Depressing but interesting because it was so different that the spin-off versions that make one think they know the story.

[lconnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

these books were read many years ago, but Treasure Island is a good reread

[John Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing book

[jhnx · Rating 5 out of 5]

riddled with social commentary