Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in The Dusty Bookshelf

Jul 05, 2012 Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo rated it did not like it

Shelves: classics, literary-fiction, summer-2012

When I first read DR. JEKYLL and MR. HYDE 39 years ago as a sophomore in high school, I disliked it. And I disliked yet again. By no means do I not like Robert Louis Stephenson; I remember TREASURE ISLAND with fondness. He is a wonderful writer with a distinct voice among those who wrote during the Victorian era. But I do understand his small novel better now than I did when I was sixteen. It is indeed a tale of good versus evil, but it is also one of man’s hubris – dividing oneself to escape gu ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 April rated it really liked it

Done..but I can say no more, until the ladies and I have discussed. Nice pick for an October read....bwwaaahahahaha!

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Mar 07, 2013 raya (a little mango) rated it liked it

Shelves: classics, short-stories, oh-the-horror, sci-fi

Behold: the regal and mystery that is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, if only I found it regaling and mysterious. A notable classic whose references still hold widely popular, the mystery has been stripped away—even for someone such as myself, who has never watched a film adaption. I am, however, familiar with the story and duality Jekyll and Hyde represent. Although far from a purely angelic being, Jekyll is neither good nor bad. What Dr. Jekyll equates to is an ambitious scientist w Behold: the regal and mystery that is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, if only I found it regaling and mysterious. A notable classic whose references still hold widely popular, the mystery has been stripped away—even for someone such as myself, who has never watched a film adaption. I am, however, familiar with the story and duality Jekyll and Hyde represent. Although far from a purely angelic being, Jekyll is neither good nor bad. What Dr. Jekyll equates to is an ambitious scientist who incidentally unleashes an evil from within himself. Now released, to be contained and muted beneath Jekyll’s morals and persona doesn’t appeal to the conscienceless Mr. Hyde. Confined in one body, a great struggle for dominance between two entities ensues, and what Jekyll might’ve hoped would be his success threatens his very life and reputation.

My devil had long been caged, he came out roaring.

This much I knew, as should everyone else. The puzzle piece is continually exploited and its references bomb pop culture. The mystery, then, is no longer a mystery. The shock value is nulled, but I didn’t read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde to hitch a ride on supposed thrill. Of course I liked the idea of knocking out another classic from my to-read list, but I also sought horror and hoped to be a first-hand witness to Jekyll’s torment. What I read, unfortunately, does not match up to what I had hoped to read. Where is the fright? The anguish in Jekyll’s eyes? Hyde’s fear and pursuit for control?

I found that it’s impossible to observe any of this because Stevenson denies his readers access. Some may disagree with my statement, but we—the readers—find ourselves strapped to Mr. Utterson’s side, hearing the story mostly through his account. (And in past tense no less.) Trapped in an outsider’s perspective, I, too—like Mr. Utterson—become a third party to the events of Jekyll and Hyde. I cannot observe the one most intriguing aspect, and everything I looked forward to reading about was crushed by Robert Louis Stevenson. Or, depending on how you look at it, Hollywood excelled in raising the standards of my expectations.

Mr. Hyde, as it turns out, is not the monster I expected. Stevenson only provides rare glimpses of the man, which does nothing to indulge my fantasy of an incorrigible evil that stalks nighttime streets. More importantly: rather than the individual of Jekyll or Hyde, what gives this novella power is the interrelationship between the two forces. Hyde begins as a dormant entity that emerges as a ruthless tyrant, growing to completely replace Dr. Jekyll. I am left in a disappointed state, because I believe the split individual(s)—the doctor and his freed cruelty—deserves spotlight. Had Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde differently, the duality of human nature could have been more deeply explored.

This is not to say I don’t enjoy or appreciate the theme. I did, in fact, take pleasure in reading this despite frustrations. The idea that people contain an alter ego, or two opposite forces, skulking beneath the public display of themselves is an interesting thought to tamper with. Although I had obvious disappointment—almost an anticlimactic experience—this literary work is long-standing and continues to see success. It remains a classic, and I feel that its references in popular culture will outlive many of us, which I think is enough reason to read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at least once. I certainly don’t regret the short little while it took me to finish Stevenson’s story, and I’m quite glad I set aside the time.

This, as I take it, was because 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.

This review and more can be read at Midnight Coffee Monster. ...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Hayley Stewart rated it liked it

Shelves: 2012, hayley-dusty-bookshelf

Full review can be found here

The idea of Jekyll and Hyde has been reused and rehashed so many times, in so many different ways, that you feel like you already know what the book will be like. However, let me stop you there. It seems that movies and hype have once again taken people away from the book itself.

We all know the basic premise of this novella; one good doctor who drinks a concoction in order to turn into his darker side but soon finds himself stuck in an unwanted position. What I didn ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Darlene rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-1000, audiobook, bought, books-i-own, horror, classic, read-in-2017

I enjoyed this classic tale of good versus evil!

The story opens with two relatives going out for a walk, and one relaying a story about an incident which occurred in that area which resulted in a little girl being trampled over by a man known as Edward Hyde. The bystanders forced the man to pay a fine of £100, and he returned with partial payment in gold and the balance by way of cheque signed by Dr. Henry Jekyll. The police thought the cheque was a forgery. After all, why wouldn’t Mr. Hyde hand I enjoyed this classic tale of good versus evil!

The story opens with two relatives going out for a walk, and one relaying a story about an incident which occurred in that area which resulted in a little girl being trampled over by a man known as Edward Hyde. The bystanders forced the man to pay a fine of £100, and he returned with partial payment in gold and the balance by way of cheque signed by Dr. Henry Jekyll. The police thought the cheque was a forgery. After all, why wouldn’t Mr. Hyde hand over a cheque from his own account? One of the men, Mr. Utterson, was actually Dr. Jekyll’s lawyer and knew that Dr. Jekyll had made a Will bequeathing everything to Mr. Hyde.

About a year later, Mr. Hyde is involved in another violent incident. In this case, a woman witnesses Mr. Hyde murdering a local Member of Parliament. However, Mr. Hyde is nowhere to be found. The case grows cold, until a few months later when Mr. Utterson is contacted by Dr. Jekyll’s servant who is concerned that something bad has happened to his master. The two of them break into Dr. Jekyll’s lab. They expected to find Dr. Jekyll inside, but instead they find the body of Mr. Hyde.

Through written records left behind, the story is unraveled. Dr. Jekyll wanted to find a way to separate the two parts of his personality: The darker side from the good side. He found the right mix of chemicals to make a potion that allowed him to do just that. He actually was able to physically transform himself into another man, whom he called Mr. Hyde. It is while he is in his Mr. Hyde alter ego that he commits the aforementioned violent acts. Dr. Jekyll is losing control, as he becomes able to spontaneously transform into the Mr. Hyde persona even without taking the potion. It’s a battle of the wills between the two sides.

This story is reminiscent of Shelley’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. Both stories involve mad scientists who want to play God! Of the two stories, I liked this one better because I prefer Stevenson’s more modern prose.

I always enjoy narrations by Scott Brick. His pace is always bang-on, and he holds my interest with the various accents. I definitely find it easier to listen to classics than to read them myself.

This review was posted on my book blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2... ...more

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