Classic Group Read (October 2015) - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

[Faye, The Dickens Junkie]

Our Classic Group Read for October is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson!

Reading and discussion begin on October 1. Please keep spoilers behind spoiler tags, as members will be reading and discussing at their own pace.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

I can't remember if I've read this one or not... Which means that it's time to pick it up. (again?) Perhaps that will trigger the memory. Or perhaps I'll be delightfully surprised by something new (to me). Certainly reading Dracula last year was a treat not to be missed.

[Cindy (BKind2Books)]

I loved Dracula - a great classic read for October. I don't think I've read Jekyll & Hyde and am looking forward to it.

[Cindy]

I am really enjoying the descriptive language. It is dark and scary.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Far more simply and straightforwardly written than I remember. The build up is delightfully fraught with suspense though. I'm getting close to the big reveal. Good stuff!

[Cindy]

This book opens up a lot of questions on good and evil natures. Was Dr.Jekyll one person or two with a good and evil side? It is a question I have a hard time answering.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

That question comes up in a lot of the classic "horror" stories. For example, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Grey. It's interesting to think about. I think each person has a slightly different idea about about how much good and evil in inherent in our natures. The Island of Dr. Moreau takes on how much we are beastial vs civilized. How close to the surface. All good, thought-provoking stuff.

[Cindy]

Renee wrote: "That question comes up in a lot of the classic "horror" stories. For example, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Grey. It's interesting to think about. I think each person has a..."
It would be an interesting discussion to compare the main characters in all of these books. Compare how they dealt with good and evil. Some used bad ethics in science. The thought was their experiments could change the world. If I remember the Invisible Man, he used his invisibility to steal.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Yep. But he started as a man of science.
Just as Dr. Frankenstein started with the idea the he could cure/save people. I loved that one. I saw lots of connections to Milton's Paradise Lost.

[Cindy (BKind2Books)]

This was a great moody read. The story seems simple by today's standards but is still able to thrill and create a dark mood. So glad this was selected as the classic read.