holthmsn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a perfect short science-fiction based story. The novel was a perfectly fine read which I enjoyed, but nothing jumps out to make it an amazing read. 

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ellaep's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Post reread: I had forgotten how much I related to Jekyll and his way of looking at himself and the world. The final chapter is one of the best pieces of writing I ever read. It is so commonplace yet exudes panic and terror. And finally a classic that ends with action instead of slowly winding down before the ending (like carmilla or phantom did), which is so much better in my opinion. I just adore this novel but I am bringing it down slightly from 5 to 4.5 stars because of the beginning dragging on a lot. 

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emmaopaline's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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hot_water's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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michayla13's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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dan13dean's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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jenny_librarian's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Unfortunately this is the kind of book that loses all its appeal once you know the main spoiler, and it’s been part of pop culture for so long that everybody knows. Unlike Dracula, Frankenstein and other gothic classics, the whole of Jekyll and Hyde rests on who they are. I don’t feel like I learned anything  y reading this book except how to write a long worded letter when you’re supposed to be in distress…

I suggest reading a graphic novel version instead, to at least get an entertaining visual.

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grayscale08's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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madelnguttorms1's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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arianappstrg's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4,5: I love this story but I do have this one unpopular opinion. 'If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek' is a really dumb line :D

The first time I read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde I did not agree with the narration style at all. Third-person omniscient through the eyes of strangers in a story that could have been a banger psychological profile/ case study just seemed to miss the mark for me. However, the second time I read it, I understood why Stevenson chose to tell the story like so. It makes for such an interesting exploration of concepts like reputation, rumors, gossip, Victorian bias, and police bias. It helps you see how events can be so easily blown out of proportion and how the truth can either be much simpler or more horrifying than anticipated/rumored. It's also an insightful and diverse way of showing how different people account for the same events. It challenges you to distinguish between fact, opinion, and fiction. Still, though, I feel a bit iffy because I keep wondering would my feelings be any different if I followed Jekyll and Hyde's point of view throughout the whole story?

On the bright side, I love the descriptions of Victorian London as its own heavily gothic and spooky character, 'Mr Utterson beheld a marvellous number of degrees and hues of twilight; for here it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of a rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration... The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses, with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers, and its lamps... seemed, in the lawyer's eyes, like a district of some city in a nightmare'. There is such rich imagery all throughout the story. At times, it's so vivid it overwhelms you but there are also instances where it is so subtle you have to read closely otherwise, you'll easily miss the immersive elements and the spine-tingling feels!

In conclusion, this is a 4,5 for me due to mixed feelings about the narrative style which is, in the end, more of a personal preference than a fault with the story itself. 

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