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spectacled_cormorant's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. Not as good as Frankenstein though.
cressreads's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elia24's review against another edition
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
3.5
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I am pretty sure that I read an abridged version of this in middle or high school and I know that I've seen at least one theatrical production of Jekyll & Hyde so I went in knowing what the story was. This one was picked as my monthly selection for the 1001 TBR Takedown, so, I am finally "officially" reading the unabridged version.
The book was short enough so it was a quick read but it never fully engaged me. It is a well known classic tale of good and evil and the dual nature of men, so there were no surprises here for me. I am glad that I finally got to read it.
I am pretty sure that I read an abridged version of this in middle or high school and I know that I've seen at least one theatrical production of Jekyll & Hyde so I went in knowing what the story was. This one was picked as my monthly selection for the 1001 TBR Takedown, so, I am finally "officially" reading the unabridged version.
The book was short enough so it was a quick read but it never fully engaged me. It is a well known classic tale of good and evil and the dual nature of men, so there were no surprises here for me. I am glad that I finally got to read it.
alkruger_readinglibrary96's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hunziker's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
8797999's review against another edition
2.0
The Suspicions of Mr Utterson is a better title.
I did enjoy it for what it is, very short and sweet, but I think it is the first classic I have read that I didn't get into or enjoy all that much. There is just nothing to it, very little depth and even the characters are flat. A few brief glimpses and then a confession. Jekyll living his bad side through Hyde, and enjoying it. Not very likable characters are J&H.
I was quite disappointed in this, I know it is short but I expected more. Shortness shouldn't be an issue because things like Phantom of the Opera are short but have so much within to enjoy. I was waiting for something to actually happen and beyond a beating with a big stick there is no action.
For this I would stick to adaptations whether they be film or stage. A decent yarn but not worthy of being a classic. Forgettable but thankfully short.
I did enjoy it for what it is, very short and sweet, but I think it is the first classic I have read that I didn't get into or enjoy all that much. There is just nothing to it, very little depth and even the characters are flat. A few brief glimpses and then a confession. Jekyll living his bad side through Hyde, and enjoying it. Not very likable characters are J&H.
I was quite disappointed in this, I know it is short but I expected more. Shortness shouldn't be an issue because things like Phantom of the Opera are short but have so much within to enjoy. I was waiting for something to actually happen and beyond a beating with a big stick there is no action.
For this I would stick to adaptations whether they be film or stage. A decent yarn but not worthy of being a classic. Forgettable but thankfully short.
fantasynovel's review against another edition
3.0
This is my 3rd time reading this book, and I feel like I liked it the most this time for some reason.
emmalemonnz's review against another edition
1.0
Oh gosh. It's so bizarre reading a book from (pause while I work out the number) 132 years ago; what was considered horrific then compared to what we are bombarded with on a daily basis now is almost laughable.
The intensely personal narratives we are used to reading now make it difficult to empathise with the characters in 19th century novels. They seem so stand-offish and proper; it's like a massive barrier, holding me so far back that it's like watching a grainy, stilted silent film on the tiny screen of my dad's old black and white 'portable' television from the other side of the room.
Having said that, I didn't hate reading this. It's true that I read it out of a feeling of obligation: "It's a classic; I should read it." Despite that, I did get into it. I wasn't drawn to it the way I am with my other current read, Catherine Chidgey's "The Wish Child", but I wasn't reluctant to read it, the way I sometimes am with obligatory reading, like pedagogy articles, or the first dozen times I tried to read Dickens' "Great Expectations" (which I'm glad I stuck with, because I ended up quite liking it).
Ultimately, the most fascinating thing to me about the book was that I learned Stevenson wanted it pronounced "Jee-kill," not "Jeck-ill".
The intensely personal narratives we are used to reading now make it difficult to empathise with the characters in 19th century novels. They seem so stand-offish and proper; it's like a massive barrier, holding me so far back that it's like watching a grainy, stilted silent film on the tiny screen of my dad's old black and white 'portable' television from the other side of the room.
Having said that, I didn't hate reading this. It's true that I read it out of a feeling of obligation: "It's a classic; I should read it." Despite that, I did get into it. I wasn't drawn to it the way I am with my other current read, Catherine Chidgey's "The Wish Child", but I wasn't reluctant to read it, the way I sometimes am with obligatory reading, like pedagogy articles, or the first dozen times I tried to read Dickens' "Great Expectations" (which I'm glad I stuck with, because I ended up quite liking it).
Ultimately, the most fascinating thing to me about the book was that I learned Stevenson wanted it pronounced "Jee-kill," not "Jeck-ill".
alcastro1989's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars.
Solid classic with a great story on the duality of man. Definitely a benchmark for sci-fi and horror movies and books.
While the story was great this classic felt a lot wordier, but that could just be my preference. The wordiness made it a little boring at some parts. And I found myself upping my narrator’s speed to get through it quicker.
Which the narrator was awesome.
Solid classic with a great story on the duality of man. Definitely a benchmark for sci-fi and horror movies and books.
While the story was great this classic felt a lot wordier, but that could just be my preference. The wordiness made it a little boring at some parts. And I found myself upping my narrator’s speed to get through it quicker.
Which the narrator was awesome.