Reviews

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Strange Tales by Robert Louis Stevenson

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lit_laugh_luv's review against another edition

5.0

Like most readers, I was familiar with the premise of this but I'd never actually read it in full - and wow, I'm very surprised at how much I enjoyed this! It is a masterclass in suspense and foreshadowing, and even knowing the "twist", I enjoyed how it was revealed. Mr. Utterson's role as an amateur detective is propulsive and the explicit timeline helps add a necessary chronology to the events.

The themes in this have held up quite well over time - the physical manifestation of desire, transformation as a form of escapism, and the human fascination with the supernatural are all well explored in Dr. Jekyll's reflections. Even the most minute of details feel intentionally crafted which gives a lot of weight to every sentence in an otherwise short read. For example, the small and interconnected cast helps reinforce the theme of reputation and duality as we see their contrasting opinions on Mr. Hyde himself.

Overall, this has strong writing and even stronger storytelling. It's a classic most readers are aware of, but I enjoyed what a quick and accessible read it was. I definitely was expecting this to land closer to 3 or 4 stars, but I really don't have anything negative to say about this one!

stormyharper's review against another edition

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2.0

Hey so I bought this book when I was buying my colleague some classic books the only thing I knew about this was the TV show when I was a kid Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde so I was really intrigued to read this classic book it's not usually the sort of books I read so we start off with a little girl dying and one of the men saying that his neighbor or somebody they know is acting a bit dodgy and that's where it all begins this was probably like two or three for me

charlotte112's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-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

3.5

Classic story which I am glad I have finally read. This is a short story and part of me wishes it could have been a bit longer to delve deeper into the Hyde/ Jekyll relationship. I already knew the ending of the book but it is a good horror with suspense too.