Reviews with content warning for Medical content - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This was written a long time ago. I can tell because I almost had a nosebleed. The English way of writing was old, but I truly enjoyed it. DID in the good old days. I of course found the murders by Edward Hyde problematic, but I guess, he was made like that in contrast with Dr. Henry Jekyll. I liked that they were distinct in appearance, morality, and tone of voice. The audiobook companion made the story a hundred times better. Great narrator✨

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nmcannon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When I was a Youth(TM), I was so in love with Treasure Island that I didn’t read any of Robert Louis Stevenson’s other books. Last September, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde jumped out on my Libby app recommendations. It’s only three hours! That’s like, one night of playing Stardew Valley. I downloaded the audiobook, popped in my earphones, and got to it.

Okay, you know the story of Jekyll and Hyde. I don’t need to summarize it here. This audiobook edition includes Stevenson’s biography, and it was quite fun to learn he came from a family of civil engineers. The story proper follows along a penny dreadful’s expected lines. The one surprise was the lack of intense ableism concerning Hyde’s appearance. Knowing the Victorians, I buckled up for a lot of microaggressions against disabled people, but Hyde is nondisabled. He’s just got absolutely rancid vibes. I laughed when Jekyll’s colleagues found out about his discovery and they each, independently, decided to go to bed. Victorian doctors are indeed very fragile creatures.

The reveal of Jekyll and Hyde’s connection is saved for the very end, and it must have whigged the original audience OUT. For me, over a century later, the story ended up being very middling. Well-written, of course, but it was like reading an O. Henry story for a second time. The twist is everything, and I’ve had that spoiled since I watched Pagemaster at age three. While I think it’s still worthwhile to read the book, and on a craft level The Strange Case earns 5 stars, it was more a 3 star reading experience for me. I’m glad I read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but the experience didn’t blow my socks off.

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calamityin's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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emeh's review

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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

3.75

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seawarrior's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I may have enjoyed this more if I was reading it around the time it was published, but hundreds year later it's not very thrilling and the most exciting portion of the novel was spoiled for me ages ago. None of the characters endeared themselves to me and the narrative structure is just odd, though not in a positive way. The book begins through the perspective of Dr. Jekyll's lawyer, with the climax and end of the story told through two letters, the final one written by Dr. Jekyll himself. The narration never switches back to the lawyer who was trying to uncover the true nature of who Hyde was, resulting in an ending that feels unsatisfying and abrupt.

What I did find interesting about the book was the focus on the duality of human nature, and additionally, how much the duality between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seems to be misunderstood in popular culture today. Jekyll openly admitted in his final letter that he is not all good, and alternatively, has many temptations he deemed too inappropriate or terrible to detail. His regular use of the potion that turned him into Hyde, a man he knows is pure evil, evidences that he is not altogether a moral man, which is only reinforced by his admittance that clubbing a man to death was a pleasurable experience to him, though he did the deed in Hyde's form. Instead of serving as a symbol of good versus evil, I felt this story more accurately portrayed the struggle of responsibility versus release. In using Hyde to relish in the temptations he once felt shame in, Jekyll is released from his guilt, glowing with liberty, and still allowed to maintain his prestigious position in society. Yet prolonged use to his transforming potion and Hyde's identity eventually undoes him, as the thinly restrained evil increasing within Dr. Jekyll empowers Hyde and soon leads to demise of their whole person.

I'm not certain I would recommend this book to others. It was somewhat tedious to read, though its thankfully not very long. I feel the most merit in reading the story in this day and age lies in how afterwards you will likely see more threads of it reflected within popular culture, and can then dissect them more thoughtfully.

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jackyjoojoo's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

honestly loved this book so much omfg,, only problem w it is that it's too short (75 pages) cause it's a novella and I would've wanted so much moreeee,, anyways yea great book would rly recommend :)

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edly's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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