Reviews with content warning for Body horror - 18 - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

18 - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson

65 reviews

teamoneil's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

mxine_'s review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

rip henry jekyll you would have loved the fig tree analogy and being genderfluid

Content Warnings

spaceklownn's review against another edition

4.75

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I think the highlight of this book is the last like 30 pages or so. I am, admittedly, a very slow reader even though it was only 96 pages it took me a whole week to read, but those last 30 pages I think I finished in 1 hour. I was soooooo hooked by it, I'd say a good chunk of this book is set up but it pays off! I haven't read in a while so it was a bit harder for me settle into this, especially the first half so that's why it's not a perfect 5 stars but I think if I read it again I would give it a 5 star rating. Highly recommend!

Content Warnings

flamesocks's review against another edition

5.0

dark funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

mac_edwards's review against another edition

3.0

mysterious medium-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

If you're looking for an easy entry point into Gothic literature, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a solid choice. The book is short - just over fifty pages - and doesn't leave the reader guessing at its meaning for too long. This makes it approachable for a work of its age, but also limits how much is left open to interpretation.

Mr. Hyde's role and symbolism are clearly explained by the end of the novella. While this clarity may be helpful for some readers, it also lessens the impact of the story's central mystery. Because so much is spelled out, there's not a great deal left to linger in the reader’s mind afterward.

That said, the narrative is fairly engaging and holds the reader’s attention. Still, I found myself grateful that it was as short as it was, as by the final pages, it was beginning to drag.

Content Warnings

eledigi's review against another edition

4.25

mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This is the first short story that I've felt doesn't need to be longer to actually be good

Content Warnings

edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I listened to the audiobook read by Alan Howard, one of my favourite actors, and it definitely enhanced my absorption of the story! His cadence, pauses, voices, and emphases all made the tale even more unsettling, even though it's such a famous story with a famous plot twist. Stevenson's word choice is so rich and fruitful that I was at pains to hang onto every word to see where the sentence took me. I also appreciated the horror of vagueness about Hyde -- I think it an underdone trope in the genre, and it's certainly more effective for me than lurid descriptions. I definitely want to look into more of Stevenson's writing because I enjoyed this one so much.

Content Warnings

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I did like this book but it could be the last chapter and that’s all. However, it was cool to have it told from an outside perspective until that last chapter.

Content Warnings