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Title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, Barry Moser, Joyce Carol Oates ISBN: 0-8032-9240-6 Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr Pub. Date: February, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.15 (47 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Shockingly good, though brief...
Comment: I went into this book expecting something of the pulp monster story Hyde always becomes in the movies, and it's absolutely not what I got. What we have here instead is a wonderful little book that shoves an incredible amount of depth and character development into a book readable in a little over an hour. Really, an hour isn't much reading time to experience one of the great literary classics, so pick up a copy.
Rating: 3
Summary: Not What I Expected
Comment: In this story, Mr. Utterson, lawyer and friend of Jekyll is trying through friendly concern to discover the truth about the young and disreputable Mr. Hyde who he believes is coercing the doctor. Jekyll is always one step ahead of him in covering up Hyde's true existence until Jekyll is no longer able to control his transformations and Utterson is called by the frightened servants to intervene. This was an enjoyable story though brief.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was remarkably subdued story from what I expected. Having seen the movie Mary Reilly previous to reading this book, I expected Mr. Hyde to be more fully developed. What Mr. Hyde does that is so 'evil' is never specified (I mean in terms of general lifestyle - the murder is covered). In fact, the only real reference we get to this life is the character of his dwelling and the presence there of penny novels (cheap, ill respected literature). Except for the murder of an undeveloped character and a general rudeness, we don't really get to know Mr. Hyde as the evil monster I expected. Mr. Hyde is afraid to leave the lab for fear of the gallows but that is as close to a manhunt as we get, unlike in Frankenstein where the chase seems to cover half of the globe or in The Invisible Man were a serious manhunt provides a great deal of action and pace. Mr. Hyde is also a great deal different from how he is represented by Hollywood (for instance, he is shorter than Dr. Jekyll). I guess I was expecting a more likable or romantic villain giving rise to more of a dilemma in trying to destroy him.
This story should be read. I am not trying to "dis'" it. I just expected more out of it because later authors/producers pulled out of it way, way more than was in the original. What this story has is raw potential.
Rating: 4
Summary: "If he be Mr. Hyde ... I shall be Mr. Seek."
Comment: After watching THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, I realized I had no idea what these character's stories were. Well, I had a peripheral memory of seeing a DORIAN GRAY movie, but...
So I dive into this book first. Stevenson's language clips along very cleanly - the narrative perspectives are always true to their narrator. These older men - their friendships - their distress over some shadowy character that has come into and is ruining the life of a beloved friend... I never had the impression that this was what the JEKYLL/HYDE story would contain.
This is no "monster story" - it is the story of the parts of ourselves that make us whole and what happens if that balance is upset - if one side is given favor - or perhaps if the other side is constantly supressed and never let free to express itself.
And a side note: Doctor John Fell (1625-1686) is a symbol of "an instantaneous, intense, visceral, irrational dislike for another human being. Hate at first sight, one might call it."
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Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ISBN: 0375751513 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells ISBN: 0486270718 Publisher: Dover Pubns Pub. Date: 05 February, 1992 List Price(USD): $2.00 |
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Title: Dracula by Bram Stoker, Leonard Wolf ISBN: 0451523377 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: October, 1997 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne ISBN: 0812550927 Publisher: Tor Classics Pub. Date: 15 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $3.99 |
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Title: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley ISBN: 0553212478 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 May, 1984 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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