by Robert Louis Stevenson
Publisher: Longmans, Green, and Co., 7th ed.; 1886.
e-Book: 141 pages
Genre: Gothic mystery, classic
Time to Read: 1,5 hours
Reading level: young adult
Rating 4 stars
Synopsis
In this harrowing tale of good and evil, the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll develops a potion that unleashes his secret, inner persona—the loathsome, twisted Mr. Hyde.This book is about Dr. Jekyll. He believed that a human has 2 sides, but his friend did not agree with him and laughed at him. He was mad and then he created a drug that can separate a human into 2 sides, a bad side and a good side. he kept using the drug and the more he used, the harder it is for him to control himself, and later he chose to die instead of letting his bad side control him.
My thought
I have been aware of the idea of Jekyll and Hyde, the two-faced aspect of it, but I didn’t know the actual story. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was, of course, well written. Originally, the story would be wholly interesting and gripping. However, the story is written as mystery, in each section the reader experiences a new perspective and understanding of events, and, throughout the text, the reader *should* be attempting to solve the mysteries presented (who is Mr. Hyde? what is going on with Dr. Jekyll?) but, since its conception, the story has become a spooky troupe.I wasn’t actually aware the source material was so short, and it was a surprise to be able to get through it so quickly, much as it was with Sleepy Hollow.
The story was a lot tamer than my wild imagination had pictured. Rather than some strange mythical two-faced or two-headed being, it was simply the mystery of two men who were never seen in the same room at the same time. I really enjoyed it, all the way through the mystery, and through the big reveal at the end. I felt sorry for Jekyll, forced to admit defeat and succomb to a fate without knowing what it was.
Very intriguing, and I can see why the imagery and concept has resonated with people – in whatever form – for so long.
Summary
An easy day’s read, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not just worth the time it takes to read it, but is far more than that. As far as early horror stories go, this one works because it relies not on the gross-out but on the psychological suspense. A wonderful tale.
