Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Wordsworth Classics)
Robert Louis Stevenson originally wrote "Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde" as a "chilling shocker." He then burned the draft and, upon his wife's advice, rewrote it as the darkly complex tale it is today. Stark, skillfully woven, this fascinating novel explores the curious turnings of human character through the strange case of Dr. Jekyll, a kindly scientist who by night takes on his stunted evil self, Mr. Hyde. Anticipating modern psychology, "Jekyll And Hyde" is a brilliantly original study of man's dual nature -- as well as an immortal tale of suspense and terror. Published in 1866, "Jekyll And Hyde" was an instant success and brought Stevenson his first taste of fame. Though sometimes dismissed as a mere mystery story, the book has evoked much literary admirations. Vladimir Nabokov likened it to "Madame Bovary" and "Dead Souls" as "a fable that lies nearer to poetry than to ordinary prose fiction."
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Community Reviews
Another great Librivox recording by a great reader.
Well, this is vastly different from the looney tunes cartoon. Hmph. :)
for reference:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hszhyfhza6M
This turned out to be a story about duality. Good vs. Evil. Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and good friend of Dr. Jekyll, investigates the appearance of a Mr. Hyde that has caused some concern. Mr. Hyde gives the impression of a deformity, although no one can quite place what it is. Learning that Dr. Jekyll knows Mr. Hyde, in fact has left his entire fortune to Mr. Hyde in a will, Mr. Utterson does his best to find out what is going on.
Mr. Hyde eventually murders someone and is on the run. While Mr. Jekyll assures Mr. Utterson that Hyde is gone, we know that it isn't quite true.
Now, everyone goes into this story knowing what has happened. That Dr. Jekyll has made a "potion" to become Mr. Hyde. That story is as old as the hills. However, you really need to read this novella with an open mind. You'll be inclined to believe that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are really 2 entirely separate people. It wasn't until the last mp3 (or chapters) that the explanations begin to become clear.
Dr. Jekyll knew that he had created a monster, but he was very much aware that the monster was him. At least the dark part of him. Mr. Hyde, at first, is small in stature and that appears to be because Dr. Jekyll, being a good man, didn't really have too much of an evil side. Unwisely, Dr. Jekyll let Mr. Hyde run rampant and let his evil side enjoy all the trappings of a consciousless existence. Not a smart move, Dr. Jekyll.
Mr. Hyde begins to grow and take over. The potion isn't even needed anymore by the end.
Much more sober than the Bugs Bunny version.
Well, this is vastly different from the looney tunes cartoon. Hmph. :)
for reference:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hszhyfhza6M
This turned out to be a story about duality. Good vs. Evil. Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and good friend of Dr. Jekyll, investigates the appearance of a Mr. Hyde that has caused some concern. Mr. Hyde gives the impression of a deformity, although no one can quite place what it is. Learning that Dr. Jekyll knows Mr. Hyde, in fact has left his entire fortune to Mr. Hyde in a will, Mr. Utterson does his best to find out what is going on.
Mr. Hyde eventually murders someone and is on the run. While Mr. Jekyll assures Mr. Utterson that Hyde is gone, we know that it isn't quite true.
Now, everyone goes into this story knowing what has happened. That Dr. Jekyll has made a "potion" to become Mr. Hyde. That story is as old as the hills. However, you really need to read this novella with an open mind. You'll be inclined to believe that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are really 2 entirely separate people. It wasn't until the last mp3 (or chapters) that the explanations begin to become clear.
Dr. Jekyll knew that he had created a monster, but he was very much aware that the monster was him. At least the dark part of him. Mr. Hyde, at first, is small in stature and that appears to be because Dr. Jekyll, being a good man, didn't really have too much of an evil side. Unwisely, Dr. Jekyll let Mr. Hyde run rampant and let his evil side enjoy all the trappings of a consciousless existence. Not a smart move, Dr. Jekyll.
Mr. Hyde begins to grow and take over. The potion isn't even needed anymore by the end.
Much more sober than the Bugs Bunny version.
A very fun short read. It's a bit spoiled by the fact that everyone knows the surprise before reading the book, but I still enjoyed the story. My other issues are that we never get to hear the juicy bad fun Mr. Hyde is up to and that Mr. Hyde seems to help Dr. Jekyll suppress him which makes no sense since Mr. Hyde is pure evil.
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