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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Audiobook3 hours

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Written by Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrated by Scott Brick

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

When a brute of a man tramples an innocent girl, apparently out of spite, two bystanders catch the fellow and force him to pay reparations to the girl's family. The brute's name is Edward Hyde. A respected lawyer, Utterson, hears this story and begins to unravel the seemingly manic behavior of his best friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and his connection with Hyde. Several months earlier, Utterson had drawn up an inexplicable will for the doctor naming Hyde as his heir in the event that he disappears. Fearing his friend has been blackmailed into this arrangement, Utterson probes deeper into both Jekyll and his unlikely protege. He is increasingly unnerved at each new revelation.

In a forerunner of psychological dramas to come, Robert Louis Stevenson uses Hyde to show that we are both repulsed and attracted to the darker side of life, particularly when we can experience it in anonymity.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 11, 2008
ISBN9781400178599
Author

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born on 13 November 1850, changing his second name to ‘Louis’ at the age of eighteen. He has always been loved and admired by countless readers and critics for ‘the excitement, the fierce joy, the delight in strangeness, the pleasure in deep and dark adventures’ found in his classic stories and, without doubt, he created some of the most horribly unforgettable characters in literature and, above all, Mr. Edward Hyde.

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Reviews for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Rating: 3.960526315789474 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very intriguing story, if perhaps a bit open-ended. I had been meaning to read this book for some time, but only finally got around to it after reading A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It would have been a treat to read Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde without the foreknowledge of the now familiar story or having seeen its multiple film adaptations. A well deserved sensation when first published, it remains a sturdy tale of terror, psychological conflict, and the frightening duality of human nature. Stevenson artfully lays out clues for the reader to guess the identity of Mr. Hyde, and the final chapter, recasting the events from Dr. Jekyll's viewpoint, provides a chilling conclusion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really quite enjoyed the brooding gloom and moral concerns of this story - encapsulating what I think of as the best of the gothic: emotional excess accompanied by the most stringent moral societal norms. In a way, it's a pity that the story is so well known... there's no mystery any more about this strange degenerate Hyde, and why he holds the virtuous citizen Dr Jekyll in his blackmailing thrall!There were quite a few parallels with Frankenstein, which I was just teaching not that long ago, but it was interesting to contrast Jekyll's motivations for his scientific endeavours, with Frankenstein's. But I realise it would be a spoiler to say any more, so my recommendation: read them both for yourself!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book would have shocked me more if only I didn't know what the real mystery was. But Stevenson's novella (I actually think it's more like a short story) is such a masterpiece that it's inevitably being referred to a lot of times. In my case I first heard of it through Van Helsing, and I was really fascinated by the thought of having dual identities. I even went so far as to name my two sim cards (my phone's dual-sim) after Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. #deadserious

    So now, at least I know what the story behind the two famous characters really is. It sounded more like a mandatory thing to me, reading this book. (Though I hoped it wasn't! If only I read this before getting wind of the cultural references) :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story. I was very surprised that the chronology was reversed. It starts at the end and works its way forward, a device that none of the knock-off versions of this tale use. A master story teller.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I thought that I would give this classic another try via audiobook but my overall impression remains that this is one case where the movie is better (specifically the 1941 version with Spencer Tracy).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is one of those classic stories it would be almost impossible to not be aware of on some level. The basic concept of the book is deeply ingrained in pop culture, but a lot of people probably haven't read the origin of what has become a legend of sorts.Reading the classics isn't always easy; the writing style being of a previous era. But it gives a new and interesting perspective to read the original texts that have spawned so many echoes through to the modern day.This book is a good place to start if you're wanting to start dipping into the classics. The older style might take some getting used to, but it's short. It would be easy enough to read the whole thing in a single quiet afternoon, but if read in smaller doses, still wouldn't take a terribly long time to get through.As with other classic works I've read, such as Frankenstein, the nuances and details were not quite what I expected. It has a much deeper reflection on human nature, for one.This is well worth reading, if only to see how the tale was originally portrayed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story of a doctor who splits off his dark side with a potion might have been much more impressive in its psychology of duality when published in 1886. The novella kept me reading from start to finish, without really moving me--the story is kept at one remove until it's last few chapters by being seen through the perspective of Utterson, Dr Jekyll's friend and lawyer, a rather bland figure. The last two chapters are letters from a friend and colleague of Jekyll, then finally Jekyll himself, but it feels like an abrupt end because we never get Utterson's reaction to the revelations in those letters. A novel that did actually impress was a modern retelling, Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin, telling the story from the perspective of Jekyll's maid, who is unnamed and only briefly mentioned in the original.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A quick read of good and evil; Jekyll and Hyde. A classic use of the double.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God there is no statute of limitations." - Utterson, Esq.The best thing about old books is the detail in the writing. It makes more obvious the complacency of mind found in the generation of television and wifi.Henry Jekyll recognized that man has two persons living inside them - both good and evil. He was bored with being the "good doctor" and wanted to indulge in mischief without being held accountable for his actions, so he freed his murderous, unscrupulous self in the form of Edward Hyde. At first, had it not been for his evil other's indifference toward him, Jekyll would have been tempted to remain the depraved Mr. Hyde, but eventually they came to resent one another and Hyde became Jekyll's ruin as happens when one chooses their evil self.I'm glad I read this book. I was expecting Mr. Hyde to be as big and ugly as he is in movies, but he was actually a petite man who had an appetite for very bad coupled with a malevolent countenance and a look of deformity that no one could put their finger on.Goodread!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Elegantly told and suspenseful, this classic story certainly stands the test of time. I read the Keynotes Classics edition. I especially appreciated the introductory key written by Michelle M. White. She provides interesting information about the author and offers valuable suggestions about what to look for in the story. As a result, I believe I got much more from this reading than I did when I first read it. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to my evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul."It may be difficult for a reader to forget what is half-known about these famous characters, and approach this story afresh. But it's worth doing -- it's a tidy little story, and the title characters embody an intriguing attack on the nature of Victorian morality.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Each year I try to read a few CLASSICS just so that I can mark them off my list. I usually don't care for the stories or writing and have a hard time making it through the book, however, this one surprised me. The story was different than what I had imagined.Dr. Jekyll is the good guy and he has worked on a formula which will separate his baser nature from his kind and good attributes. Unfortunately, he loses control of Mr. Hyde (the bad guy) and must surrender his life to protect others.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The classic story of the good, but boring Dr Jekyll who transforms himself into the vital and evil Mr Hyde. Jekyll comes to loath him, but has become addicted.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great piece of literature. Really interesting way of keeping the reader blind to very key pieces of information that would allow for easier identification of potential threats and climaxes. Really enjoy RLS and look forward to reading more of his work.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's not called a classic without good reason. It's an almost perfectly plotted short novel, all the parts complementing each other, all serving to build tension and anticipation. The good doctor is suitably tragic, Hyde is suitably degenerate and, despite having seen the multitude of adaptations over the years, it still feels remarkably fresh and modern. All of Stevenson's stylistic flourishes are on show, as well as his rarely bettered storytelling ability. I'd give it six stars if I could.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Robert Louis Stevensons nightmarish fable about the good and the evil in man - a thriller about the very nature of man - who are we in our inner being? Do we have two natures and can they be separated as Dr. Jekyll thinks? And what are the terrible consequences of his devilish experiment?When I read this novel I’m really transported to the foggy streets of London and want to take a stroll with Utterson and Enfield in the late afternoon and chat with them about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and all the strange appearances. I’m absolutely fascinated by this story - it’s now my fourth reading. And this time it was as an audiobook read superbly by Scott Brick.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Along with FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA, this short novel makes up the holy triumvirate of early horror. It asks the question: What is the nature of man's soul? The answer is that we all have a dark side, a side without a conscience, that lives only for its own pleasure without regard for anyone else. This is the Mr. Hyde that emerges when Jekyll drinks his magic potion, and he repulses everyone he meets. As Jekyll discovers, if we give free reign to the Hyde imprisoned within us, he grows stronger and asserts himself more and more, until he threatens to take over entirely. Despite being afflicted by the usual Victorian floridness of language (some skimming required), DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is a highly readable, if rather circuitous, story. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the evolution of the horror genre.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another spectacular book by Robert Louis Stevenson. His writing enthralls me! It's so easy to find yourself held spellbound by his description of settings and characters and mood, painting such a clear picture of every aspect of the story that you can't help but shudder as if experiencing the horrors in person. One of my favorite written descriptions sets a clear image of the early-morning, fog-laden streets of London and the eeriness accompanying the pursuit of a murderer.

    "It was by this time about nine in the morning, and the first fog of the season. A great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven, but the wind was continually charging and routing these embattled vapours; so that as the cab crawled from street to street, Mr. Utterson beheld a marvelous number of degrees and hues of twilight; for here it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagaration; and here, for a moment, the fog would be quite broken up, and a haggard shaft of daylight would glance in between the swirling wreaths. The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses, with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers, and its lamps, which had never been extinguished or had been kindled afresh to combat this mournful reinvasion of darkness, seemed, in the lawyer's eyes, like a district of some city in a nightmare."

    And this...perfect words to describe the awful demon that was Mr. Edward Hyde.

    "Is it the mere radiance of a foul soul that thus transpires through, and transfigures, its clay continent? ....O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan's signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend.(Edward Hyde)"

    I enjoyed this tale; a dark glimpse into the struggles of every man, resisting or succumbing to vile temptations. This was a short story, but an intense read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Behold: the regal and mystery that is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, if only I found it regaling and mysterious. A notable classic whose references still hold widely popular, the mystery has been stripped away—even for someone such as myself, who has never watched a film adaption. I am, however, familiar with the story and duality Jekyll and Hyde represent. Although far from a purely angelic being, Jekyll is neither good nor bad. What Dr. Jekyll equates to is an ambitious scientist who incidentally unleashes an evil from within himself. Now released, to be contained and muted beneath Jekyll’s morals and persona doesn’t appeal to the conscienceless Mr. Hyde. Confined in one body, a great struggle for dominance between two entities ensues, and what Jekyll might’ve hoped would be his success threatens his very life and reputation.

    My devil had long been caged, he came out roaring.

    This much I knew, as should everyone else. The puzzle piece is continually exploited and its references bomb pop culture. The mystery, then, is no longer a mystery. The shock value is nulled, but I didn’t read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde to hitch a ride on supposed thrill. Of course I liked the idea of knocking out another classic from my to-read list, but I also sought horror and hoped to be a first-hand witness to Jekyll’s torment. What I read, unfortunately, does not match up to what I had hoped to read. Where is the fright? The anguish in Jekyll’s eyes? Hyde’s fear and pursuit for control?

    I found that it’s impossible to observe any of this because Stevenson denies his readers access. Some may disagree with my statement, but we—the readers—find ourselves strapped to Mr. Utterson’s side, hearing the story mostly through his account. (And in past tense no less.) Trapped in an outsider’s perspective, I, too—like Mr. Utterson—become a third party to the events of Jekyll and Hyde. I cannot observe the one most intriguing aspect, and everything I looked forward to reading about was crushed by Robert Louis Stevenson. Or, depending on how you look at it, Hollywood excelled in raising the standards of my expectations.

    Mr. Hyde, as it turns out, is not the monster I expected. Stevenson only provides rare glimpses of the man, which does nothing to indulge my fantasy of an incorrigible evil that stalks nighttime streets. More importantly: rather than the individual of Jekyll or Hyde, what gives this novella power is the interrelationship between the two forces. Hyde begins as a dormant entity that emerges as a ruthless tyrant, growing to completely replace Dr. Jekyll. I am left in a disappointed state, because I believe the split individual(s)—the doctor and his freed cruelty—deserves spotlight. Had Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde differently, the duality of human nature could have been more deeply explored.

    This is not to say I don’t enjoy or appreciate the theme. I did, in fact, take pleasure in reading this despite frustrations. The idea that people contain an alter ego, or two opposite forces, skulking beneath the public display of themselves is an interesting thought to tamper with. Although I had obvious disappointment—almost an anticlimactic experience—this literary work is long-standing and continues to see success. It remains a classic, and I feel that its references in popular culture will outlive many of us, which I think is enough reason to read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at least once. I certainly don’t regret the short little while it took me to finish Stevenson’s story, and I’m quite glad I set aside the time.

    This, as I take it, was because all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil.

    This review and more can be read at Midnight Coffee Monster.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book and story was almost perfect! It is a great read and I highly recommend it to everyone. Parents with teenage children should encourage thier child to read this type of literature.

    I assume, we all know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr, Hyde. I myself had forgotten the perspective that it was told from and going back to this tome was a refreshing read. The language used was exquisite but I feel (and this is where one star is lost)that the sign of the times are catching up to this book and the younger generation will have lost something in the meanings and descriptions of characters and events that they can not relate to. Otherwise, I consider this story timeless.

    The story of the battle between good and evil is as old as the concept of good and evil itself. Robert Louis Sevenson (RLS) was one of the earliest pioneers to take the battle within oneself, hence the question, do each of us have a Mr. Edward Hyde within? The prose is elegant and the story takes place in a more innocent time than that which we have today. This, I felt, made reading this book refreshing. I had forgotten the age of gentlemen and proper protocol. It felt good to step back through time.

    As I had stated previously, it was good to get back to the original. Many stories of modern day are variations of this tale. The dual nature of the modern day super hero Batman (one of my favorites) can be derived from this classic tale. All in the search to define good, and its antithesis, "evil". Although, I felt that RLS was only scratching the surface of good and evil. We all have a self concept of what pure good would be. This is reflected in the spiritual way we conduct ourselves and the different denominations of worship there are worldwide, yet we do not (in my opinion) have a clearly defined notion of what pure "evil" is. It seems that mankind is not ready to accept the concept of this balance. Yet, please realize that it is "evil" that we are drawn to in the story to see what happens next. Yet here, in RLS' attempt to achieve pure evil in the characterization of Edward Hyde, the author has his character flawed. Edward Hyde makes mistakes and ultimately does not reason, which brings about the demise of both himself and Dr. Jekyll.

    Again, this was a very entertaining read. I had forgotten that the perspective told was not of that of Dr. Jekyll or even Mr. Hyde but that of their lawyer, Mr. Utterson. The way all the pieces started fitting together is so simplistic, again, it was refreshing. RLS did not have to go into elaborate description to set up the plot of the book to move the story along.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love the story. However, since nearly 98% of the population is familiar with this story, it is kind of a drag to read this since you know how everything unfolds. I also didn't find the way in which the story was told very captivating. It is such a thin book, and I had a terrible time getting through it. I actually skipped parts in this book because they were so dreadfully boring.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Beautifully written and exquisitely deep, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde turns out to be more than just a horror book set out to disturb people suffering from OCD and Christians alike with its implication that self-control in relation to our temptations and impulses is one of the only things keeping us from turning into human equivalents of D&D pleasure-seeking demons. There's a bit more to this idea of course, as certain factors add for some ambiguity and complexity, such as Nabakov's mentioning in the intro to the book that Dr. Jekyll is neither completely "good", nor is Hyde completely "evil", with one of the more interesting lines in the book, at least in its relation to Freudian theory, being Hyde's response of "with pleasure" to someone asking a favor of him. There are other interesting aspects as well, such as the fact that Hyde's "evil" acts were most often not out of pleasure (or perhaps never?), but rather out of impulsive fits of rage. This is one quip I have with the book, as it's never really explained why Hyde goes into his "causeless angers", other than a small diatribe talking about him treating his victims like an angered child interacting with a toy. It's possible I may have missed the attribution to his killings, but otherwise, a killer without motive other than "hulk smash" at random moments of impatience, because that's apparently how we all naturally are, is a bit uninteresting. Thesis aside, other things worth mentioning are the incredible use of perspective changing, which may certainly be a surprise even to those (i.e., most) who know the basic idea of the story; the almost, once again as Nabokov says, poetic quality of prose at times; the great, dark, European, Victorian scene setting; and the perhaps uncommon combination of horror and murder mystery genres. Good stuff overall and certainly chilling at times, would definitely say it's one of the better classics I've read and enjoyed, even if many of it's psychological claims are outdated, or not even remotely something I and some others would agree with in certain aspects.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I finally finished this book. The only reason it took me so long to read this book is because I had some ER books that needed to be read before I could finish this book. I am glad I waited until I finished those books to read this one. I was able to concentrate on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.I really enjoyed the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had seen a play this summer and that is why I decided to read the book. I wanted to see how the book was compared to the play. The book was just as good as the play I had seen.I have to say that this story is fantastic and as I was reading it I could tell that it was about the two personalities people have in themselves. The good and the evil that are always fighting inside you. I found it interesting when I read the letter from Henry Jekyll about how this all came about.The afterword by Jerome Charyn was very well written and informs the reader about the author and some of the possible connections between the characters and Robert Louis Stevenson.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very creepy story. I didn't know what to expect with this book when I first read it. Everyone knows the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde concept but reading it was different. It wasn't what I expected and I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. Either way I thought it was an interesting, eerie novel and worth reading at least once. Give it a go.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    might be the best crafted short story I've ever read
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I first read this tale as a child (I was a precocious and voracious reader). I was in my stage of being fascinated by horror movies so I couldn't wait to read this. I was simultaneously delighted and disappointed. The disappointement stemmed from the lack of lurid action. I wanted a monster. But I was enthralled by the notion that psychological monsters might be even worse. I was only in 5th grade - I had never thought of that. And of course, there was the masterful writing. While I didn't read just junk, I also hadn't been exposed to much great writing and this was among the best I'd read up to that point. It was well constructed and masterfully handled. I couldn't have expressed it such at the time, but I knew I was reading something good.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm not sure the original Hyde lives up to the figure of threat and evil that pop culture has made him over the years. But this novel is short and fairly suspenseful — or it would be, if I didn't already know the answer to the mystery of Mr. Hyde and why Dr. Jekyll is protecting him. The story is quick and it's a classic worth visiting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first time I've ever read the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I'll admit I had no idea it was written by the same author as Treasure Island, which I also have not read yet. I would not have put those two ideas to the same author, so it's been enlightening all around! It's also amazing to me what a short story this really was, only 94 pages, to have inspired so many adaptations and interpretations, movies, etc.

    It was an interesting dark fantasy tale with an important lesson about giving in to our baser natures. The more we indulge them, the more it becomes who we are until we're no longer able to hide or control those tendencies.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great example of the theme of the duality of man, which all of us carry in our hearts. Stevenson exploits these fears in a well-structured, yet somewhat difficult, novel.