Book Review – Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson (1886) – This is a book that we all believe we know well.  We are usually quite wrong in that assessment.  Yes,

this is the story of Dr. Henry Jekyl.  In his research he discovers an astounding and terrifying compound that releases a completely separate personality from within himself, Mr. Edward Hyde.

Hyde is an angry, violent man. That violence will change both of their lives.  Those are the parts that were as I expected.  The rest of the novel was a bit of a surprise.  The story is not told from either Jekyl or Hyde’s point of view but from that of Jekyl’s attorney, John Utterson.  Hyde, while ugly to the point of deformity, is neither the slavering animal often seen in the movies or the gargantuan monster of the movie “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman”.  His evil is more primal, even visceral in nature.  The novel is also quite short, fewer than 100 pages. At the same time Stevenson manages to take us through an intricate story with intensity and detail.

You may note that I have consistently avoided adding a “The” to the title.  In Stevenson’s original there is no “The” and I honor the author by following suit even as most modern versions add the word.

The book stands up beautifully well after all these years.  It was fascinating to “re-discover” a book that was so different from my expectations.

Rating – **** Recommended