Mrs. Jekyll

by Emma Glass

Schoolteacher Rosy Winter is dying. But, beyond the homeopathic remedies, the dinner party obligations, the snatched whispers on wards and in staffrooms, a force - murderous, feminine, feverish - is stirring within her. A story of power and powerlessness, light and dark, life and death, Mrs Jekyll embraces the paradoxes and paroxysms of modern womanhood, in a story every bit as gripping as the original.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Novella, Thriller, Retellings, Contemporary

164 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 2024

About the author

Emma Glass was born in Swansea.
She studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Kent, then decided to become a nurse and went back to study children's nursing at Swansea University.
She lives in South London and is a research nurse specialist at Evelina London Children's Hospital.
Her debut novel Peach will be published in February 2018.

Reviews

[Nicole Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE!

I enjoyed Emma Glass’ previous work but Mrs Jekyll was on a different level entirely. I sat down late in the evening thinking I would read a few pages before going to sleep but then an hour later I had accidentally read the entire book because it was too compelling to put down.

The story follows the protagonist coming to terms with her illness and how this is affecting both her life and the lives of the people around her. It is incredibly bleak and doesn’t shy away from the realities of illness.

Throughout the story there are sprinkles of the bizarre and surreal which completely took me by surprise and I absolutely loved this aspect of the book.

Even though it’s less than 200 pages, Emma Glass somehow manages to completely transform the protagonist from page 1 to the end. By the end the protagonist is a very different person but it happens so subtlety that it creeps up on you.

I’d recommend this for fans of Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin and Winter In Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin.

[Marcus (Lit_Laugh_Luv) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love anything Glass writes. Her writing is intense and abstract, and Mrs. Jekyll is no exception. Thematically, it is similar to Rest and Be Thankful in that it personifies death and its slow approach to all of us.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of my favourite classics, and this modern reinvention does it justice. As our narrator battles cancer and becomes increasingly weakened by the disease, she’s not sad - she’s angry. A whole life of possibility beckons before her that becomes out of reach. Her relationships are controlled by pity and slowly transform her perspective on the life she thought she was leaving behind.

I enjoyed the stylistic differences between the two perspectives and how suspense is slowly built with every page. Rosy is a nuanced narrator who I found much more humanized and distinct than some of Glass’ previous novels. I read the entire novel in a day just to see where her journey would take her - and though the ending packed an emotional punch, it does go the expected route.

Thank you to the publisher, Cheerio publishing, for sending me a copy of this! It’s not available here in Canada otherwise and I was definitely excited for this release!

[Rachel Louise Atkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I read Peach by Emma Glass I knew that she was something special, and her latest novel is testament to that. Written in her signature experimental yet compulsive prose, Mrs Jekyll follows a woman with cancer who is losing grip on her reality. Her loving husband and sister in law are doing everything they can to be there for her, but this is a smart, sexy and devastating book where the narrator’s identity seems to tear in two among the stress of keeping up appearances for her mundane life. It was a quick read but really packed a punch. I always look forward to a new Glass novel because she writes with such a force and creates the most unforgettable atmospheres and characters.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading a lot of intense novels lately and Glass’s newest book also falls in this category. It’s the third book I’ve read by her and I really like and admire her fresh and original way of writing. There’s some weird stuff going on as well, which is a great plus. Why isn’t Emma Glass read by more people? Or does it just seem that way?

[Paperback Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the author's writing is getting better and better.
For 164 pages it really packed a punch.
Still some bits that went over my head (as is the way with Emma Glass and I) but this is purely down to my brain not being big enough to understand.
3.5 stars

[Brittany (whatbritreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an early copy of this to review!*

I wasn’t anticipating reading this in a single day, but once I picked it up I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I read it in two halves over a matter of hours, and genuinely really enjoyed it. Because of the short chapter lengths, this one is so easy to dip in and out of and that was my plan, but the fast paced nature of it makes it pretty unputdownable.

I absolutely loved the writing for the most part, it was lyrical and beautiful where it needed to be. I will say from the beginning, the tone of the book is really depressing. The subject matter itself is obviously really difficult, as we watch our main character battle with her feelings towards her illness. It’s very tender in most moments, but doesn’t hold back on being blunt and graphic and sad as well. It’s a book that really gripped me emotionally, the themes are really difficult to detach yourself from, so exploring that through the mind of our narrator was captivating.

Alongside that, I think the character development for Rosy was well done too. It’s hard to develop a character much in less than 200 pages, but it was pulled off smoothly here. Rosy at the beginning and end of the book ar two completely different people. It was interesting to examine how she was externally presenting herself and interacting with people as she seemingly loses grip on her life and relationships, and ends up spiralling a little bit towards the end.

I’m not really sure I fully picked up on where the Jekyll and Hyde comparison was coming in (though forgive me it’s been years since I read that book). Also, on a metaphorical level I don’t think I fully understood everything, which is a shame because if I did I feel like there would have been a deeper appreciation for the craft. Some of the segments in here feel really trippy and dreamlike so it's hard to discern from reality, and in those moments I couldn’t follow what was actually happening and what wasn’t. There were some chapters that seemed to be lines of poetry too, and they didn’t seem to serve any purpose but add to my disorientation.

After this one, I’m very eager to read some more Emma Glass.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure I'm left more confused than anything... but maybe with time I'll feel differently? Idk.

For now, I hate to say it, but I was disappointed. I'm not certain that's Emma's doing though—the number of times I've seen this on booksta as a "weird girl" book or considering our FMC "unhinged" doesn't sit right with me. Without spoiling, I'll just say that had I been in her shoes I might have done the same. If that makes me "unhinged", then I want a new buzzword to start using bc this unhinged made me sad and sympathetic. I want to judge. lmao. Fr tho, I want to be wholeheartedly going "WTF!?!?!" and stopping ask who has read it so I can talk about it with someone.

All of that said if weird girl/unhinged/off the rails wasn't Emma's goal, she may have executed well. That's where I'm torn.

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

weird and wonderful

[Weneedtotalkaboutbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

She did it again!
Mrs Jekyll by Emma Glass is a mesmerizing and haunting novel with a subtle nod to the classic tale. The story follows Rosy Winter, a schoolteacher facing a terminal diagnosis, and explores her internal struggle and transformation.

Glass's writing is beautifully poetic and creates a dream-like atmosphere that perfectly complements the dark and complex themes of terminal illness and uncontrollable changes. The narrative dives deep into Rosy’s psyche as she navigates the realities of her condition and the impact on her relationships, particularly with her husband and sister-in-law.

I was captivated by the poetic prose and the shift between traditional narrative and a more experimental, fragmented style, effectively showcasing the duality within Rosy.

The book’s unconventional style and heavy themes might not be for everyone, but it worked wonders for me. The subtle but deep creepiness of some scenes is one of the things I love the most about Glass’ style.

Fans of fever dreams, descent-into-madness, and books like “Come Closer” by Sara Gran or “All’s Well” by Mona Awad should definitely pick this up. Not an easy book to recommend to everyone, but an easy book to recommend to some. Thanks to Cheerio (@cheeriopublishing) for sending me a copy.

4.5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

[Meliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

if i had a nickel for every time i read a book where a woman’s “possessed” and her possessed self has a fixation on sex i’d have two nickels which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. luckily for me this is way more interesting than Come Closer as it actually has substance. our main character has cancer and this cancer manifests into a crazy sexed up seductress to cope with the fact her husband no longer wants to touch her in her sickness. kinda wished it leaned into the body horror fake pregnancy aspect but overall it’s decent. does a good job at managing the drama and sadness of actively dying with the horrors of having something growing inside you. i do wish the book spent more time with the “she thinks she’s pregnant” delusion before the ultimate “birth” cuz that could’ve been crazy. and while the writing does a good job of using vaginal imagery the secondary characters needed a bit more development cuz they’re not super memorable.

[endrju]

A stylistical move or two that draws attention - like intensification of the affect by syntactic density - but ultimately forgettable. It's only been a couple of days since I read it but I can't actually remember most of it. I expected much more with the cover and title like that.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably should have read the blurb before I started reading this book, took a while for me to realise the devastating plot focus. I just saw the word ‘Jekyll’ & expected the normal slapstick rendering of a classic.

3 stars; simply because the style of writing wasn’t to my liking

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is absolutely gutwrenching and visceral, carrying a rather unwieldy/unbalanced narrative. I found myself unsure when reality had shifted, or if it had, but the tonal changes were done quite fabulously. Awkward topic for me for personal reasons, and likely an emotional one for many readers. Cancer and its surroundings are unpleasant at the best of times, if there are ever any. I wanted more of The Other, and while I enjoyed Nola's unhinged/unrelenting desires, I was left confused. The tarot reading/Jacqui angle felt unfinished, or maybe too vague. The dual nature of the story worked well when it worked, but when it didn't the story felt unmoored and lacking purpose as opposed to out of control and wild and unsettling. A different Hyde, which I loved and craved, but this felt more about Jekyll most of the time. Aptly titled, it would seem.

[Joelle Tamraz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative approach to losing one’s grip on life that was a little too experimental for my taste. Mrs Jekyll herself was a wonderful creation amid a cast of ordinary characters. I don’t normally read Horror, but I thought the end was compelling.

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 21st century version of Jekyll and Hyde sprinkled with acute feminine rage and the occult. Don’t ask me what this book is about because I couldn’t tell you. Also, are we meant to feel sorry for Charlie? Author please respond…

[Abigail Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosy is a primary school teacher with a loving husband, a slightly irritating sister-in-law... and she has cancer. Rosy is coming to terms with her illness but she is grieving the loss of her old life and the surreal starts to take over.

My thoughts 💭:
Glass has such a unique way of writing that really worked for me. I would say it is an abstract mix of blunt prose and modern poetry. This style of writing really pushed the story along fast and yet in only 183 pages we get a visceral picture of what it is to be a woman losing her sense of self to cancer.

The story plays on the idea of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to illustrate Rosy's loss of self and spiralling, which added an interesting dimension to the surreal parts. I would say that I wanted something just a little bit darker to make me a bit more invested in the story, but I still really enjoyed what I did get of the surreal.

The best way to go into this is with no expectations, just be open to the experience.

[Jessie Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devastating.

[giulisbookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

cosa ho appena finito di leggere

[Dani Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨ quirky and dark and perfect in many ways. What a strange but engaging take on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. She might not be for everybody, but I really like Emma Glass’ style.

[sara]

Instant DNF. Dreadful writing.

[Karis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please check trigger warnings! This book ruined me, read in one go couldn’t put it down. So heartbreaking but with beautiful snippets of feminine rage and revenge. You will need a break when you finish it!

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5/5

Retelling viscerale e perturbante retelling del classico di Robert Louis Stevenson, "Lo strano caso del Dr. Jekyll e Mr. Hyde", ove l'autrice trasporta il tema della dualità umana nella contemporaneità, incorniciandolo nella tragica esperienza di una diagnosi terminale.
La protagonista, Rosy Winter, conduce una vita all'apparenza serena e normale di insegnante felicemente sposata. Questa quotidianità viene spezzata dalla scoperta scioccante di un nodulo al seno, a seguito della quale inizia un doloroso viaggio tra ospedali e tentativi di cura, in cui Rosy si sente sempre più abbandonata e incompresa dal mondo esterno, incluso il marito.
La malattia non è solo un male fisico, ma il catalizzatore che la spinge a confrontarsi con la parte più oscura, repressa e feroce della sua anima, la sua "Mrs Jekyll". Accettando il proprio destino e la solitudine che ne deriva, Rosy si libera da ogni remora morale, scoprendo per la prima volta l'ebbrezza del desiderio, della rabbia e di una potenza vitale, sprezzante e primordiale che aveva sempre soppresso.
La prosa è cristallina, cruda e affilata, che a tratti si trasforma in versi scarni e incisivi, a volte fin troppo spezzettati e freddi, cosa che non fa entrare del tutto in sintonia con la protagonista e con la storia.
È una lettura rapida, ma densa, che merita di essere assaporata per la sua intensità.

[Kass D · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was overly convoluted and distant, making it difficult to connect with the characters or fully immerse in the story. While there are signs of growth in the authors writing, particularly in the more experimental chapters, the novel overall feels like a messy, disjointed experience. The narrative jumps around in ways that disrupt the flow, and the tone remains too detached to form any real emotional investment.

[dan filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glass has such a beautiful and visceral writing style, her blending of prose and verse, and fragmentation of mind and identity are extraordinary. Though there are points where the plot was a little blurry, this served only to add to the atmosphere and transformation in her protagonist. A wonderfully talented writer pushing the boundaries of genre, very inspiring and thought-provoking.

[Mel || mel.the.mood.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 35 year old woman with a family history of breast cancer... this was the scariest horror novel I have read all year.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shortlisted for the 2025 Gordon Burn Prize
Longlisted for the 2025 Dylan Thomas Prize
 

Skin prickling
Pruritic
Touch me so that I know I am alive Crawling towards the husk of you
Pull off your clothes
Your wasted flesh falls out of the wool
Easily
My arms stretch into your sleeves
My feet step into your shoes
Kneel next to you
Put my hands on your body
Run fingers over your ribs
Pass me a blanket
Cover you
Cloak you Keep quiet
Sleep well.

 
Maddie Mortimer’s “Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies” meets Rachel Yoder’s “Nightbitch” in a modern, feminist rewrite of Stevenson’s gothic horror, and inspired by the death from breast cancer of the writer Deborah Orr (who had conceived the idea for a novel of this title on her hospital bed).
 
Overall this book was perhaps a surprise choice for the Nero Book Awards given its focus on more mainstream literary fiction (as seen by the two winners to date – The Bee Sting and Close to Home) but very much at home in this year’s Dylan Thomas Prize whose four UK and Ireland novels (Pity, I Will Crash, Mrs Jekyll, Hypocrite) could have easily formed much of an alternative Goldsmiths list

The first party protagonist Rosy is a primary school teacher in a strong and loving relationship with Charlie a radio newsreader (one which contrasts with the increasingly strained relationship of Charlie’s sister Sally with her disengaged partner Joe – a book editor, those two having a young son Frank while Rosy and Charlie remain childless); but the book opens with Rosy crying over an advert of an elderly married couple as has breast cancer and falters in her belief that she and Charlie will grow old together.
The rather self-absorbed Sally forces a sceptical (as well as offended given her life circumstances) Rosy to accompany her to a tarot card reading which ends with their positions reversed – Sally disillusioned that the vague readings tell her nothing of whether to split with Joe, but Rosy drawn in by the clairvoyant who believes she has sensed another presence and asks Rosy to visit her in her London premises.  
 
I must admit that at this point I was very tempted to DNF the book – Tarot readings (particularly when taken seriously) are I think literally diabolical, but I am glad I did not as the readings act as nothing more than a device for Rosy (who is increasingly resigned to her caner being terminal and reluctant to undergo the indignity of treatment which is increasingly likely to be only palliative) to come into contact with a form of alter ego – Nola, a nascent/naïve but confrontational and sexually predatory persona whose sections are told in a spiky, fragmentary, prose whose visceral nature is increasingly matched by the Rosy sections as we learn in detail of both her bodily deterioration both from the cancer and the doomed treatment’s side effects (a three piece when a palliative care nurse advises Charlie on how to treat her diarrhea induced sores is particularly hard hitting) as well as her sense of the tumour itself being a malign presence in her life.
 
And the climax of the book is one that will last long in the mind.
 
A difficult but memorable and impressive read.

[Simona~ pagine_e_inchiostro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs Jekyll è il racconto di una scoperta violenta e inattesa: una potenza viscerale e nascosta, di fronte alle tragedie della vita. Non una rinascita, ma l’emergere di una forza oscura, libera e inquieta.

Rosy è un’insegnante, felicemente sposata, immersa in una quotidianità ordinaria fatta di piccoli rituali rassicuranti. Un giorno, per caso, avverte un nodulo al seno. Da quel gesto minimo si spalanca un abisso: la vita cambia direzione, l’idea della fine prende forma. Inizia così un viaggio doloroso tra ospedali e persone care che non sembrano in grado di curare, o anche solo comprendere, il male che cresce silenzioso dentro di lei. Tutti appaiono goffi, inadeguati nei loro tentativi di compassione, incluso il marito, incapace di guardarla se non attraverso il filtro della diagnosi.

Il dolore diventa umiliazione del corpo e poi solitudine. Quando anche un tentativo estremo di cura tramite una medium fallisce, la mente di Rosy comincia a scivolare altrove, in territori mai esplorati prima. Accettando il proprio destino e rinunciando a ogni remora morale, la mente di Rosy apre le porte al desiderio, alla rabbia, al piacere.

Il romanzo procede per salti temporali volutamente confusi: l’arco narrativo non ha un tempo lineare e va accolto in modo fluido. La dimensione del sogno si intreccia con quella della realtà, fino a renderle indistinguibili. Sogni febbrili in cui Rosy è un mostro, evidenti rimandi al mito di Dr. Jekyll e Mr. Hyde, diventano parte integrante della narrazione.

Lo stile è serratissimo: capitoli brevi, frasi fulminee, quasi elenchi, ma capaci di colpire. La ferocia del desiderio, la coscienza della propria caducità, l’impotenza davanti al dolore fisico convivono in una fredda lucidità che ferisce e scomoda il lettore.

Mrs Jekyll è un ottimo primo approccio letterario al tema del cancro: scava brevemente, ma colpisce con precisione, lasciando un segno. Si tratta di una testimonianza dedicata a Deborah Orr, giornalista morta di cancro. Un libro che racconta il male senza addomesticarlo mai.

[Paige Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fuck, I don't know exactly what I just read. Perhaps reading the uncorrected version from the publishers didn't help? This was very difficult to read, but my god do I want to live and cry and smash and be heard. It's jumpy, wait what who is this? Why is she suddenly well? Is this a flashback or ohhh. But I didn't hate this. It was dark, it was twisty, I wanted to cradle Rosy and tell her she'll be fine, I wanted to be her Mrs Jekyl, her strength. I felt every emotion and every ounce of anger she had. This was a great spooky season read. Deliciously twisty, dark and I still don't fully understand what happened but my heart aches.

7 out of 9 monsters 🧟

Re read? Yes.

Recommend? I think more stories like this need to be told.

[mossreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this much lesser than Rest and Be Thankful, another work from the same author. The writing is much looser and the incoherent parts ran rampant. Sentences lose their structure and punctuation all so flippantly and frequently. I had no clue what was happening half the time given the disjointed storytelling and I'm sorry but that just feels lazy to me. The ending is pretty bleak since its interpreted as her jumping off her home balcony which would be fucking brutal for her husband to find when he comes home but I was just glad to be done.

[Alex Worth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to BALL my eyes out. Obviously the book deals with serious topics- the main character is diagnosed with cancer, but it’s hard for me to cry or feel such pain for fictional characters normally. The way this was written had me absolutely sobbing for Charlie and for Rosy. Literally read it in one sitting. Incredible. There were parts where I was shocked and confused but in the best of ways and then it all made sense and my god I could analyse this book like mad. Such a great novel, short and definitely worth reading for fans of ANY genre. EVEN if you think it’s not really your kind of book- trust me it is.