Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Stories: Annotated Edition

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Includes pictures and an extra material section on Stevenson's life and works  One of Stevenson’s most famous and enduringly popular works, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde describes the mysterious relationship between a respectable and affable doctor and his brutal associate. Set in the grimy streets of Victorian London, this tale of murder, split personality, and obscure science, with its chilling final revelation, became an instant horror classic when it was first published in 1886 and has enthralled and terrified generations of readers ever since.

Genres: Classics, Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Gothic, 19th Century, Adult

250 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2015

About the author

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.

Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.

Reviews

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my book blog: https://afrolicthroughfiction.wordpre...

This review will be done a little differently, as I will be giving a short review for each short story, then an overall rating for the book.

1. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
I went into this story knowing only the tiniest of details, so I was very intrigued to see how I liked it. At first it was difficult to get into, because I had to get used to the writing and the time frame seems to jump around a bit, but soon the story turned very dramatic very quickly. It’s a rather dark story, and I was curious to learn how the events were actually happening, to see the logic behind it all. Towards the end it did drag slightly, because there were pages of explanation, but I did enjoy finding out the rest of the story.

Rated 3//5 stars


2. Markheim
I didn’t enjoy this story very much. I remember reading it and having only the faintest clue what was going on. I believe it was about a madman murdering someone, but that’s all I got from it. The writing seemed like the character was rambling, which was probably the intention, but I did find myself wanting to skip ahead. I feel like this is a story I’ll enjoy more when I’m older.

Rated 1.5//5 stars


3. Olalla
This story was easier to read. It was intriguing and more descriptive, really setting the scene well. I found it to be an entertaining story, but I didn’t really understand the ending that much.

Rated 2//5 stars


4. Thrawn Janet
So this section of the book was quite difficult to read, because it was written in a strong accent, so you had to decipher it as you were going along. However, it was still relatively easy to keep up with the events of the story, and there weren’t many occasions where I didn’t know what was going on. I enjoyed it quite a bit for how short the story was, but I feel like I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn’t written with the accent, since it took me so much longer to read.

Rated 2//5 stars


5. The Bottle Imp
I think out of all the stories, this may have been my favourite – tied with Jekyll and Hyde. It was entertaining and easy to keep up with, and wasn’t difficult to read at all. I felt like it was just the right length, since it didn’t drag on but it wasn’t too short either.

Rated 3//5 stars


6. The Isle of Voices
It was an alright story. Seemed to ramble on a bit and there were a couple of times where I didn’t know what was happening. But the plot twist really surprised me, so I have to give it extra credit for that.

Rated 2//5 stars

7. The Body Snatchers
This one is exactly what the title suggests. Since I knew what the story was about just from the title, I was intrigued to see what the story would be, if that makes sense. I feel like there was an air of mystery surrounding the title. I thought it would be boring or drag out at first, but it surprised me slightly, especially with the ending.

Rated 3//5 stars


8. The Waif Woman
Like with Markheim, I didn’t really understand this story too much. I got the gist of it, but other than that it just seemed to go on for a lot longer than it needed to. The plot line seemed good, but like I said, I just didn’t like it all too much.

Rated 1.5//5 stars



Overall Rating
3//5 stars

[Dimitrije Srebric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Louis Stevenson's writing is, without any doubt, one of the most captivating I have seen to date. Since my copy has other stories alongside the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" novella, this review can be applied to all his stories. Although not THAT scary when compared with other horror authors, R.L. Stevenson managed to keep my attention with each of his stories, even if nothing particularly happened in said stories ("Olalla" being the example to that). Through his stories, he speaks a lot about the duality of inner moral of a character, the fight between inner good and evil, sometimes the evil side being over encumbering on a character to the point of no return (see "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "The Waif Woman") and sometimes choosing good as a path of redemption from evil deeds (see "Markheim"). Probably the only story I found any issues with was "Thrawn Janet" as it was initially written with a lot of Scottish words and phrases that I was completely unfamiliar with, so much so, that I had to find an English translation in order to understand the story.

All in all, it is a shame that majority of the best authors from 19th and early 20th century, although prolific, did not get to live longer, and Robert Louis Stevenson is not exempt from that.

[hương quỳnh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mình muốn đọc The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde từ mấy năm trước, đợt mình mới đọc xong Dracula và muốn đọc tiếp mấy tiểu thuyết Gothic kinh điển (mà ko phải kiểu Gothic lãng mạn như Jane Eyre hoặc Đồi gió hú, tính ra thì style viết của Bram Stocker (Dracula) cũng đã là hơi lãng mạn rồi (kiểu nó gentle ấy, nhân vật chính cũng toàn lady vs gentlemen ko). Nói chung là chần chừ mấy năm, đến bây giờ mình mới đọc được và cảm thấy vô cùng thỏa mãn, kiểu nó hay và HẤP DẪN thực sự á, và ngắn nữa.
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Nội dung thì quyển này (như cái tiêu đề) kể một câu chuyện lạ lùng về nhân vật bác sĩ Jekyll và ông Hyde. Chuyện kể dưới góc nhìn của luật sư Utterson, một người bạn và cũng là người lập di chúc cho bác sĩ Jekyll. Bản di chúc ấy rất lạ lùng:

all his possessions were to pass into the hands of his friend and benefactor Edward Hyde, but that in case of Dr Jekyll's disappearance or unexplained absence for any period exceeding three calendar months".

Điểm kì lạ thứ nhất là ông Hyde (theo 1 vụ việc mà luật sư Utterson dc biết) là một kẻ xấu xa, độc ác và ko có quan hệ vs bác sĩ Jekyll. Điểm kỳ lạ thứ hai là ở điều kiện của di chúc, bác sĩ Jekyll dùng từ "disappearance" vs lại "unexplained absence", nghe nó quái quái. Đấy cho nên luật sư Utterson, vì lợi ích của bạn mình, bắt đầu để ý đến ông Hyde này và phát hiện ra những bí mật kinh khủng, càng về sau càng kinh khủng. Đấy là xong phần nội dung không spoil của truyện.
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Nhưng mà do quyển này quá kinh điển nên chắc ai cũng từng bị spoil rồi, chỉ là ko bik mọi người bị spoil đến mức độ nào thôi. Nhưng mà ít nhất chắc mng đều biết Hyde vs Jekyll thật ra là cùng 1 người. Bác sĩ Jekyll là người tốt, lương thiện và đáng trọng. Ông Hyde là một kẻ độc ác, tàn nhẫn và là một kẻ sát nhân. Làm sao 2 con người như vậy lại tồn tại được trong cùng 1 thực thể? Chắc nhiều người cũng tưởng là bác sĩ Jekyll bị đa nhân cách, mình cũng tưởng vậy :) nhưng mà không phải vậy. Đây hoàn toàn là một kế hoạch có chủ đích, một tham vọng điên rồ, một ý tưởng mà mình ko thể nào tin được bác sĩ Jekyll là nghĩ được như vậy @@ nói nữa thì spoil. Tác giả rất tài tình khi viết về những thứ méo mó kì dị trong tư duy của con người. Chốt lại là: Bác sĩ Jekyll từ đầu ko có vấn đề gì về rối loạn nhân dạng phân li, toàn bộ đều là một kế hoạch, một chuỗi hành động có nghiên cứu, có tính toán. Ban đầu là vậy, nhưng càng về sau thì mọi thứ bắt đầu vuột khỏi tầm kiểm soát.
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Phần hay nhất của truyện là phần cuối, cũng là lời trần thuật của bác sĩ Jekyll về toàn bộ sự việc. Nhà văn miêu tả tâm lý thật sự rất hay. Bác sĩ Jekyll vốn là người sở hữu tất cả mọi thứ mà ai cũng mong ước, một quý ông giàu có đáng kính trọng. Ông luôn giữ vững nguyên tắc đạo đức và là một nhà khoa học đúng nghĩa. Nhưng sâu bên trong, đã từ lâu rồi, ông luôn cảm thấy 1 xung động, 1 thôi thúc bị đè nén, muốn làm những việc mà ông gọi là "undignified". Thôi thúc đó ông luôn đè nén không bao giờ thể hiện ra bên ngoài, nhưng nó vẫn tồn tại song song với con người "moral and intellectual" của ông - con người đáng kính mà ông thể hiện ra với thế giới. Nhưng mà cái gì càng che giấu, càng đè nén thì nó lại càng dễ bung ra á.

"I had learnt to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved daydream, on the thought of the separation of these elements. If each, I told myself, could but be housed in separate identities, life would be relieved of all that was unbearable; the unjust might go his way, delivered from the aspirations and remorse of his more upright twin; and the just could walk steadfastly and securely on his upward path, doing the good things in which he found his pleasure, and no longer exposed to disgrace and penitence by the hands of this extraneous evil. ... How, then, were they dissociated?"

(Hay khiếp) Tức là ông ấy đang bình thường, lại muốn phân li nhân cách của mình ra, để ai làm việc tốt thì cứ làm việc tốt, đứa nào làm việc xấu thì cứ làm việc xấu cho thỏa mãn, nhưng trách nhiệm thì nó không phải gánh, vì cái đứa nhân cách xấu ấy, nó thậm chí còn không tồn tại nếu chủ thể là Dr Jekyll không muốn.

"Men have before hired bravos to transact their crimes, while their own person and reputation sat under shelter. I was the first that ever did so for his pleasures. I was the first that could thus plod in the public eye with a load of genial respectability, and in a moment, like a schoolboy, strip off these lendings and spring headlong in to the sea of liberty. But for me, in my impenetrable mantle, the safety was complete. Think of it-I did not even exist! [...] and whatever he had done, Edward Hyde would pass away like the stain of breath upon a mirror; and there in his stead, quietly at home, trimming the midnight lamp in his study, a man who could afford to laugh at suspicion, would be Henry Jekyll"
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Ý tưởng chung là vậy, ông í muốn phân li chính mình, và chủ động kiểm soát sự phân li đó. Nhưng đến cuối cùng mọi sự ra sao thì mng đọc truyện sẽ rõ. Cái hay là ở chỗ diễn biến tâm lý của ông này. Từ "undignified" đến mức độ "monstrous" thì sẽ như thế nào? Được tự do làm những điều xấu liệu có thể hấp dẫn đến mức nào? Kiểu kiểu vậy!

"when I would come back from these excursions, I was often plunged into a kind of wonder at my vicarious depravity. This familiar that I called out of my own soul, and sent forth alone to do his good pleasure, was a being inherently malign and villainous; his every act and thought centred on self; drinking pleasure with bestial avidity from any degree of torture to another; relentless like a man of stone. Henry Jekyll stood at times aghast before the acts of Edward Hyde, but the situation was apart from ordinary laws, and insidiously relaxed the grasp of conscience. It was Hyde, after all, and Hyde alone, that was guilty. Jekyll was no worse; he woke again to his good qualities seemingly unimpaired; he would even make haste, where it was possible, to undo the evil done by Hyde. And thus his conscience slumbered."

Tác giả sẽ miêu tả sự thay đổi cả về suy nghĩ lẫn ngoại hình một cách vô cùng chi tiết, vô cùng hấp dẫn trong từng giây từng khắc mà Jekyll biến thành Hyde, và Hyde thành Jekyll, từng ngày từng ngày con người này trượt dài, losing control. Sự thay đổi đó nghe thì có vẻ đối lập, giống như từ 1 thái cực này qua 1 thái cực khác, từ lương thiện thành ác quỷ, nhưng mà thực ra nó vẫn là 1 chỉnh thể thống nhất, vì 2 người này đều tồn tại trong 1 thực thể. Và mọi ng sẽ thắc mắc là vậy cuối cùng bác sĩ Jekyll thật sự là một người như thế nào, bản chất ổng thật sự là Jekyll hay là Hyde? rằng thiên thướng của con người là thiện hay ác? (mặc dù Jekyll luôn luôn claim ổng là thiện ấy, nhưng mà càng đọc sẽ càng mang lại nhiều hoài nghi)
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Nãy giờ nói nhiều về tả người rùi nhưng mà truyện này tả cảnh cũng hay nữa. Bối cảnh là London thế kỉ 19, lúc nào cũng thấy âm u mờ mờ ảo ảo, màn sương mù cứ như không thể xuyên thủng, ánh sáng thì ảm đạm kể cả có là ban ngày cũng ko bao giờ thấy bầu trời quang đãng (đấy là trong sách chứ mình khum bik ở ngoài). Tác giả tả cảnh cũng rất hay, một đoạn vài dòng thôi mà rất Gothic nha.

Đây là một số đoạn tả cảnh siêu gợi cảm mà mình cực kì thích:

1. Buổi sáng:

"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 marvellous 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 a rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration; 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."

2. Buổi chiều:

"The for still slept on the wing above the drowned city, where the lamps glimmered like carbuncles, and through the muffle and smother of these fallen clouds, the precession of the town's life was still rolling in through the great arteries with a sound as of a mighty wind. but the room was gay with firelight [...] the imperial dye had softened with time, as the colour grows richer in stained windows; and the glow of hot autumn afternoons on hillside vineyards was ready to be set free and to disperse the fogs of London."

3. Buổi tối:

"It was a wild, cold, seasonable night of March, with a pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind has tilted her, and a flying wrack of the most diaphanous and lawny texture. The wind made talking difficult, and flecked the blood in to the face. It seemed to have swept the streets unusually bare of passengers, besides; for Mr Utterson thought he had never seen that part of London so deserted. He could have wished it otherwise; never in his life had he been conscious of so sharp a wish to see and touch his fellow creatures; for struggle as he might, there was borne in upon his mind a crushing anticipation of calamity. The square, when they got there, was all full of wind and dust, and the thin trees in the garden were lashing themselves along the railing. "

Mặc dù cái đoạn đầu tiên là tả buổi sáng đấy nhưng mà Mr Utterson vẫn cảm thấy hình ảnh London như một thành phố trong cơn ác mộng. Ban đêm sự yên tĩnh và những cơn gió lạnh còn tăng hiệu ứng, làm Mr Utterson đến mức phải muốn "nhìn thấy và chạm vào đồng loại của mình" (để cảm thấy đỡ ghê). Tác giả tả cảnh mới xuất sắc làm sao chứ! Tất cả cái sự mờ sương, gió lạnh và bóng tối này tạo ra một vẻ ma mị và quyến rũ sao đó. Mặc dù nó ghê nhưng mà nó sang. Không có bị dơ như London trong Những kì vọng lớn lao của Charles Dickens. Chắc style Gothic nó vậy, rùng rợn nhưng mà phải sang, phải thẩm mỹ @@ Đấy nói chung là tả cảnh đã xuất sắc như thế rồi, còn tả người thì đỉnh nữa. Cái miêu tả này này xuyên suốt 68 trang truyện nên mình highly recommend mọi người từ từ thưởng thức quyển này.
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Sơ sơ về quá trình đọc của mình: mình không bik nó là truyện ngắn chứ ko phải nguyên cuốn tiểu thuyết dày. Quyển này mình mua về mới để ý dòng "and other stories" viết nhỏ xíu trên tiêu đề, tức là ngoài Dr Jekyll ra có thêm 7 câu chuyện Gothic ngắn nữa @@ nhưng mà dù sao cũng đang giữa mùa hè, mình ko có mood đọc horror lắm (vs lại mình cũng ko mặn mà vs horror kinh điển), nên nói chung là mình chỉ đọc có 68 trang là tổng dung lượng của Dr Jekyll ._. Thấy hơi tiếc tiền (cuốn này hơn 200 trang lựn, nhưng mà cũng may, tại Robert Louis Stevenson viết không có dễ đọc, đọc cũng hơi quằn quại á, nếu lười ko tra từ điển mà ngồi đoán đoán thì đọc sẽ ko cảm thấy hay, tại ông í xài nhiều tính từ lắm, character-driven mà, miêu tả rất nhiều về nhân cách và ngoại hình, nên mình đã tra từ điển hết cái đống tính từ chắc đa số phải từ 3-4 syllables mà bình thường mình đọc sách chẳng bao giờ gặp). Túm lại là mệt nhưng mà xứng đáng, vs lại cũng truyện ngắn có 68 trang nên mọi người đọc phát là hết chứ chắc chắn là sẽ ko drop giữa chừng đâu.

[Ensaio Sobre o Desassossego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antes de iniciar uma nova leitura, tento saber o mínimo possível sobre o livro. É raro ler sinopses, especialmente se forem livros clássicos. É por isso que, apesar de já praticamente todos saberem como é que acaba esta história, eu não fazia ideia do final. É assim que gosto de partir para as leituras: sem saber praticamente nada do que me espera.

A novela que dá titulo a esta edição é uma mistura de elementos de literatura gótica - ambientes sombrios, passagens secretas, personagens obscuras que não aparentam ser o que realmente são - com um toque de literatura de dectetives, há um mistério por resolver que nos acompanha durante toda a história.

Como escrevi, não fazia ideia do final desta história e fiquei boquiaberta com as revelações finais... não estava mesmo nada à espera e achei absolutamente genial por parte do autor

Esta revelação é que nos faz questionar uma data de coisas, especialmente em relação aos nossos desejos reprimidos. A luta entre o bem e o mal, estas duas naturezas que existem em todos os seres humanos, a ambiguidade moral está muito presente nesta história.

A construção da narrativa e das personagens é maravilhosa e o trocadilho do nome do Mr. Hyde está muito bem feito. "If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek"

Esta edição tem outros contos do autor e aí senti ainda mais o terror e a atmosfera sombria. Todos abordam a complexidade do ser humano, sobre o facto de termos sempre de lidar com as consequências dos nossos actos e todas as histórias mostram muito bem a dualidade entre o bem e o mal.
Adorei o conto "The Bottle Imp", que me fez muito lembrar o Génio da Lâmpada, e o "The Waif Woman". O Robert Louis Stevenson realmente era um mestre em criar narrativas e todos estes contos deixaram-me a reflectir sobre a natureza humana! Vale muito a pena conhecer este autor

[Nobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see a recurring theme in Robin’s works, which is curiosity, the consequences of your actions, the evil side of you, and sometimes love. His way of writing depicts really well the side of the people, which is revolting, greedy, envious, and overall "evil."

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - the pure evil, curiosity
Jekyll and Hyde is a story about how long-term curiosity can kill the cat. Not only that, it also shows the idea of “pure evil” of the author, which, to be honest, isn’t as bad as some people in real life. The pure evil in this case is not necessarily ugly, but it gives you an indescribable revolting feeling towards the reincarnation of said evil. It can make you shiver just being in its presence. Evil, in its pure form, is hypocritical, rash, and impulsive. Said impulsivity leads to irreversible things and the pain of many people. The story shows how evil can live in all people, of every status, no matter how influential said person is. This evil lives on, but is concealed by a pretty face or actions, overwhelmed by the better side, or hidden and forgotten until it becomes unbearable to hide any more. Greed is another theme I noticed in Jekyll and Hyde. Why would Jekyll do what he did if he wasn’t greedy? Greedy for more knowledge, for the “impossible”. It shows how greed can make you do things that you wouldn’t otherwise do. It makes you impulsive and/or obsessive. The uncanny desire of Dr. Jekyll leads him to lose himself. The desire is led by greed. I liked how Stevenson doesn’t hide (no pun intended) that every person that meets Hyde is utterly appalled by him, even if they haven’t met him or haven’t seen him do anything bad. Also, the way losing to the worse half was described (losing your will of the body and your sanity with it) was really well done. 3.8/5

Markheim - the devil within, greed (Markheim,the dealer, the "devil, the maid) The story is once again about greed and the devil inside your head. The greed can lead to impulsivity (as far as I understood the story), and impulsivity has consequences. Even if the greed was born by the “devil” in your head, it’s not the devil who’s going to pay for your actions. The “devil” wants to corrupt you even more than you already are (because some people are corrupt to begin with). He’ll try to sweet-talk you into doing what he wants. Even if you’ve already done something "bad," it’s never too late to turn back and confess your sins. It’s another matter if you’re going to be forgiven. 2.4/5

Thrawn Janet—I have no clue. No fr I don’t know. 0.5/5

Olalla - forbidden love, self-sacrifice (Olalla, Felipe, the Seniora, the Narrator) The story is about forbidden love, love at first sight, self-sacrifice, and (once again) curiosity. I never understood the concept of “love at first sight." How do you know you love her/him/them if you’ve just met them? Anyway, as far as I understood this story, even if you love someone, you have to give them up for the greater good, so society won’t suffer. I don’t exactly agree, because why should you give up your love and your future for people you don’t even know? For people who have judged you and want you and your whole bloodline to disappear? 2/5

The bottle imp - curiosity, the consequences of the actions, love, doubt (keawe, the man, lopaka, kokua,the boatswain) Pure curiosity might sometimes be good, even if it might have some bad moments. The story shows how one action, which you didn’t pay that much attention to, can change your (and other people’s) lives to the core. It can give you a better life, then give you obstacles, and either you’ll make it through them or lose everything. Here again, there’s the theme of love at first sight (which I truly do not understand, so I won’t elaborate further). Even though there’s love, doubt sometimes creeps in. But you shouldn’t make rash decisions, and you should just talk it out with the person you’re doubting. Then there’s the greed that might save one person (in this case, more people), but doom another completely. The person wouldn’t listen, even if you told them it’s dangerous. Even if people warned them, they’re just too greedy to notice or they just don’t care (which is understandable). 2.7/5

The isle of voices - greed, consequences (Keola, Lehua, Kalamake, the man eaters, the warlocks, the girl) There’s no love that can save you from greed. At least not that is lasting. For if you lust for something, you are bound to lose something in the process of gaining it. The want is so strong that you can’t notice you’re actually being tricked into thinking that you’re at benefit. You lose, you become alone, and then it’s over. Unless you’re lucky and the one who loves you hasn’t given up on you yet, In which case, everything might turn out better for you, even if you don’t deserve it in the first place. 2.3/5

The body snatcher - karma, cruelty, selfishness (Macfarlane, Fettes, Gray, Mr. K) You never truly know people. You never know the full truth. There’s always something, no matter how small or insignificant, that you don’t know. Cruelty is a thing that can easily come to haunt you. Especially if you don’t regret the cruel things you’ve done. Karma and cruelty (and selfishness) go hand in hand (most of the time). If you’ve done something you don’t regret, sooner or later you’ll definitely regret it. It’s funny how curiosity can lead you to cruelty, which can lead to your life falling apart. Also, don’t trust people. 2.5/5

The waif woman- envy, greed, consequences, selfishness (Finnward, Aud, Asdis, Eyolf, Thorguanna) Even if you love someone, this someone might not love you in return (vice versa). And if you hate someone, they might not hate you. And then there's greed and envy. Which leads (most times) to hate. Which leads, in turn, to doing morally wrong things. Which also leads to the consequences of your actions. Isn’t that a wonderful cycle? Then there’s selfishness, which fuels greed, envy, and hate. In this story, greed prevails. The karma comes back around and hits the main character like a rock on a mouse’s head. The main character is greedy, envious, and selfish, but that doesn’t mean her children are like her. This shows that the apple might fall far, far, far, really far away from the tree. Also, don’t always listen to your loved ones, because they might be terribly wrong. 2.4/5

[Emily Broekman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante verhalen die erg mooi geschreven zijn. Alleen een beetje gek dat het verhaal waar het boek mee word aangeprezen (Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde) korter is dan sommige andere verhalen in de bundel…

[Salam Almahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars


Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: I loved this story! So many lessons compressed in this short story. So many conversations to have and dissections to be made.
I’m glad this is a book taught at schools because it deserves a conversation around it. Each idea from « human nature », « bad vs. good » « suppression of desires », « being true to yourself », « public image », to « body deformity to reflect inner evil ». I could go on and on about each topic and a lot more.
I’ll continue reading the rest of the short stories in this collection and maybe update my review, but for it was important for le to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because of what a social phenomenon it had become and this book had been in my TBR for the longest time. Glad I finally read the source material to a plethora of works based on it. 4.5/5

The Body Snatcher: I had high hopes for this story based on my enjoyment of the first one, and because of the intriguing title. Maybe at one point it would’ve hit me hard, but due to my over exposure ti true crime, this idea did not freak or creep me out. The ending is good though. 3/5

[Michael Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It was a great experience to read the original material where these iconic characters originate. It really made me think what it must have been like to read this at the time of publication before the story had become so well known.

The other stories in this collection were a bit hit and miss. Some were great, whereas others I really didn't get. Maybe they went over my head.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stevenson’s writing is wonderful. The structure and narrative style work brilliantly. I think that as there have been so many adaptations of this story which have been beefed up, I was expecting more plot. I’d love to have the opportunity of coming to this story with no knowledge at all, in which case I think it would be a lot more exhilarating.

[Herb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A schizophrenic man drinks too much Monster Energy Assault, becomes too cool for his own conscience and proceeds to drink a six-pack of 5-Hour Energy to achieve inner peace along with a somersaulting heart.

The other stories, namely The Bodysnatchers were also quite fun.

Banger.

[Sigrid Delphine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may be a little on the nose with all its good-versus-evil stuff, but the strange case of dr. Jekyll and mr. Hyde is a great story, and nobody can convince me otherwise. It doesn’t have the most relatable characters nor is it, I suppose, a very relatable story, but that’s not really necessary: this is the kind of story that’s fun to read and fun to tell, the kind with layers of mystery and with a good ending that includes some shocking revelations and deaths. Having said that, I neither passionately disliked nor cared very much for the other stories in this particular collection of R.L. Stevenson (bundled because Jekyll and Hyde is more of a novella than a standalone novel). Many of them taking inspiration from or at least resembling fables and legends, the stories in this collection have a juvenile, campfire-story kind of feel, combined with an almost casual interlacing of horror elements: for instance, one does not at all anticipate the dead and naked “Waif Woman” squatting on another dead woman’s bed until the very sentence conjures the image. Neither did I particularly care (the Waiff Woman was not my favourite), but perhaps I was too distracted with working out eloquent pearls such as “the weird is dreed” and “quoth”. I do not mind it at all if an author adapts the language to the setting of the story, but within reason – language is a tool, after all, not an end, and it seems childish and artificial to me to change sentence structures to resemble a different period or different culture/region. I know, of course, that this particular author lived and died well over a century ago, but the language used in the short stories is not of one kind and is in some cases bothersome. It is also, I think, part of the reason that some of these stories, though entertaining enough, just did not get to the heart of the matter (or to the heart, period). I started out liking Olalla, for instance, the concept of the story and the hazy feel to it, but the writing was completely vague in the end and I’m quite convinced that I was cheated out of a good old Gothic vampire story (there was some blood sucking but no hint that the main character or anybody found this particularly out of the ordinary). Thrawn Janet was equally a blur (although here my own ignorance of Scottish may have factored in somewhat). I did particularly enjoy Markheim and the Body Snatcher, probably because both bear some resemblance in style and substance to Jekyll and Hyde.

[kii · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and had to make our own rendition of a play for an English class. I enjoyed learning about it in class, so rereading this made me feel a lot of nostalgia; thus, further amplifying my enjoyment. Knowing the text beforehand and having a background on the foreshadowings, the symbolism, and the theme made my reading a better experience because you can really see how the idea of the dichotomy of man was presented and alluded to.

To be honest, I only bought this for Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , but I'm glad to say I enjoyed a few of Stevenson's other stories. Markheim is a short story that dealt with the author's prominent themes of good vs. evil. For me, it was a great example of showing and not telling. It dropped information by showing little details or in the dialogue, and it began smack right in the middle of the action. A short but thought-provoking read. The Bottle Imp is one of the short stories that captivated me as well as it tackles the common "sold my soul to the devil" trope, which I am a complete sucker for. The other stories, I just breezed by them a bit as I was not interested.

Collectively, I would give Stevenson's works a 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars.
This is a book that is quite readable when it comes to the writing style and language which is unique due to the time period this was published in, the author explores split personality and more in all these stories.

I was torn between a 3.5 and 4 for mainly one reason, the first story, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was utterly addicting but far too short, I wished for more, after that, the rest of the short stories fell flat to me, as none could compare to the first one.

I definitely find the concepts interesting, the majority of the other stories were a lot more difficult to read unfortunately, I also just couldn't get behind the ideas and didn't enjoy them.
I think the one I can say I was at least a little invested in (apart from Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) was The Body Snatchers.

I definitely think Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde should have been longer but regardless, I recommend reading it, I borrowed this book not for the other stories but for that one story alone.

Overall, a readable riveting opening story with other stories that are less than stellar.


---
Pre Review
I liked Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde alright but as for the other stories, well I was disappointed.

[Katrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: 4/5 stars

Markheim: 3/5 stars

Thrawn Janet: 2/5 stars

Olalla: 2/5 stars

The Bottle Imp: 4/5 stars

The Isle of Voices: 2/5 stars

The Body Snatcher: 4/5 stars

The Waif Woman: 3/5 stars

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, but not the other stories, because I somehow lost my interest. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find it though.

[Miguel Franken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 3.5/5
Markheim 4/5
Thrawn Janet 1/5
Olalla 2.5/5
The Bottle Imp 5/5
The Isle of Voices 4/5
The Body Snatcher 2.5/5
The Waif Woman 4/5

[Sana · Rating 3 out of 5]

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''If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.'' - Dr Jekyll (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, p. 31)


Robert Louis Stevenson gehört zu den Begründern des Horrors in der Literatur. Unzählige Kurzgeschichten, Essays und auch einige Bücher hat er veröffentlicht und so galt als einer der beliebtesten Schriftsteller seiner Zeit. In dieser Sammlung befinden sich folgende Werke:
Der seltsame Fall des Dr Jekyll und Mr Hyde: Der Richter Utterson bemerkt, dass mit seinem alten Freund Dr Jekyll seit geraumer Zeit etwas nicht stimmt. Er meidet seine Freunde und wird von seinen Bediensteten selten gesehen. Ausgerechnet zu der Zeit, wo ein brutaler Mörder namens Mr Hyde in London auftaucht.
Markheim: Der Titelheld begeht einen Mord an einem Händler und wird von seinem schlechten Gewissen geplagt.
Die krumme Janet: Ein schottischer Kirchgänger aus Balweary erzählt von einer geheimnisvollen Frau namens Janet. Ihr wird Hexerei vorgeworfen.
Olalla: Ein verwundeter Kommandant wird zur Genesung auf die spanische Residenz einer merkwürdigen Familie geschickt.
Der Flaschenteufel: Keawe hört von einer mysteriösen Flasche, die einem angeblich alle Wünsche erfüllen kann. Für nur fünfzig Dollar bekommt er sie verkauft und kann sie nur loswerden, indem er sie billiger verkauft - was er schon bald tun möchte, denn wer diese Flasche bis ans Lebensende behält, kommt in die Hölle.
Die Insel der Stimmen: Keola fährt mit seinem Schwiegervater zu der Insel der Stimmen, um Magie zu wirken.
Der Leichenräuber: In einer Bar trifft Fettes auf seinen alten Studienfreund Macfarone, mit dem ihn dunkle Geheimnisse im Namen der Wissenschaft verbinden.
Die Landfremde: Ein Schiff legt am Dock des Dorfes an, in dem Frodis und Aud gemeinsam leben. Als die letztgenannte, sehr auf Prestige bedachte Frau von einer Mitreisenden namens Thorgonna hört, macht sie sich augenblicklich auf die Suche nach ihr. Denn ihre Kleider sollen von großer Eleganz und zum Verkauf frei sein. Doch obwohl die Landfremde sich hartnäckig zeigt, gibt Aud nicht auf.


Ähnlich wie Edgar Allen Poe, H. P. Lovecraft oder Mary Shelley gehört auch Robert Louis Stevenson zu den Must-Reads, wenn man sich mit den Ursprüngen des Horrors beschäftigen will. Und genauso wie seine Kollegen vereint er viele der üblichen Elemente in seinen Werken, nur - zumindest in denen innerhalb dieser Kurzgeschichtensammlung - mit etwas mehr Varietät.
Dabei ist sein Schreibstil sehr atmosphärisch und verleiht jeder Geschichte eine gewisse Düsternis. Dies unterstreicht er vor allem durch die Beschreibung von Natur und Wetter, weswegen häufig Nebel und Regen bei ihm die gruselige Stimmung vermitteln. Anders als bei anderen Autoren dieses Jahrhunderts benutzt er dies zum Glück allerdings nicht inflationär, sondern in genau richtigem Maße. Ein Grusel, der in einem eine paranoide Reaktion oder Angst auslöst, erschafft er jedoch nicht. Vielmehr liegt das Unheimliche in seinen Geschichten bei den damals revolutionären Ideen, die einen neuen Blick auf die dunkle Seite des Menschen gewähren. In nahezu jedem der Werke in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and other stories thematisiert er das Verkommen der Moral durch verschiedene Hintergründe und ergründet - unter anderem in seiner beliebtesten, titelgebenden Story dieser Sammlung - die Diskrepanz zwischen Gut und Böse. Dennoch wird es auf Dauer anstrengend, seinen Worten zu folgen, denn jede der Stories entwickelt sich nur sehr langsam und ist manchmal recht umständlich verfasst. Die Dialoge sind manchmal sehr theatralisch und die Erläuterungen zum Innenleben seiner Figuren zu ausführlich in Anbetracht dessen, dass die Handlung sehr langsam voranschreitet.
Dennoch ist an Stevenson interessant, dass er seine persönliche Leidenschaft für Reisen und fremde Kultur in seine Geschichten eingebaut hat. So findet man in dieser Sammlung Werke, die nicht in seiner schottischen Heimat, sondern in exotischen Ländern wie Spanien oder den hawaiischen Staaten spielen. Insofern merkt man anhand seiner Erzählweise, wenn er sich an realen Begebenheiten oder Folklore orientiert, da diese Geschichten eher einen märchenhaften Stil und eine klarer gezeichnete, fast schon traditionelle Moral haben. Daher kann man sich über mehr Abwechslung bei diesem Autor freuen, auch wenn es wohl vom persönlichen Geschmack abhängt, ob man jene an Mythen angelehnten Geschichten eher mag als seine eigenen mit neuen philosophischen Gedanken zum Menschenbild. In dieser Sammlung gibt es jedenfalls sowohl Positiv- als auch Negativbeispiele für beide Kategorien.
Doch obwohl es in seinen Short-Stories immer um Personen und ihre Persönlichkeit geht, ist diese in den seltensten Fällen wirklich ausgebaut. Wenn man eine Kurzgeschichte schreibt, hat man auch nicht den gleichen Rahmen dazu wie in einem vollwertigen Buch. Doch dies trägt dazu bei, dass die interessanten Ansätze zum Menschenbild genau dies bleiben, obwohl sie so viel Potential dazu haben, genauer beleuchtet zu werden. Allerdings ist bei einigen dieser Werke auch unklar, was genau der Autor einem damit sagen will, da es keine wirkliche Quintessenz gibt und die Erzählung einem daher nicht lange im Gedächtnis bleiben, genauso wie die Hauptfiguren.

Besprechung einzelner Kurzgeschichten:


Der seltsame Fall des Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (erschienen 1886): Direkt mit der bekanntesten Geschichte des Autors wird diese Sammlung eingeleitet - ein passabler Start, auch wenn die Beliebtheit der Geschichte nicht vollkommen nachvollziehbar ist. Zwar ist verständlich, dass diese neue Idee des Menschen und seines Verhältnisses zu Gut und Böse wirklich einzigartig ist, jedoch hätte sie spannender ausgearbeitet werden können. Zudem ist die Erzählperspektive etwas ungünstig gewählt, da der Fall des Dr Jekyll und Mr Hyde bis auf die letzten Seiten von außen als Mysterium betrachtet wird, in den letzten Seiten aber aus der Perspektive von Dr Jekyll berichtet wird. Dabei wäre diese Perspektive von Beginn an interessanter gewesen. Außerdem ist nicht ganz klar, warum viele die multiple Persönlichkeit als Hauptthema dieses Werks betrachten, denn darum geht es genau genommen nicht. Eher kritisiert der Autor hier die Neigung des Menschen, so lange herumzuexperimentieren, bis er etwas unkontrollierbar Unnatürliches erschafft. Dennoch ist die Auflösung ansehnlich und kann den Leser einigermaßen fesseln. 3.25/5.00

Markheim (erschienen 1885): Bei dieser Kurzgeschichte handelt es sich um einen Vorgänger der Geschichte von Jekyll und Hyde, da es sich mit genau demselben Thema beschäftigt. Es ist nur noch weniger ausgearbeitet und konzentriert sich eher auf die Philosophie dahinter. Es braucht viel Konzentration, um dies tatsächlich aus der Geschichte herauszulesen, da es auch nicht sonderlich psychologisch beginnt. Hier kommt allerdings der innere Zwiespalt besser zur Geltung und daher auch die angetastete psychische Störung, da sie nicht künstlich erzeugt wird. Deswegen ist der Twist innerhalb der Story bei dem harmlosen Anfang ziemlich überraschend und kann einen trotz der Kürze packen. Dennoch wäre es schön gewesen zu sehen, was nach dem Ende geschehen wäre. 3.00/5.00

Die krumme Janet (erschienen 1881): Hier nimmt der Brutalitätsgrad eindeutig zu, ebenso wie sich die religiösen Einflüsse des Autoren eindeutig erkennen lassen. Die Atmosphäre ist wesentlich gespannter und wohl die Definition des Wortes gothic. Leider kann der Autor hierin nicht unbedingt mit Überraschungen punkten, auch wenn man wegen der unübersichtlichen Erzählweise schnell den Überblick verlieren kann. Zusätzlich mit der Langgezogenheit wohl eine der schwächeren Geschichten. Und für all diejenigen, die sich Die krumme Janet auf Englisch zu Gemüte führen wollen - stellt euch auf einen sehr ausgeprägten schottischen Dialekt ein! 2.75/5.00

Olalla (erschienen 1885): Ebenso wie die vorherige Geschichte hat diese hier nicht wirklich Aussagekraft. Sie überzeugt mehr als alle anderen mit ihrer Atmosphäre, die einen von vorneherein spüren lässt, dass etwas mit der Residenz nicht stimmt. Sowohl der Sinn als auch der Hintergrund der Familie bleiben ein Mysterium, was einerseits spannend, andererseits verwirrend ist. Andererseits traut sich Stevenson hier eindeutig an Darstellungen von geistiger Behinderung heran, was vor allem vor dem Hintergrund seiner Definition des Menschen interessant ist. Trotzdem kann man nicht wirklich von einer Handlung sprechen, genauso wie die Figuren bis auf ihre Eigenartigkeit nichts definiert. Abgeschlossen wird dies mit einer auf den ersten Blick etablierten Liebe, die selbst für den Romantiker Stevenson übertrieben ist. Fungiert wohl hauptsächlich als Plotdevise, was es aber nicht weniger nervig macht. Die wohl am zwiespältigsten zu betrachtende Short-Story. 3.00/5.00

Der Flaschenteufel (erschienen 1891): Hierbei handelt es sich um eine der an hawaiischen Folklore angelehnten Geschichten. Daher nimmt die schauerliche Atmosphäre ab, die Ausarbeitung der Figuren wie auch des Plots jedoch zu. Dieser ist zwar - wie auch die Moral - nicht unbedingt neu, kann jedoch mit einer gewissen Unvorhersehbarkeit punkten, vor allem da immer mehr Menschen vom Flaschenteufel betroffen sind. Auch hier stört die Liebe auf den ersten Blick, jedoch kann man ihr Auftauchen in Anbetracht der Handlung verstehen. Trotzdem hätte der Autor einen besseren Effekt in der Moral erzielen können, wenn er den Figuren kein letztes Hintertürchen für ihre Situation gegeben hätte. 3.20/5.00

Die Insel der Stimmen (erschienen 1893): Der Tiefpunkt dieser Sammlung. Zwar startet Stevenson stark mit der Beschreibung des Warlocks, jedoch verliert die Handlung immer mehr an Übersichtlichkeit. Um die Insel der Stimmen geht es letztlich kaum und auch der Kern der Erzählung bleibt einem verborgen. Was genau wollte der Autor damit sagen, was wollte er erzählen? Zusätzlich dazu trifft der Protagonist dümmliche, unnachvollziehbare Entscheidungen, was den langweiligen Verlauf der Story bzw. dessen Fehlen noch schwerer zu lesen macht. 2.00/5.00

Der Leichenräuber (erschienen 1884): Beginnend mit dem Aufeinandertreffen der beiden ehemaligen Studienkollegen, kann Stevenson das Interesse der Leserschaft sofort packen. Dabei sind sowohl Fettes als auch Macfarlone die wohl am besten gezeichneten Figuren dieser Sammlung und bieten einem interessante Fragestellungen. Dabei geht es vor allem um die Wissenschaft und was man für diese zu tun oder nicht zu tun bereit ist. Der moralische Verfall bei diesem Denken wird gut an den beiden Charakteren aufgezeigt. Dabei erfährt man auch die ein oder andere interessante Regelung, die zu damaligen Zeiten die Wissenschaft und ihr Arbeiten betrafen. Enttäuschend ist nur, dass das Ende genau dann einsetzt, wenn der interessanteste Teil begonnen hätte. 3.45/5.00

Die Landfremde (erschienen 1914): In dieser posthum erschienenen Geschichte lehnt sich Stevenson an die nordische Mythologie an. Entsprechend ist der Gruselfaktor wieder geringer, auch wenn Hauptfigur Thorginna von einer geheimnisvollen Aura umgeben ist. Alles verläuft zwar wie erwartet und auch die Moral der Geschicht ist nichts Neues, jedoch kann er sie trotzdem gut vermitteln. Das erfolgt vor allem durch den überspitzten gierigen Charakter der Frau Aud. Ein klassisches Märchen mit düsterem Touch. 3.45/5.00


Insgesamt reiht sich Stevenson trotz einiger kleiner Besonderheiten in die klassische Sorte der Horrorschriftsteller seiner Zeit ein. Auch wenn er weniger Zimperlichkeit im Bezug auf Blut und Gewalt beweist, zeichnet sich seine Erzählweise hauptsächlich durch Stimmung und Düsternis aus als durch Handlungsorientierung. Seine Ideen und Gedankengänge sind interessant, allerdings kaum ausgearbeitet, insbesondere wenn man sich seine Figuren ansieht. Wer also auf die ruhige, von merkwürdiger Atmosphäre lebende Art von Grusel steht, der sich eher im Kopf abspielt, so ist der Autor definitiv etwas für einen. Ist man jedoch den modernen, blutigen und handlungsgetriebenen Horror gewöhnt, so könnte man die Langwierigkeit als größte Schwäche der Erzählungen ansehen.

Gesamtwertung: 3.15/5.00 Sternen

[Lukas Carbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is my favorite of all time, what I find sad is how misunderstood it truly is by most people due to the popularization of the story. What most people miss is that Hyde isn't a different personality of Jekyll's, he literally still *is* Jekyll, Hyde is just the "mask" he uses so that he can indulge in everything he wants to do without ruining his pristine image of a prestigious doctor. When Jekyll (as Hyde) kills sir Danvers Carew, it isn't Hyde going rogue or whatever, it's just Jekyll getting too cocky and the elixir he uses to transform probably has a bit of a side effect of making him more unhinged, but he immediately realizes he messed up big time and tries to stop it all. That among many other things is something that is super misunderstood about the story and it's so sad, I wish more people realized that the story isn't about multiple personalities, but about how pride and lust (not necessarily the sexual kind) can absolutely ruin a person.
Regarding the other stories in this collection, I quite enjoyed The Bottle Imp - a story of greed with a shockingly wholesome ending - and The Body Snatcher - an interesting story of murders and a mysterious dead body haha.
Anyway, absolutely can recommend this collection overall, and I cannot recommend The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in particular enough.

[sha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars going to the majority of the tales minus Thrawn Janet; even with the Scottish glossary it is evident that it must be read aloud to fully comprehend and truly takes away from the experience in my opinion.

Strange Case always 5/5 for me, love it forever my pookie. The Bottle Imp was VERY good - somewhat reminded me of the Ring series in terms of spreading a virus of doom? I really enjoyed The Isle of Voices too, yet the story is fast paced, some parts were difficult to follow; like the true intention of the tribe etc.

Stevenson's curious nature of Polynesian culture is admirable; I do naturally take his portrayals with grains of salt. With exploration from those knowledgable of thr culture, revisits to the story would be very fun to read!

The Waif Woman is very evidently a post-humous release. Something about it felt lackluster and unfinished; yet it was fun to read what almost felt like a first draft of a novella! I was hoping more for a divine presence/unbeknownst deity in hiding etc. of Thorgunna, but what we got sufficed for the given context of writing!

[Thomas Bonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fine collection of stories bij Stevenson. They are very nice to read and do contain some sort of resolution. And that's what I personally like about his work, even though parts are left for interpetation, one can still read the stories and have them somewhat resolved.

I especially liked Ollala, The bottle imp and the body snatcher. Alltogether I can recommend reading this fully or even some of the stories. I personally skipped Thrawn Janet since it is written almost phonetically. Very hard to read especially if it's not your main language.

[louuu · Rating 4 out of 5]

From what I've read of Robert Louis Stevenson's work, I'm a big fan of his prose and writing, particularly when it veers more towards gothic, horror elements and digs deep into the human psyche. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is one of my favourites in that aspect. This particular collection is the second of two that I've read, thus half of the stories are first-time reads while others are re-reads. Here's what I thought of each story in this collection:


Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: 4.5/5 (reread)
My excitement and awe of this story have dwindled a bit now that it's not so novel to me, but this is still an incredible story that offers a deep look into the human mind and its capabilities of evil and depravity. The idea still is genius, and the separation of man from their evil deeds—and therefore their guilt—is still a topic that speaks to me deeply.

Markheim: 4.5/5 (reread)
One of the best prose, descriptions, and atmospheres that I've personally seen from Stevenson. The ending may not be as surprising to me as the first time I read it, but I still think this is a quality piece of work—one with incredibly profound themes that dive into guilt and conscience. This story will probably stay with me indefinitely.

Thrawn Janet: 4/5 (reread)
The first time I read this story, I had to pull up a standardized English translation and read it side-by-side with the original one in Scots. This time around, I can happily say I forewent the translation! Without having to refer to the translation and back, my enjoyment and immersion in this story increased. It didn't matter that I didn't understand many of the words—I understood the story and the atmosphere and picked up on context clues just fine, and even found myself getting shivers from time to time. Plus, it was rather fun to imagine a Scottish accent while reading it in my mind.

Olalla: 3.5/5
This story was quite difficult to understand at first. I didn't pick up on all the obscure vampiric themes and I didn't know the significance of Stevenson writing erotic descriptions in the Victorian Era. But after finding online analyses on it, I got to appreciate this story better. Still, I doubt the main character's love for Olalla and how it was written.

The Bottle Imp: 4.5/5
This one took me by surprise! I didn't expect such fairytale-esque writing from Stevenson, and I found that I quite liked it. What's more, I found this story incredibly heartwarming, especially in a cautionary tale for greed such as this. The romance between the main character and his wife, though rather superficial by today's standards, was easy to root for and felt very genuine. I also found the mechanisms of the bottle to be fascinating as it adds great stakes and tension to the story.

The Isle of Voices: 3/5
As far as the stories in this collection go, I found this to be one of the weaker ones. It's another cautionary tale against greed but lacks the heart and warmth present in The Bottle Imp. I didn't buy the romance between the main character and his wife, and much of the fantastical elements seem too abstract and fleeting to have a significant purpose. Sometimes, I felt like the story lacked direction. But hey, it was still enjoyable and not boring, so I guess that's a win?

The Body Snatcher: 4.5/5 (reread)
I appreciated this story this time around so much more than the first. The eeriness and the almost-occult atmosphere rose to the forefront. I found passages and descriptions standing out that hadn't before. And I understood the themes of guilt —especially the difference between Fettes' guilt and Macfarlane's lack of— much more prominently now than before. So suffice it to say, those things breathed new life into a story I'd previously overlooked.

The Waif Woman: 3/5
Along with the Isle of Voices, this story was rather weak for this collection. Supposedly it's unfinished, and many editors exclude it from their collections. I, for one, agree with those editors. Materialism, vanity, and greed are recurring themes in Stevenson's works, but this story doesn't explore them in a refreshing or new way. It has gothic elements, but the atmosphere is lacking. While there is interesting imagery around the character of Thorgunna, I ultimately feel quite indifferent to—if not outright disappointed by—this story.


As a collection, I'm not sure this one was the most cohesive. Many of the stories included the typical gothic and horror elements, but many leaned more fantastical than anything. If this was meant to be a collection of gothic stories, I'd argue Stevenson's A Lodging for the Night or The Suicide Club would have fit better than The Bottle Imp and The Isle of Voices. If it was meant to focus on themes that revolved around greed and materialism, I'd argue Thrawn Janet would be a little out of place. However, this book gave me the opportunity to see different sides of Stevenson's work, and for that, I am glad.

All the stories' individual ratings average about a 4-star rating, which is the overall rating I'll give this book.

[Farhan Hasin Chowdhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I picked up this book jist to read the title story, and as far as that is concerned, a solid 4 out of 5 read. Seems a bit drawn out near the end but very, very well written. Maybe someday I'll read the rest of the stories in the book as well.

[Priya Chauhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde explores concepts that were ahead of its time and the rest of the stories were just fine.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was 4⭐️ but the rest was 2⭐️ or 2.5⭐️

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was riding entirely on its plot twist, so it doesn’t offer much to readers if you know the story of Jekyll and Hyde — and most would, as its big reveal is up there with “Luke, I am your father”. When you already know what a story is building up to, you hope to instead find enjoyment from the story’s journey, the complexity and dialogue of its characters, and the author’s use of language. After all, a well-rounded story wouldn’t just depend on shock value.

Unfortunately, Jekyll and Hyde’s entire story can be summarized with the repeated question of “What’s the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde?” (which you’ll be able to answer each time). I can see how the connection between the two may have been a very curious and unexpected one in the time it was written, but as a modern-day reader who’s had exposure to a number of stories of this nature (probably even inspired by Jekyll and Hyde), I would have easily guessed their relationship even if the story weren’t so well known, as Robert Louis Stevenson makes it very obvious in his writing.

As for the characters, Dr. Jekyll would have been the most interesting to read about — and I’ll admit that the final chapter, which is presented as a letter from him, provided me with more interest and enjoyment than all the other chapters for this very reason. But he was unexpectedly not the main character. Instead we see the entire story play out from his lawyer friend’s eyes (I can’t even remember his name), who’s just dull and never offers any interesting insight. Throughout the story, he basically just says “Hyde is detestable” and “How is my good-natured friend Jekyll connected to such a detestable man?” Again and again and again, until he finally learns how — and he only learns how after it literally gets it spelled out to him in a letter.

That is not to say I didn’t enjoy the unusual and controversial viewpoint into human psychology that Stevenson offers in this story. Especially for its time, I can imagine how unorthodox a character like Jekyll was. When we finally get to see into Jekyll’s mind, it’s a goldmine. I wish the story had instead been written from his perspective, though I understand it wouldn’t have been able to end with a big plot twist in that case. But perhaps sacrificing shock value for character development would have made the story stronger.

———————————————————

Here are my ratings and thoughts for the other stories in this book:

• Markheim: ★★★★
An interesting look into the mind of a schizophrenic. Through religious overtones, it questions what constitutes as morality. One of my favorite stories in the book.

• Thrawn Janet: ★★
This story is entirely written in Scottish English, which means most of tae sto’y rids lich dis (I’m not fluent in Scottish, so this was probably a very inaccurate example, but you get the idea). I actually had to keep a “translated”, modern-language version of the story on the side to reference whenever I got to a part I just couldn’t decipher. Eventually I started understanding the patterns in the “English” and managed to finish the story on my own without constantly referencing the modern-language version. It was an unnecessary challenge for a story that wasn’t even good, though maybe I’d have liked it more if I didn’t have to work so much for it.

• The Bottle Imp: ★★★★
My next favorite in the book. It reads from the perspective of a Hawaiian man (and his wife, at one point). The uncommon setting and characters made it quite interesting to me, and I found its conclusion satisfying.

• The Isle of Voices: ★★★
Also taking place in Hawaii, this story features magic. An entertaining read, but it could have been better concluded.

• The Body Snatcher: ★★★
This story is based on real murders that happened in Scotland, where a famous anatomy teacher bought corpses from murderers to supply his students with bodies to dissect. Being inspired by a true crime, this story instantly interested me greatly. It offers an interesting look at how one man’s conscience and morals gradually degrades. Unfortunately, it ends very abruptly and features a supernatural occurrence for some reason.

• The Waif Woman: ★★
This one takes place in Iceland and centers around a greedy woman. Pretty unmemorable, but I liked the setting and that the lead was a woman for a change.

[Kasc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The titular story Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde is the reason I bought this collection as it has been part of my long list of oversights with respect to classic literature for quite some time. On top of that, I saw the musical based on this story a while back and left the theater curious about the source material.
Honestly, given its cultural impact I had expected more, both in terms of quantity as it spans relatively few pages and in terms of substance, but I guess these observations are mutually dependent. I assume the story would be more impactful and the suspense greater if one were to read it without any prior knowledge of the plot as Stevenson cleverly chooses not to reveal the true nature of Jekyll and Hyde’s relationship until the very end. Knowing what the final revelation would be, however, I kept mentally urging Stevenson to get to the point as I did not find the plot all that captivating. In principle, I think it is an interesting idea to explore the duality of man and I would not have minded more philosophizing about the inner struggle of good versus evil. Personally, I had expected this to be the defining feature of the story much like in Frankenstein. While I like how Stevenson’s characters mirror the nature of their being, i.e. how the inherent evil of Hyde manifests in his looks, the fact that he elaborates on any moral considerations only in the very end and does not really illustrate Jeckyll’s strife beforehand is a bit underwhelming. Accordingly, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde does not really deliver the substance that I felt its musical adaptation was lacking and, in summary, underwhelming may be the most apt adjective to describe my overall impression.

Beside Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde the collection includes a selection of surprisingly varied additional stories with various settings and tones. Starting off with Markheim, the story that most resembles Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde as it also explores human nature and its innate struggle of good vs. evil, Stevenson takes his readers to Scotland, Spain, San Francisco, and as far as Hawaii and the South Seas. All stories are relatively short and often seem a bit jumpy making me think they may have benefitted from a few more pages to elaborate more and make the plots more comprehensible. Language-wise most of the stories are not very challenging and much alike Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. One notable exception is Thrawn Janet, which is so filled with Scots language that it is barely decipherable, and it might be better to just skip it. Usually, there is an eerie undertone to the stories, and there are a number of unexpected twists. Still, none of the stories are so memorable that I feel one should absolutely read them.

[David Vallvé · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of, but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame"

Esta es la historia del Doctor Jekyll, quien sintiendo que ha renunciado a mucho debido a sus metas y reputación, decide dividir dos partes en él: una enfocada en sus principios y metas acorde a la sociedad, otra a sus placeres y fantasías indignas. Cuando esta división se da, sin embargo, descubre que la segunda parte de sí se envilece más y más, estando fuera de su control.

"To cast it my lot with Jekyll, was to die to those appetites which I had long secretly indulged and had of late begun to pamper. To cast it with Hyde, was to die to a thousand interests an aspirations, and to become, at a blow and for ever, despised and friendless"

Esta es una buena historia para pensar la dinámica a la que está expuesto el "yo". Esta instancia psíquica propuesta por Freud responde es vasallo de otros 3: el ello (los placeres e instintos), el superyó (la conciencia moral que dictamina leyes y prohibiciones) y la realidad externa (que brinda las convenciones y posibilidades a las cuales hay que suscribirse). Si pensamos en la estructura "neurótica", el sujeto está dividido por la represión misma, lo cual no sucede así en la psicosis... como tampoco en la perversión.

"The pleasures which I made haste to seek in my disguise were, as I have said, undignified; I would scarce use a harder term. But in the hands of Edward Hyde, they soon began to turn towards the monstrous"

Precisamente, la falta de las normas sociales y la conciencia moral, parecen empujar a la segunda parte de Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, a cumplir con las fantasías de un neurótico, comportándose como un perverso (¿Qué es un neurótico sin represión?).

"That a man is not truly one, but truly two"

En suma, una historia psicológica de terror, no por la presencia de monstruos, sino por el temor a aquello insondable en nosotros mismos. Para muchos es difícil aceptar la existencia de un inconsciente, pese a sus manifestaciones, precisamente por el temor a la idea de que hay algo/alguien más que es quien realmente nos domina.

[Zoë Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde:
Everybody knows this story and that is what let's it down. I read it just to see what the actual book was like but found myself bored because I knew the outcome. It was mentioned in a review I read of it, that ignorance is best when going into it. And I will say though, the one thing that surprised me was that it wasn't in the POV of Jekyll and Hyde like I thought it would but instead we view the story from Mr Utterson, somebody who is outside of all of the drama.

Markheim:
Okay, so this story is just so damn creepy and kind of unexpected, even though I knew Robert Louis Stevenson always wrote/leaned towards horror, this was the first story of his that I had no clue about. It was all going swimmingly, he had a thief's life and then BAM, it all goes down hill. The devil arrives, or what he thinks is the devil, because he never confirms the identity, tells him a load of stuff and then the servant comes back and you are just left like what the hell.

Thrawn Janet:
Oh the life of the witch. This one I never really got into maybe it was because of the language used. I use books to immerse myself and this didn't do it for me. I just wasn't in it at all. The scots language just took me out of it and I have read all 8 books of the Outlander series so I know I could take it but it wasn't for me this time.

Olalla:
I loved this simple but also complex story. Looking at it though, no wonder vampires became such a convention of gothic stories. I started to get a hint of maybe what could happen just before it did, I don't know why, I just did but when I realised what I thought was true, I was happy which is something you shouldn't feel when reading this story. In this day and age though, vampires are nothing less than expected.

The Body Snatcher:
This story was so creepy when it finally hit you. You just sit there like 'what?!' The title pretty much explains the story to be honest but I just wasn't expecting that twist to happen.

[Orlando Fato · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I ever learned about this story was in "Hyde and Go Tweet", a Merrie Melodies animated short from 1960 starring Tweety and Sylvester. This is one of my favorite cartoon episodes ever, and because of it I had always wanted to read "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". Decades later, I finally got round to reading it and it was far superior than what I was expecting.

"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is a great story about the dichotomy of man. Even though the plot and ending of this story is well-known, I can only guess how much more enjoyable it would have been to have read it without knowing anything about it. Dr. Jekyll is a character in crisis; he is well-respected in the community and regarded as one of the finest examples of what it means to be a gentleman. However, Dr. Jekyll has a weakness and is through Mr. Hyde that he succumbs to it. This is an excellent story about a character struggling to meet society expectations and his own expectations, as well as the consequences when these two don't match. The only thing I disliked about this story is that fact that it is a novella, for it would have made an excellent novel.

This review is only about "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". As for the other stories in this Alma Classics 2014 edition, "Markheim" and "The Body Snatcher" were really good and had an unexpected twists at the end. "Ollala", a mystery about woman cursed by her family's madness, set in Spain, was good, but rather longwinded. "The Bottle Imp" (predictable plot) and "The Isle of Voices" (unexpected twists and ending) set in the Pacific, read like legends, as well as "The Waif Woman" (predictable plot), set in Iceland. The only story I did not read was "Thrawn Janet", for it was challenging for me, a non-native speaker of English, to get into the Scots language.

[Pádraic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The famous title story might struggle with one of my favourite themes, but for me it never goes deep enough. Within us all are multitudes, varied selves all capable of different thoughts and actions. Stevenson simplifies these legions down to two--perhaps for greater clarity of storytelling, but it left me on the surface, never allowing me what I wanted: to swim in the deepest maelstrom of conflicted identities.

Still, the handful of scenes of Gothic horror have all the appropriate hallmarks for that genre, and the way the framing of the narrative fills in spaces previously left blank by an uncomprehending narrator is clever, I suppose. Whichever way you square it, though, it is definitely the strongest story in the collection, despite the nice variation in settings.

Markheim is a neat little psychological piece with at least two unexpected plot developments. Thrawn Janet and Olalla didn't have much of an impact on me; I found them more silly than anything else.

The Bottle Imp is the non-Jekyll story I enjoyed the most. It has a pleasing structure to it, and a surprisingly enjoyable anticlimactic ending. The Isle of Voices, despite sharing the Pacific setting, did not provoke enjoyment in the same way.

The Body Snatcher, drawn from the most famous practitioners of that profession, is a nice little (again) psychological story, concerned with the impact this practice has on the subordinate employees. The horror is restrained, and ably so.

The Waif Woman gets points for being a mostly female-driven story, and has a fable-like quality to it that, that is perhaps at odds with the others in the collection. But there's nothing within these pages that truly thrilled me--fine, but underwhelming.