Seeking Hyde

by Thomas L. Reed Jr., Thomas Reed

Thomas Reed’s debut novel, Seeking Hyde, recounts the fascinating history of Robert Louis Stevenson’s epic horror story, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is the tale of a young author defying his father’s wishes by becoming a spinner of romantic yarns. It is the tale of his American wife, ten years older than he, driving her husband hard to write one more great novel before his chronic lung disease carries him away. It is the tale of Stevenson reeling under charges from the mother of an old friend that he had fueled her son’s fatal alcoholism through his recklessly Bohemian ways.

Seeking Hyde sticks closely to the biographical record as Robert Louis Stevenson struggles to write another book to be the successor to Treasure Island. After the infamous two characters, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, take form in a dream, Stevenson writes passionately for three days, convinced that he has crafted his masterpiece. His wife Fanny, a willful and demanding gypsy, offers a scathing critique, obliging him to start over from the beginning. While the revised tale is published to great acclaim, it is ultimately blamed for inspiring a gruesome series of murders in London’s East End. From that tragic historical irony, Seeking Hyde moves beyond the actual story of how Jekyll and Hyde came to be to explore the realm of “what if?” Desperate to address his own guilt, Stevenson enters the dark underworld of Victorian London. As he follows a twisted path through this midnight landscape, the author-turned-detective wrestles with the social demons of prostitution, police corruption, and the hypocrisy of powerful men—ultimately coming face-to-face with Jack the Ripper himself.

Genres: Historical Fiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

Author also writes under Thomas Reed


Thomas Reed taught literature, film, and writing at Dickinson College for thirty years. His first novel, Seeking Hyde, grew out of courses he taught on Robert Louis Stevenson’s celebrated novel and was named Finalist in the 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Historical Fiction. Thomas Reed's second novel, Pocketful of Poseys, draws more broadly on his experience growing up in an academic family; his education at Yale, the University of Virginia, and Oxford; years spent living in Rome and Christchurch, N.Z.; circum-global travels with his wife and children, and courageous decisions made by his mother-in-law as she faced her death. It is coming out from Beaufort Books on September 19, 2023. Reed and wife Dottie now split their year between Sarasota, Florida, and Camp Pemigewassett, a summer camp for boys in New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Avon Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was beautifully written. I feel like the pacing was very slow at the beginning, then almost too fast at the end; and that maybe, given the attention to accuracy and detail at the beginning and whimsical liberties at the end, it maybe should have been two separate books. However, it is clear that the author knows his time period and settings very well. The language is evocative and the setting descriptions are exquisite.

[J.A. Hoyt · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this was beautifully written and expertly researched, I failed to see a point to the whole story, and quickly got bored.

[R Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is historical fiction that sticks very close to reality. It focuses on Robert Lewis Stevenson and his much older American wife. When I finished reading it, I really felt that I had been the proverbial "fly on the wall" seeing their marriage, their life, and the life of mid to late Victorian London as it actually was. The dialog, the relationships between the characters, and the atmosphere that the author creates seem authentic and compelling. The careful exposition that starts the work allows it to slip seamlessly from biography to fiction, Stevenson and friend's search for the Mayfair killer, aka "Jack the Ripper" When you finish this book, you've not only had a good read, but you've been educated about the life of this remarkable author and his even more remarkable wife along with the mores and attitudes of the time and place they lived in.

[Jud Landis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reader need not be especially interested in Robert Louis Stevenson or the Victorian era to be pulled into this deftly rendered tale; it will create that interest on its own. This is a thoroughly satisfying novel for a wide readership. Reed smoothly weaves together the historical record with a naturally plausible fictional thriller.

At a critical juncture in the narrative, I became anxious about the choices of Stevenson, fearful of the consequences for him and for his intimates should he choose badly, and realized that I had become invested in the characters. To be made to care about the characters' fate is my standard for a successful and gratifying novel. What a treat to be taken on a trip inside the heads of people from another time, and to be shown around Victorian Britain (and a bit of France). Highly recommended.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book and immediately wanted to re-read it. In this compelling novel, Reed seamlessly blends scholarly research with accessible, engaging narrative, breathing such life into the characters that I promptly missed them after reading the final line. His Robert Louis Stevenson is both keenly intellectual and charmingly irreverent, humanly flawed and fiercely loyal; Fanny is a winning combination of wit, audacity, and tenderness. The novel offers fascinating insights into the darkness of human nature and the process of creating fiction, but it is also a flat-out good story. Accessible, clever, and fun, Seeking Hyde is that rare novel that thrills both the casual reader and the scholar.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is slow to start, but if you accept the start as biographical fiction it becomes easier to read. The dialogue is fun throughout and the characters are well portrayed. The Story really picks up in the last third of the book to a great finish.
As you read you become more and more connected to the main characters. TRJR does a great job bringing you into their world with just a little description of the place but mostly through the conversations and thoughts, especially of Stevenson.

[Flowergarden24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost abandoned this book after about 15 pages. It seemed monotonous and pointless. I'm glad I kept reading because I now know more about Robert Louis Stevenson and the inspiration for Jekyll and Hyde. I enjoyed looking up photos of the time period and places mentioned and reading more about the Whitechapel murders . Mostly I enjoyed further reading about Stevenson himself and the other authors he knew. So, this book is chance to learn more about a famous author who I never really thought much about.

[Connie Rockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Louis Stevenson springs to life in this well-researched, and yet highly imaginative, story. Reed allows us a glimpse into the daily life of a well-known figure as he creates his gothic horror masterpiece, a story so well known and yet rarely understood. The imaginative factor is in the author's speculation about Stevenson's feelings about how his book might have sparked real evil in the back streets of Victorian London, a fascinating possibility. Pair this with a reading of the original "Jekyll and Hyde" text and you will be richly rewarded.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this wonderful book months ago, but still recall the remarkable language that captures the era of Robert Louis Stevenson, with dialogue that rings true and is highly entertaining. I also enjoyed the fast-paced plot that's a pleasure from start to finish. I highly recommend this lively, intelligent novel!

[Trisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but some of the scenes were uncomfortable, which made the book hard to get into. I'm trying to be more forgiving about DNFing books and moving on, so I allowed myself to do so. :)

[Eric Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book read like high schooler creative writing class were the kid thought that through extensive use of a thesaurus he could move from a solid D- to a C+.

[Gary Archuleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good take on Jekyll and Hyde.