The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)

A very interesting study. ( )

The way the story is framed so that we see Jekyll and Hyde through the eyes of an observer really saps the immediacy of the tale. Then, when we finally do get Jekyll's story, I found it surprisingly simplistic and dull. It's a good concept handled in just about the least effective way I can imagine. ( )

I feel a little like no modern reader can truly appreciate this book, as we're so thoroughly spoiled for the big reveal that takes place around three quarters of the way through. It's not badly written, but it's more mystery than horror, and very much more told than shown for most of the book. I didn't dislike this in the way I disliked Treasure Island, but I didn't love it either, and I think this will be the last I read of his.

Also, the almost-complete lack of women in this book is very odd.

Güzel bir kitaptı.Bir oturuşta bitirilecek bir kitap.Kitap meşhur bir kitap olduğu için kitabın içeriği ile ilgili bilgi sahibiydim bu sebeple kitabı okurken daha az zevk aldım ama sonuyla yine de beni etkiledi.Anlatım olarak başkarakterin gözünden anlatılsaydı tarz olarak benzettiğim Frankenstein'ı geçebilecek bir kitap olabilirdi ama bu haliyle birkaç tık altında kalıyor. ( )

I had hoped that a re-read would have increased my appreciation of this old, albeit classic, tale, but alas, I still just find it *okay*. I can't complain about the style because I've read a lot of Stevenson's contemporaries. I can't complain that it's not "fantastic or gruesome" enough, because it does have a certain low-level miasma of hysteria that works fine as a thriller.

What I can and want to complain about is something that has annoyed me about these people from day one. The insistence that Evil is Written in People's Ugliness. I mean, jeeze, way to play up that prejudice, Stevenson! I mean, sure, the guy eventually got around to murdering someone, but for the most part, he was just letting down his hair, masturbating, visiting prostitutes and spitting on little old church ladies. Not in any particular order, mind you, and probably not all at the same time.

This is a GUILTY PLEASURE novel of good ole repressed England. A "Oh my goodness I'm being so naughty aren't I a bad boy and wouldn't it be great if I could get away with this without ANY repercussions?" novel. Just because it upholds the majority moralistic lip-service in terms of evil getting its just deserts doesn't mean that the book didn't also represent a real and true undercurrent of rebellion.

In fact, I'm sure it was seen and gloated over for just that reason. Hyde may be despicable, but he's also a rock-n-roller, a biker dude, and Trump. He just wants to see the world burn because the world has burned him.

I can understand the popularity of this tale. I enjoyed it on both reads, too.

BUT, I don't have to appreciate the pandering to the lowest prejudices of the time. ( )