The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

A Great Psychological Novel

Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' is both a brilliant thriller and a psychological novel that explores the darkest aspects of the human psyche.

The B&N edition is particulary great for students due to its low cost and the excellent introduction and text notes. Like 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula', 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' was written during the Victorian Age in England. As the introduction notes, many discoveries in science and modern medicine occured during this time period. Jekyll and Hyde reflect both the excitement of new discoveries and the dangers of intellectual pride.

Although Jekyll and Hyde has been portrayed many times in film, the original story is just as exciting, and ultimately tragic.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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I have the regular book at home. Its cheaper and better on a nook. The book is haunting and suspensful, making it an awsome read. And don't think 'oh this is too hard for me to understand' beacuse I'm only 12 and love this book and has to explain Edgar Allen Poe to my 17 year old sister.
And if its still to hard to understand....theres a dictionary to help you.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent story, even better publication.

When reviewing a classic such as "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", there really isn't much need in actually reviewing the book, because you know it will be an amazing story. With that, this story is very fascinating. I adore the relationship between Mr. Utterson and Dr. Jekyll, within the story you can see the true concern that Mr. Utterson has for Dr. Jekyl, It is personified in this part of the book, "'Jekyll,' said Utterson, "You know me: I am a man to be trusted. Make a clean breast out of this in confidence, and I make no doubt that I can get you out of it.", This really shows that Utterson would do anything to get Dr. Jekyll away from Mr. Hyde, and this can easily be translated into modern times. It can remind me of a scenario when a close friend of yours gets involved with drugs, You can do anything to get them away from it, your scared it will consume them, and in many cases it will. This truly is an excellent book. As a bonus, this book also contains "The Body Snatcher", "A lodging for the night", "The Suicide Club", "Thrawn Janet" and "Markheim", all excellent classics by R.L Stevenson.
With that, I am really loving these Barnes and Noble Classics! They have commentary and a wealth of information about the author, impact of the story and many other things. Not to mention the overall print is very nice, for the price, these are certainly some of the best editions of classics that are available.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very good horror classic

Again, a classic. I do love my classics, and I'll post this review just in case someone wants to know my opinion.

As the title indicates, this book is a collection of Stevenson's short stories, the main one being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story begins with the protagonist, Mr. Utterson, discovering a creature known as Mr. Hyde committing certain atrocities. He further investigates and links the man to his good friend, Dr. Jekyll. He soon discovers that Dr. Jekyll has succeeded in creating an alter ego in Mr. Hyde that allows him to seperate his good and evil inclinations and house them in seperate bodies. What happens next is truly horrifying, but you must read the book to find out; I'm afraid I may give too much away if I keep explaining. I must admit that I have not read Stevenson before, and I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to depict horror without boring or disgusting me, as modern horror literature often seems to do. For those who enjoy mild horror, not quite Poe-level, Stevenson would be a good fit.

The other stories are quite good, although none as good as Dr. Jekyll, in my opinion. One story in particular that I did enjoy was The Misadventures of John Nicholson. I was quite amused by the many misfortunes that the poor protagonist had to suffer through; it would be perfect for those looking for a quick and light read. A Lodging for the Night was also funny, but in a more satirical way. My only complaint would be the dialect used in Thrawn Janet, it was difficult to decipher at times, especially with the additional slang terms. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and would recomment them to everyone.

If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit my blog at ayushi30.blogspot.com

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Classic Science Fiction

A classic book, that should be part of anyone's permanent library. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is an excellent short story. Perfect for summer reading, in-between homework (when you just need a break), or during breaks at work. Perfect for anyone, including stay-at-home moms!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly unique

A must-read title; not only a classic, but also an opportunity to enhance your literature and personal library. Due to its size, I found it quite comfortable for almost any occasion.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wholesome, Undetailed, Mysterious Goodness!

I found this book, which I read for a book report, to be very suspensful and a good read overall. I usually like to read books with a lot of details given, so I thought, when I first started reading the novel at least, that I would not like the book.However Stevenson uses a lack of details, such as peoples' inability to physically describe Hyde, to create an aura of evilness around Hyde, and to build suspense in the novel. I also like the fact that Robert Stevenson includes the narratives of both Lanyon and Jekyll, to give the story more than one point of view.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

It feels presumptuous to be "Reviewing" Stevenson's no

It feels presumptuous to be "Reviewing" Stevenson's novel. While we might argue that writing a novel was harder then or today, writers like Stevenson shaped the legacy of novel and it's effect in our world (at the very least in English-speaking countries). While this might remind the modern readers of many other successful books of this genre, however THIS IS THE ORIGINAL NOVEL THAT HAS INSPIRED ALL OTHERS.

Dr.Jekyll and Hyde is a psychological thriller that is set in Victorian England when many scientific discoveries were being made, in which literally made Science feel like magic in late 1880's. Things that seemed impossible, out of the hands and reach of man, skills belonging to the realm of God became to be believed, practiced and owned by the masses. Such enormous changes in technology altered expectations and changes in societies in which made the individuals of the said societies feel out of place, left behind, and in a struggle to catch up. Quite literally, this novel is inspired by the science or magic question and the effects of such new discoveries; Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde's story is one that feels magical, distorted, disturbing and a cautionary tale of how such discoveries can and eventually will corrode away our sense of selves and morals.
Stevenson quite literally launched a whole new canon we know of today with this novel. Although the modern reader might feel that this topic is overdone, and the plot counter-intuitive, however, it was unprecedented in his day and as such is the brilliance of Stevenson. The theme that every man has two sides (one ugly, one innocent) and the schizophrenic patients, double and or secret identities was unprecedented in his day and inspired many novels and books, movies and etc., today (while consciously or unconsciously). The book really delves down into the human soul, psyche and how such new discoveries can shape, change men. Dr.Jekyll is a cautionary tale for the scientific man, who messes up with the nature of humanity, therefore ending up deforming both his body and corrupting his morals, he loses both himself and the respect he has gained as being a man of learned studies. He is "punished" for his atrocities against the nature of God.
Although written so long ago and the modern reader might have a difficulty with the jargon and might have to stall their reading due to the style, syntax and diction of the novel, it is well worth the effort to go through book. Regardless of such challenges of the book the modern reader is easily able to locate literary elements, feel a sense of familiarity and continue to analyze without a difficulty of the characters, motives, plot and the themes which are quite literally duplicated by other writers expanding into today.
This is a well recommended book which will both expand your horizons and really take you back to the beginning of the such canon and give an in-depth understanding to the modern reader that is unavailable in our books today. This is how it all began and Stevenson does this so well.

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Sexy& HOT

Not pleased

I have read this book before in my Literature class. And I do not recommend it. In fact, I cannot say I recommend any books by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have also read another book of his, Treasure Island. I honestly hated them both.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

HORRIBLE! THUMBS-DOWN FOR B&N CLASSICS!!!

I purchased this book at a retail store so that my son could read it over the summer break. Well, when he actually got around to reading it, we realized the book was bound wrong! The pages jump from 18 to 116, and then back down to the 80's. I tried returning it, but because it was more than 14 days since the purchase, they refused! What a waste of money! I will never buy a Barnes and Noble Classics again! They took my money and refused to replace the book, even though it is unreadable! Shame on BARNES AND NOBLE!!!!!!!

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Good for a required reading

I didn't love it, but compared to all the other books on my summer reading, this one was by far the best. A quick, fairly simple read

A Classic

I am not sure how I thought the story would be, having heard and seen so many variations of the theme. It ended up being one that was a surprisingly human story. This Strange Case is worth your time!

this will stay a classic

this book will stay a classic for a reason.if you like happy stories, though, you are being forwarned. otherwise, i loved it. (look for my other reviews of classics and other stories in the SHOP)

A Classic for a reason

We all know the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide - it's one of those books we know through cultural osmosis. But if you haven't read the book, you don't really know that story. The book is a wonder of sleekly stylish writing - not an extra word or phrase is used. It's a horror novel distilled down to it's essence. The book is a scant 75 pages and tells a complete story that still retains it's punch so many years after it's original writing. I also have to commend this edition in the inclusion of other pieces of writings by Stevenson and the chapter about the things inspired by the story that puts it in it's historical place.

TORN!

After reading this book I am very torn. I can not tell if I like it or if I thought that it was awful. Do you like happy stories, stories that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? If you do, don't read this one! Going into the book I knew that it was not going to be a book that was happy and joyful, but I was in for a very big surprise. The story takes place in the 1900. The main character is Henry Jekyll, but he is not only Henry Jekyll, but Edward Hyde as well. The main conflict is that Henry is trying to live a normal life with out the secret of him also being Edward reviling to the world. I myself thought that it was a good story yes, but not one that kept my interest. I found that this book was very predictable, and knew what was coming next. This made me loose interest and I became board. I also found this book more of a difficult book to read because it was wrote a very long time ago. The slang made it difficult for me to understand what was going on and who was talking when. On the positive side I believe that it is a classic, and yes the story had good themes. What I got out of the book was that the author was trying to say that every man has two sides to him if they show them or not. It made me think in such a way that I wouldn't when I read a typical book. The quotes were moving and the characters had strong opinions that were fought very heavily. Also I liked the way the plot was reviled. All and all I am torn on if I like it, or if I don't. I do believe that it is a classic that is very well wrote, but at the same time I thought that it sometimes lost my interest. Now it is your turn to read it. Will you think that it is boring, or will you appreciate the classiness of it? Read it and see!

Great read

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is truely magnificant! Very original in its plot and characters. Mr. Utterson, who is a lawyer, finds it very strange that a respectable and friendly doctor (Dr. Jekyll) has recently been keeping his distance with the community and has written a will to an unknown and strange new fellow named Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is actually very mysterious and has an evil aura about him. He is rarely seen if at all at night. There seems to be something 'strange' happening between the two and Mr. Utterson starts his own investigation on how all this came about. We also have about six other unique and entertaining stories written by Mr. Stevenson in this neat collection! One of the stories in particular (Lodging for the Night) is very tought provoking and sucks you in a quarrel of morals between two different people! It's 1800 writing style could be difficult to understand but shouldn't be a problem! Plus it's a B&N classic so it has the handy 'introduction' pages that help you better understand the author and stories! At a bargain price do NOT skip this story!

Many Hidden Merits

Often ranked with Treasure Island as Stevenson's best work, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde didn't actually impress me. Granted, the concept is solid, but the author's manner of telling the story gets in the way of the plot at times, and Stevenson, though he creates an aura of intrigue, does not allow the story to live up to its full potential.

Conversely, the other stories that round out this collection demonstrate Stevenson's comedic abilities and penchant for penning thrilling and subtly psychological tales. Standouts include "The Suicide Club," "The Body-Snatcher," and "Markheim."

In short, Stevenson's lesser-known psychological tales and satires are excellent, but stories of greater fame, such as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provide readers with only a poor sampling of their author's considerable abilities.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde strange indeed!

I was excited to find this in the $1 Barnes and Noble bin! I couldn't wait to read it; I started with the "other stories" that Stevenson wrote of. I was on the edge of my seat while reading the Suicide Club. All the stories were surprisingly awesome. I only say surprised, not because I didn't think they would be good, but that I would enjoy their dark themes as much as I did. I was so enthralled with the stories that I told them to two of my co-workers and they joined me in my horror and disbelief.
Before reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I read the introduction, which I suggest for anyone wanting to read it. Not only does it give you more depth of the characters but of the author himself--what [may have] led him to write what he wrote--and such. It was a little long, almost longer that the book itself, but worth it. After each chapter of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde I couldn't believe Stevenson's genius! He had created such a character, one I thought I knew so much about, and revealed him in such a clever way. The Jekyll and Hyde I came to know was one adapted on screen through "Van Helsing" and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," which did not do him ANY justice. Dr. Jekyll is a large, soft, middle-aged man who does [and seems to want to do] what it good. Mr. Hyde is a hard, twisted young villan who only thinks of his pleasures and is self-satisfying.
You must read this if you love classics and especially if you love dark stories.

Over all it was good

Can't say this was one of the best i've read but it was good to mark it off of my list of classics to read. I do recommend the book but i was thinking it would be this amazing Thriller and Shocker of a classic but it really wasn't.