Tag Archives: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales

Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson

January 15, 2018Book ReviewClassics, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Easy Reading, Robert Louis Stevensonskyebjenner

Title: Weir of Hermiston
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1896
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I maun have forgotten to change them,’ said she; and went into prayers in her turn with a troubled mind, between anxiety as to whether Dand should have observed her yellow stockings at chuch, and should thus detect her in a palpable falsehood, and shame that she had already made good his prophecy.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

The Lord Justice-Clerk was a stranger in that part of the country; but his lady wife was known there from a child, as her race had been before her.

The old “riding Rutherfords of Hermiston,” of whom she was the last descendant, had been famous men of yore, ill neighbours, ill subjects, and ill husbands to their wives though not their properties.

I didn’t love the ending of this – and then I found out that it is an unfinished work, and my dislike for the ending finally made sense. It wasn’t an ending at all, just a point at which the writing stopped. Knowing that has made me a lot more inclined to like what was written, and feel a little sad that there is no ending to be seen.

The Weir of Hermiston read like a biography – the history of the parents, the marriage, the housekeeper, were all delved into and provided a rich backdrop against which Archie is living his life. His choices, the words, the actions are all informed by his history and although I found some of the explanations a little too long winded, and, yes, tedious, it worked well in the characterisation.

It’s just a pity that it was never finished, I suppose I will just have to imagine a happy ending for myself. At least, an ending that would leave me happy anyway…

<- Markheim Review

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales Review ->

Image source: Open Library

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

December 29, 2017Book ReviewClassics, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Fantasy, Robert Louis Stevensonskyebjenner

Title: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson) & Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1886
5th sentence, 74th page: And still the figure had no face, or one that baffled him and melted before his eyes; and thus it was that there sprang up and grew apace in the lawyer’s mind a singularly strong, almost an inordinate, curiosity to behold the features of the real Mr Hyde.

In this harrowing tale of good and evil, the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll develops a potion that unleashes his secret, inner persona—the loathsome, twisted Mr. Hyde.

This is one of those classics that I know the rough outline for, the message and the idea. I’ve just never before had a chance to read it. And, after reading multiple mentions of it in The Girl in the Steel Corset, I decided that enough was enough and I needed to open this story. And, yes, there’s a reason that it’s a well-known classic.

Although I knew the general gist of Dr Jekyll’s affliction, the way in which the story unfolded still had me wondering what was going to happen next. The entirety of the tale is written from the outside perspective, there is fear and confusion about what is happening in Jekyll’s hidden world, but his friends are still clueless as to the extent of his affliction.

We all have a secret, dark side. One that is impulsive and not quite socially acceptable. However, most people tend to keep this aspect of themselves hidden and under control. After all, we can’t just succumb to our inner desires and whims. In the case of Dr Jekyll, his wish to find and embrace this side of himself leads to a split personality – literally.

<- Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories Review

The Suicide Club Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson

December 15, 2017Book ReviewClassics, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Easy Reading, Robert Louis Stevensonskyebjenner

Title: Markheim
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kingsford Edition
Year: 1885
5th sentence, 74th page: What to expect he knew not, whether the dead man walking, or the official ministers of human justice, or some chance witness blindly stumbling in to consign him to the gallows.

At Christmastime, Markheim, the protagonist, comes to a dealer’s shop, pretending that he is looking for a present for a lady. His real plan, however, is to murder the dealer so he can steal his merchandise and money. Markheim rejects the dealer’s suggestion of a hand mirror for the lady, referring to it as a “hand conscience.” Presumably, from his reaction to the mirror, Markheim feels twinges from his conscience even before he commits the murder. While the dealer is still in the midst of assisting him in finding a present, Markheim stabs and kills him.

This might have been my favourite book in this collection of Robert Louis Stevenson short stories / novellas. Maybe because I felt like I understood the message and symbolism so much more than the other four tales. Maybe just because I liked the message and symbolism so much more. Either way, it was a short, interesting tale that serves as a reminder that we should do what is right, even when the consequences for doing so may result in our own death.

The beginning of this tale was nothing like what I expected and reinforced the idea that in the 1800s, people wrote in a highly convoluted manner. Something that I thoroughly enjoy… when I’m in the right mood for it. But, the language used in this was still clearer than some other stories from the 1800s. Markheim’s journey to return to himself is filled with moments of self-doubt, confusion and fear. Mostly for himself, but there is also a level of consciousness that ultimately helps to save the day.

<- The Bottle Imp Review

Weir of Hermiston Review ->

Image source: Manic Expression

The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson

December 5, 2017Book ReviewClassics, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Easy Reading, Robert Louis Stevenson, Trickstersskyebjenner

Title: The Bottle Imp
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Tricksters
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1891
5th sentence, 74th page: It was long ere slumber came to them, and, if either dozed off, it would be to wake and find the other silently weeping in the dark, or, perhaps, to wake alone, the other having fled from the house and the neighbourhood of that bottle, to pace under the bananas in the little garden, or to wander on the beach by moonlight.

Offering an engrossing spin on a time-honored theme–the risky business of making a pact with the devil–this short story is a radiant jewel. It recounts the mercurial lot of Keawe, a Hawaiian who purchases a bottle inhabited by an imp capable of granting any wish. Yet this enticing object holds a dark curse: anyone who dies with it in his possession will burn forever in hell. And here’s the rub: one can sell the bottle only for less than its purchase price. Keawe rids himself of the bottle after acquiring a palatial home. But when he needs it again to ensure his happiness with a newfound love, its cost is, chillingly, one cent, and the responsibility of ownership becomes a good deal more complex.

Going into this I thought it was going to be a typical imp / magic bottle story. Well, as typical as those tales can be. I was expecting the huge reward, the huge price, the huge regret at the end. Having recently discovered Robert Louis Stevenson I had quite low expectations, so I was so happily surprised when I realised that they were way too low, and this was a much better story than expected.

On the surface, The Bottle Imp is mostly about consequences. Every action has a reaction, and all of the choices we make have a consequence. Or at least, that’s the general gist. Karma, really. Each of the people who have bought the bottle gained the wealth (monetary or otherwise) that they wanted, but it came at an unforeseeable cost. The trail left shows that when people don’t work for the good things in life, it’s not as appreciated or loved.

However, underneath this story is one of a husband and wife and their unconditional love. Each is willing to sacrifice their soul to save the other and although it means an afterlife in purgatory, and a horrifying future ahead, they willingly take on the burden for each other. It’s when this message is imparted that the true “happily ever after” really comes to light.

<- The Body Snatcher Review

Markheim Review ->

Image Source: Goodreads

The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson

December 2, 2017Book ReviewClassics, Dark Fantasy, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Gothic Short Stories, Robert Louis Stevensonskyebjenner

Title: The Body Snatcher
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson) & Gothic Short Stories (David Blair)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Dark fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1884
5th sentence, 74th page: Few lads could have been more insensible to the impressions of a life thus passed among the ensigns of mortality.

A young man studying medicine in Edinburgh is asked by his professor to be responsible for receiving the cadavers to be dissected by the school’s students. Though he knows many are stolen from graves, he keeps his silence. Then one night he recognizes one of the cadavers as the victim of murder. Instead of turning in the culprit, he allows himself to be drawn deeper into the gruesome intrigue. But justice has the last laugh when the evidence of the man’s crimes – evidence he thought long since dissected and disposed of – mysteriously resurfaces to his everlasting horror.

This was a surprisingly dark story. It started with a slightly waffling cadence, with a sitting room and four men sitting there on a frequent basis. One of whom has an air of drunken mystery about him. As the story unfolds the reason for his drunkenness and his history are slowly revealed. And as his tale is told, the goose bumps on my arms raised higher and higher.

I’ve never been to medical school, but the idea of working on cadavers and understanding that they come from somewhere, with people to miss and want them has always made me question whether I could complete that kind of study. This story made me kind of glad that it wasn’t a field that I went into, after all, these bodies are not coming from legal or sanctioned locations….

<- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales Review

The Bottle Imp Review ->

Image source: Amazon UK

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales by Robert Louis Stevenson

November 25, 2017Book ReviewClassics, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales, Robert Louis Stevenson, Short Story Collectionsskyebjenner

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales

Title: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
In: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Other Strange Tales (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Collection
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Who is this Wolfe Macfarlane?

‘… losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse.’

Victorian London is the setting for The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), Stevenson’s famous story of conflict between dual personalities: one good, and one ruthlessly evil. Other eerie tales in the volume are: The Body Snatcher (1881) inspired by the case of Burke and Hare; Markheim (1885) where a murderer meets a sinister smiling stranger; and The Bottle Imp (1893) in which an imp has the dubious power to grant the onwer’s every wish; also, The Weir of Hermiston (1896), an unfinished romance.

This was my first introduction to Robert Louis Stevenson. I bought it a while ago, because I wanted to read some classics and feel cultured. It proceeded to collect dust on my shelf while I pursued other obsessions. But, after reading this, I must say, I think I waited too long. Although sometimes the writing was a bit more convoluted than I am used to, and I often had to pause and reread aspects of the story to wrap my head firmly around the wording, I enjoyed every moment of it. And yes, I feel like I expanded on my cultural understanding and knowledge (a fallacy I am sure).

I was impressed by the many nuances and styles which Stevenson employed in these five tales. Of course, I had heard of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and was reading this work simply for that recognition. But, as the tales unfolded and the variety of ways in which Stevenson could write came to light, I found that I was enjoying myself more and more. The symbolism and meanings throughout the writing have left me feeling like I probably missed something crucial at one point, but it’s also given me an appreciation for a series of stories that I will be able to read again and again and again, discovering something new with every page turn.

<- Weir of Hermiston Review

The Body Snatcher Review ->

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.