Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

Published: 5 January 1886
Publisher: Lots of People have published this one…
Pages: 139
Series: Stand Alone
Format Read: Audible
Duration: 2h 55mins
Narrator: Martin Jarvis

Blurp:

Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterpiece of the duality of good and evil in man’s nature sprang from the darkest recesses of his own unconscious—during a nightmare from which his wife awakened him, alerted by his screams. More than a hundred years later, this tale of the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll and the drug that unleashes his evil, inner persona—the loathsome, twisted Mr. Hyde—has lost none of its ability to shock. Its realistic police-style narrative chillingly relates Jekyll’s desperation as Hyde gains control of his soul—and gives voice to our own fears of the violence and evil within us. Written before Freud’s naming of the ego and the id, Stevenson’s enduring classic demonstrates a remarkable understanding of the personality’s inner conflicts—and remains the irresistibly terrifying stuff of our worst nightmares.

Thoughts:

This will probably be one of the shortest reviews I have ever done on a novel. Not because it was so short, but because it has left me some what dazed and confused. For a book nearing it’s 200 year existence this packed quite a punch. I love the setting. How simple it was all put together and how I just did not expect that ending. I am not sure as to what to make of it still, but mind fuck it surely was. What a way to kick of 2022 in my opinion. I can now see why this book has inspired so many others that have followed in it’s wake. I like how Stevenson crafted a duplicity that was not easily seen through. The battle with a Good vs an Evil self.

This was my first ever read of the original classic and I am glad to say that it scored pretty high on in my books. I gave it a four out of five on GR and could easily recommend it to people that have not read it before. That concludes it for this firs book review of 2022, I am glad that the GR blurp I used fr this one was so long, other wise people would have wasted their time reading through my thoughts. Does this bode well for my blog? Who cares? I don’t so you shouldn’t. Am I writing this review or is it lazy version of myself? Who will ever know????