Der seltsame Fall des Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde: Illustrierte und überarbeitete Fassung

Von Robert Louis Stevenson und Charles Raymond Macauley

Vollständig neu überarbeitete, korrigierte und illustrierte Fassung
Stevensons wohl bedeutendste Geschichte, und eine der berühmtesten Horrornovellen überhaupt, wurde 1886 zum ersten großen Publikumserfolg des bis dahin nur wenig bekannten Robert Louis Stevenson.
Dr. Jekyll ist es mit Hilfe von chemischen Experimenten gelungen, der bösen, triebhaften Seite seines Wesens eine eigene Gestalt zu geben. Als Mr. Hyde treibt er im nebelverhangenen London sein Unwesen.
Doch die Rückverwandlung in einen Menschen wird immer schwieriger.
Mit 19 Illustrationen
Null Papier Verlag

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Null Papier Verlag
• Erscheinungsdatum: 23. Mai 2019
• ISBN: 9783954181230

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish author of novels, travelogues and poetry. Afflicted from an early age with an illness that affected his lungs, Stevenson still traveled the world and produced several iconic examples of adventure fiction, including Treasure Island and Kidnapped as well as a beloved collection of poetry for the young, A Child’s Garden of Verses. The author’s vigorous style and clear eye for character ensured that many of his creations, Long John Silver, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde among them, have become literary immortals.

Buchvorschau

htt­ps://null-pa­pier.de/newslet­ter

Autor

Ro­bert Louis Bal­four Ste­ven­son (✳ 13. No­vem­ber 1850 in Edin­bur­gh; † 3. De­zem­ber 1894 in Vai­li­ma, nahe Apia, Sa­moa) war ein schot­ti­scher Schrift­stel­ler des vik­to­ria­ni­schen Zeit­al­ters. Ste­ven­son, der an Tu­ber­ku­lo­se litt, wur­de nur 44 Jah­re alt; je­doch hin­ter­ließ er ein um­fang­rei­ches Werk von Rei­seer­zäh­lun­gen, Aben­teu­er­li­te­ra­tur und his­to­ri­schen Ro­ma­nen so­wie Ly­rik und Essays.

Be­kannt ge­wor­den sind vor al­lem der Ju­gend­buch­klas­si­ker »Die Schat­zin­sel« so­wie die Schau­er­no­vel­le »Der selt­sa­me Fall des Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde«. Eine Rei­he sei­ner Ro­ma­ne ist heu­te noch po­pu­lär und zum Teil ver­filmt wor­den.

Ro­bert Louis Ste­ven­son wur­de als ein­zi­ger Sohn des In­ge­nieurs und Leucht­turm­bau­ers Tho­mas Ste­ven­son und der Mar­ga­ret Isa­bel­la Ste­ven­son, ge­bo­re­ne Bal­four, in Ho­ward Place, Edin­bur­gh, ge­bo­ren.

Das schot­ti­sche Kli­ma mit küh­len Som­mern und reg­ne­ri­schen, neb­li­gen Win­tern war für Mut­ter und Sohn äu­ßerst un­güns­tig, die bei­de zeit ih­res Le­bens von ge­schwäch­ter Kon­sti­tu­ti­on wa­ren. Lang Jah­re er­hielt Ste­ven­son als Kind und Ju­gend­li­cher Pri­vat­un­ter­richt, da er zu oft krank war, um ei­nem re­gel­mä­ßi­gen Schul­be­such nach­ge­hen zu kön­nen.

Wäh­rend sei­ner Kind­heit schrieb Ste­ven­son stän­dig Essays und Ge­schich­ten. Das ers­te his­to­ri­sche Buch des jun­gen Ste­ven­son »Pent­land Ri­sing«, das er in der Tra­di­ti­on der Ro­ma­ne von Sir Wal­ter Scott ver­fass­te, er­schi­en im Jahr 1866. Der Ro­man war von ge­rin­gem li­te­ra­ri­schem Wert.

1867 im­ma­tri­ku­lier­te sich Ste­ven­son an der Uni­ver­si­tät Edin­bur­gh, stu­dier­te zu­nächst Tech­nik und wech­sel­te auf­grund sei­nes la­bi­len Ge­sund­heits­zu­stands 1871 zum Stu­di­um der Rechts­wis­sen­schaft. Der hoch­ge­wach­se­ne schmal­schult­ri­ge Louis gab sich als Bo­he­mi­en, trug eine blaue Samt­ja­cke, schul­ter­lan­ges Haar und einen Schnurr­bart und er­reg­te mit sei­nem Auf­tre­ten Auf­se­hen in sei­ner Hei­mat­stadt. Sei­ne Dis­ku­tier­freu­de, die Hin­wen­dung zum Athe­is­mus und die Auf­leh­nung ge­gen die so­zia­len Ver­hält­nis­se im vik­to­ria­ni­schen Kö­nig­reich ent­frem­de­ten ihn dem kon­ser­va­ti­ven El­tern­haus.

Am 19. Mai 1880 hei­ra­te­te Ste­ven­son die 10 Jah­re äl­te­re und ge­schie­de­ne Fan­ny Os­bour­ne, die zwei Kin­de mit in die Ehe brach­te. Wi­der Er­war­ten ver­stan­den sich der streng kon­ser­va­ti­ve cal­vi­nis­ti­sche Va­ter Tho­mas Ste­ven­son und die ge­schie­de­ne, Zi­ga­ret­ten rau­chen­de Schwie­ger­toch­ter aus­ge­zeich­net.

1880 dia­gno­s­ti­zier­ten Ärz­te bei Ste­ven­son eine be­gin­nen­de Tu­ber­ku­lo­se.

»Die Schat­zin­sel« er­schi­en ab Ende des Jah­res 1881 in meh­re­ren Fort­set­zun­gen in der Ju­gend­zeit­schrift Young Folks, fand je­doch we­nig Be­ach­tung. Als im Jahr 1883 der Ro­man mit dem Ti­tel »Tre­a­su­re Is­land« in Buch­form bei Cas­sel & Com­pa­ny in Lon­don ver­öf­fent­licht wur­de, aus­ge­stat­tet mit zahl­rei­chen Holz­schnit­ten von Ge­or­ges Roux und der ab­ge­druck­ten Schatz­kar­te, wur­de er ein Best­sel­ler; be­reits nach we­ni­gen Jah­ren wa­ren 75.000 Exem­pla­re ver­kauft.

Im Jahr 1886 schrieb Ste­ven­son »Der selt­sa­me Fall des Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde«, eine Schau­er­no­vel­le, die auf ei­nem au­then­ti­schen Fall be­ruht.

1887 lern­te Ste­ven­son den ame­ri­ka­ni­schen Schrift­stel­ler Hen­ry Ja­mes ken­nen, der sich als ei­ner der ers­ten Kri­ti­ker ernst­haft, zu­gleich be­geis­tert, mit sei­nem Werk aus­ein­an­der­setz­te.

Der Va­ter Tho­mas Ste­ven­son verstarb am 8. Mai 1887 in Edin­bur­gh.

Wäh­rend ei­nes Be­suchs in New York im Jahr 1888 traf Ste­ven­son Mark Twain, des­sen »Huck­le­ber­ry Finn« ihn be­geis­tert hat­te; im Wa­shing­ton Squa­re Park sa­ßen bei­de lan­ge auf ei­ner Bank und dis­ku­tier­ten. Ein Brief­wech­sel schloss sich dar­auf­hin an.

Im De­zem­ber 1898 be­such­te Ste­ven­son erst­mals Sa­moa, wo er ein An­we­sen am Fuß des Mount Vaea, un­weit Apia auf der In­sel Upo­lu er­warb. Der Plan­ta­ge, die Ste­ven­son für 400 Pfund er­wor­ben hat­te, und dem Wohn­haus, das ab Ja­nu­ar 1891 in zwei­jäh­ri­ger Bau­zeit er­rich­tet wur­de, gab er den Na­men »Vai­li­ma« (»Was­ser aus der Hand«).

Zeit­wei­se leb­ten auf der Plan­ta­ge ein gan­zer Fa­mi­li­en-Clan: Groß­mut­ter, Mut­ter, Va­ter, Kin­der, An­ge­hei­ra­te­te und En­kel.

Am Abend des 3. De­zem­ber 1894 brach Ste­ven­son be­wusst­los zu­sam­men. Her­bei­ge­ru­fe­ne Ärz­te konn­ten nicht mehr hel­fen. Im Bei­sein der Fa­mi­lie, der Die­ner und Geist­li­chen starb Ste­ven­son, erst 44-jäh­rig, ohne noch ein­mal das Be­wusst­sein er­langt zu ha­ben. Als To­des­ur­sa­che wur­de eine In­tra­ze­re­bra­le Blu­tung ver­merkt. Die Ein­hei­mi­schen de­fi­lier­ten am To­ten­bett vor­bei und hiel­ten die To­ten­wa­che. Ste­ven­son wur­de am Gip­fel des Mount Vaea be­gra­ben, wie er es sich ge­wünscht hat­te.

Ro­bert Louis Ste­ven­son hat ein um­fang­rei­ches Werk von Ro­ma­nen, No­vel­len, Rei­se­be­schrei­bun­gen, Thea­ter­stücken, Ge­dich­ten, Essays und Brie­fen hin­ter­las­sen. Es ist dem häu­fi­gen Orts­wech­sel Ste­ven­sons ge­schul­det, dass sein Nach­lass weit ver­streut ar­chi­viert ist.

Zu Leb­zei­ten war Ste­ven­son sehr be­kannt, doch als die Li­te­ra­tur der klas­si­schen Mo­der­ne nach dem Ers­ten Welt­krieg auf­kam, wur­de er in Groß­bri­tan­ni­en als Au­tor zwei­ter Klas­se an­ge­se­hen, be­grenzt auf das Gen­re der Kin­der- und Hor­ror­li­te­ra­tur. Erst das spä­te 20. Jahr­hun­dert wür­dig­te Ste­ven­son wie­der als einen Au­tor ers­ten Ran­ges, als Li­te­ra­tur­theo­re­ti­ker, Essayis­ten und So­zi­al­kri­ti­ker, als Hu­ma­nis­ten und als Zeu­gen der Ge­schich­te der pa­zi­fi­schen In­seln.

Die Geschichte der Tür

Der Rechts­an­walt Ut­ter­son hat­te ein zer­furch­tes Ge­sicht, über das nie ein Lä­cheln husch­te; er war kühl, wort­karg und ver­le­gen in der Un­ter­hal­tung, schwer­fäl­lig in Ge­fühl­san­ge­le­gen­hei­ten, lang, ha­ger, ver­staubt und farb­los — und doch ir­gend­wie lie­bens­wert. Kam er mit Freun­den zu­sam­men und war der Wein nach sei­nem Ge­schmack, so leuch­te­te aus sei­nem Blick et­was un­ge­mein Men­sch­li­ches — et­was, das sich bei­lei­be nie in sei­ne Rede ver­irrt hät­te, das aber nicht nur bei sol­chen Ge­le­gen­hei­ten aus den Zü­gen sei­nes Ge­sich­tes, son­dern öf­ter und deut­li­cher noch im Le­ben aus sei­nen Hand­lun­gen sprach. Er war hart ge­gen sich selbst, trank, wenn er al­lein war, Wa­chol­der­schnaps, um sei­ne Schwä­che für ed­len Wein zu un­ter­drücken, und war, ob­gleich er eine Vor­lie­be fürs Thea­ter hat­te, seit zwan­zig Jah­ren in kei­nem ge­we­sen. Da­bei war er voll Duld­sam­keit ge­gen an­de­re, ja be­staun­te, manch­mal fast nei­disch, das Drauf­gän­ger­tum, das ihre Mis­se­ta­ten be­seel­te, und war im Not­fall eher zu hel­fen als zu ta­deln be­reit. »Ich nei­ge zu Kains ket­ze­ri­scher An­sicht«, pfleg­te er be­däch­tig zu sa­gen: »Ich las­se mei­nen Nächs­ten zur Höl­le fah­ren, wie es ihm be­liebt.« Da­her war es häu­fig sein Schick­sal, dass er die letz­te acht­ba­re Be­kannt­schaft und der letz­te gute Ein­fluss im Le­ben von Men­schen war, die sich auf ab­schüs­si­ger Bahn be­fan­den. Und ge­ra­de sie ließ er auch nicht den Schat­ten ei­nes ver­än­der­ten Be­neh­mens mer­ken, so­lan­ge sie bei ihm aus und ein gin­gen.

Al­ler­dings war dies kein Kunst­stück für Mr. Ut­ter­son; denn er war von Na­tur zu­rück­hal­tend, und auch sei­ne Freund­schaf­ten schie­nen in ei­ner ähn­lich gut­mü­ti­gen Vor­ur­teils­lo­sig­keit be­grün­det zu sein. Es ist das Kenn­zei­chen ei­nes be­schei­de­nen Man­nes, dass er sei­nen Freun­des­kreis fix und fer­tig aus den Hän­den der Vor­se­hung ent­ge­gen­nimmt, und so er­ging es dem Rechts­an­walt. Sei­ne Freun­de wa­ren Ver­wand­te oder Leu­te, die er schon lan­ge kann­te; sei­ne Zu­nei­gun­gen wa­ren mit der Zeit ge­wach­sen, gleich Efeu, und mach­ten kei­nen An­spruch auf Taug­lich­keit des Ob­jekts. Daraus er­wuchs zwei­fel­los auch das Band, das ihn mit Mr. Richard En­field, ei­nem ent­fern­ten Ver­wand­ten und stadt­be­kann­ten Mann, ver­knüpf­te. Vie­len war es ein Rät­sel, was die­se bei­den zu­ein­an­der zog oder was sie wohl für ge­mein­sa­me In­ter­es­sen ha­ben moch­ten. Leu­te, die ih­nen auf ih­ren Sonn­tags­spa­zier­gän­gen be­geg­ne­ten, wuss­ten zu be­rich­ten, dass sie nichts mit­ein­an­der spra­chen, au­ßer­or­dent­lich ge­lang­weilt drein­schau­ten und mit of­fen­sicht­li­cher Er­leich­te­rung das Er­schei­nen ei­nes Be­kann­ten be­grüß­ten. Da­bei aber leg­ten bei­de Män­ner den größ­ten Wert auf die­se Aus­flü­ge, be­trach­te­ten sie als Hö­he­punkt der Wo­che und gin­gen, um sie un­ge­stört ge­nie­ßen zu kön­nen, nicht nur Ver­gnü­gun­gen aus dem Wege, son­dern lie­ßen auch Ge­schäft Ge­schäft sein.

Auf ei­nem die­ser Streif­zü­ge ge­sch­ah es, dass ihr Weg sie durch eine Sei­ten­stra­ße in ein Ge­schäfts­vier­tel Lon­d­ons führ­te. Es war eine schma­le, so­ge­nann­te ru­hi­ge Stra­ße, in der je­doch an Werk­ta­gen ein er­sprieß­li­cher Han­del ge­trie­ben wur­de. Ihren Be­woh­nern ging es an­schei­nend gut, und alle streb­ten da­nach, dass es ih­nen noch bes­ser gin­ge. Was ih­nen vom Ge­winn üb­rig­b­lieb, leg­ten sie in der Ver­schö­ne­rung ih­rer Häu­ser an, so­dass die Lä­den die­ser Durch­gangs­stra­ße et­was Ein­la­den­des an sich hat­ten, wie eine Rei­he lä­cheln­der Ver­käu­fe­rin­nen. Selbst sonn­tags, wenn sie ihre wah­ren Rei­ze ver­barg und ver­hält­nis­mä­ßig men­schen­leer dalag, wirk­te die Stra­ße im Ge­gen­satz zu ih­rer schmut­zi­gen Nach­bar­schaft wie ein wei­ßer Rabe und be­stach mit ih­ren frisch an­ge­stri­che­nen Rol­lä­den und blank­po­lier­ten Mes­sing­schil­dern, ih­rer all­ge­mei­nen Sau­ber­keit und ei­ner ge­wis­sen hei­te­ren Note so­fort die Au­gen der Vor­über­ge­hen­den und er­reg­te ihr Wohl­ge­fal­len.

Zwei Häu­ser hin­ter

Rezensionen für Der seltsame Fall des Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde

[readingover50 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I am watching the new season of Penny Dreadful and they are featuring Dr. Jekyll this year. I realized I have never read this book, so I decided to pick it up in preparation for the show.

The writing feels very dense, and the pacing is slow. The reader slowly gets a feeling of dread, rather than outright scares. This is common with many of the horror stories of the period that I have read.

The story is interesting, with much musing on the nature of good and evil. It was a bit slower paced than I like, but this is a short book and easy to read in a day.

[sometimeunderwater · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Bet this was a blitz before everyone and their kid knew the secret twist. A fine gothic novella, proceeding on railroad towards the ending you already knew was coming.

[williemeikle-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

It's not called a classic without good reason. It's an almost perfectly plotted short novel, all the parts complementing each other, all serving to build tension and anticipation. The good doctor is suitably tragic, Hyde is suitably degenerate and, despite having seen the multitude of adaptations over the years, it still feels remarkably fresh and modern. All of Stevenson's stylistic flourishes are on show, as well as his rarely bettered storytelling ability. I'd give it six stars if I could.

[starla_aurora · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

interesting... not what I remember from 15 yrs ago. that's what happens with memory and Hollywood influence.

[ffortuna_6 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Small but incredibly effective. Like, I know Jekyll and Hyde are the same person. Everyone knows that. I still felt actually horrified at the reveal of that fact, because Stevenson did such a good job drawing the main characters and the people surrounding them. Like The Picture of Dorian Gray, (Wilde was an admirer of the book), it explores inner and outer natures by dividing them, showing what people might do if it would never be found out and never physically affect them, and it's all the more compelling because their flaws start out so small and relatable. Jekyll didn't suffer from a deep dark secret at first, he just didn't want anyone to know about his small flaws. Excellent for the Halloween season, and especially good read in company with Dorian Gray, because both are so complete, so layered, and so subtle where it counts.

[stahl2ricco · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

“... that man is not truly one, but truly two.”The idea that we all have a dark side? Well, certainly the main character of this story does! Dr. Henry Jekyll meets/creates/releases Edward Hyde, “The evil side of my nature,...”, and is not the same for it! It's a quick read, well except for the last chapter that draaaaags on, and an important story in the history of "horror" literature, so I'm glad I read it! Not scary by today's standards, but still a freaky idea and one that has been repeated often! I wonder which of my two halves would be the dominant one? Or do I have more than two? Hmm...

[bettesbooks · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I was expecting more. Why? Because everyone knows the tale, I just assumed the writing would be better.

[john257hopper · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

This is a re-read of this classic 19th century novella which has been the inspiration behind so many spin-offs since. It is a taut and atmospheric piece of writing, and the conclusion that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same, two sides of the same being, only becomes evident near the end - it is hard for us to understand how this would have shocked and thrilled the reader in 1886, so familiar has the Jekyll and Hyde motif become.

[margaretfield · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

might be the best crafted short story I've ever read

[angelajmaher · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is one of those classic stories it would be almost impossible to not be aware of on some level. The basic concept of the book is deeply ingrained in pop culture, but a lot of people probably haven't read the origin of what has become a legend of sorts.Reading the classics isn't always easy; the writing style being of a previous era. But it gives a new and interesting perspective to read the original texts that have spawned so many echoes through to the modern day.This book is a good place to start if you're wanting to start dipping into the classics. The older style might take some getting used to, but it's short. It would be easy enough to read the whole thing in a single quiet afternoon, but if read in smaller doses, still wouldn't take a terribly long time to get through.As with other classic works I've read, such as Frankenstein, the nuances and details were not quite what I expected. It has a much deeper reflection on human nature, for one.This is well worth reading, if only to see how the tale was originally portrayed.

[borrows0n0wants · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I love the story. However, since nearly 98% of the population is familiar with this story, it is kind of a drag to read this since you know how everything unfolds. I also didn't find the way in which the story was told very captivating. It is such a thin book, and I had a terrible time getting through it. I actually skipped parts in this book because they were so dreadfully boring.

[something_-1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I fantom I would have liked this book a lot more if I didn't already know from the start who was Hyde. Nevertheless, it was actually very interesting once the "action" picked up. Although I found Utterson somewhat boring at times, the ending of the book made it worth it to see it through. The most interesting part was definitely the explanation of Dr Jekyll himself at the end, which I read eagerly. Overall, it was a nice book.

[marthaearly · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

So short, but so powerful. This is one of those stories where you think you know how it goes, but upon reading you find that it has been re-interpreted for so many years in so many forms that it feels completely different. Well, not completely. But still, the decades of alterations made this novella feel fresh and rich. I would have liked it to be longer, since I was so drawn in by the world of dark clouds and sinister encounters, and the novella ends on an abrupt note. However, it was pleasingly eerie and direct while it lasted.

[rajivc_18 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I had read this book many years back, and read it again. It is indeed one of the more fascinating books that I have read. It's been a while since I read some of the old classics ( I started with Bertie Wooster!), and it took one or two pages before I got back into the swing of it allThe concept is incredible, and does indeed hark to the present when we are trying all sorts of brain and other experiments. It does teach us the dangers of meddling too much with biology, and playing God. Beautiful book, Needs to be widely read again

[mesmericrevelation · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I could not put this book down. I love it and I can't believe it took me this long to read it. I will definitely be re-reading this one next month and every October from now on.It is such an incredible story. Like me, you may know it from movies but, as always, the book is so much better. I cannot say enough good stuff about this it.Since it is so good and such a fast read, I will be making everyone I know read this. If you haven't read it yet, go read it right now. You wont regret it. Seriously, go! Right now!

[shaunesay · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is the first time I've ever read the original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I'll admit I had no idea it was written by the same author as Treasure Island, which I also have not read yet. I would not have put those two ideas to the same author, so it's been enlightening all around! It's also amazing to me what a short story this really was, only 94 pages, to have inspired so many adaptations and interpretations, movies, etc.

It was an interesting dark fantasy tale with an important lesson about giving in to our baser natures. The more we indulge them, the more it becomes who we are until we're no longer able to hide or control those tendencies.

[a.berry · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

"He was wild when he was young; a long while ago to be sure; but in the law of God there is no statute of limitations." - Utterson, Esq.The best thing about old books is the detail in the writing. It makes more obvious the complacency of mind found in the generation of television and wifi.Henry Jekyll recognized that man has two persons living inside them - both good and evil. He was bored with being the "good doctor" and wanted to indulge in mischief without being held accountable for his actions, so he freed his murderous, unscrupulous self in the form of Edward Hyde. At first, had it not been for his evil other's indifference toward him, Jekyll would have been tempted to remain the depraved Mr. Hyde, but eventually they came to resent one another and Hyde became Jekyll's ruin as happens when one chooses their evil self.I'm glad I read this book. I was expecting Mr. Hyde to be as big and ugly as he is in movies, but he was actually a petite man who had an appetite for very bad coupled with a malevolent countenance and a look of deformity that no one could put their finger on.Goodread!

[bryndahlquis · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I wish people still wrote this way. Or at least, still wrote this way WELL.Just the first sentence is great. Stevenson really has a great way of describing people, both physically and characteristically.One of the most interesting things about this story is all the possibilities and underlying meanings you can get from it. The way Jekyll refers to both of his personalities in third person, his underlying thirst for and pleasure in evil, his addiction to Hyde, etc. It's actually pretty dark, and I'm sure we can all agree that Jekyll is a bit on the crazy side.But there's definitely a reason that Jekyll and Hyde have become household names and inspiration to countless stories and characters.

[jaygheiser · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Great story. I was very surprised that the chronology was reversed. It starts at the end and works its way forward, a device that none of the knock-off versions of this tale use. A master story teller.

[ohernaes · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

The classic story of the good, but boring Dr Jekyll who transforms himself into the vital and evil Mr Hyde. Jekyll comes to loath him, but has become addicted.

[dlow_54 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I originally selected this book because I have it on my bookshelf and I have never had the time to read it. I pulled it off the shelf and placed it by my bed with hopes to finish it before my reading class was over. As it turned out I just never found the time to crack open the cover. Therefore, I searched for the audio version. To my surprised I found it right away at a reseaonable price and by a narrartor with which I was familiar. I have listen to Dick Hill narrate several novels I have read by Sanda Brown. I listened to the book in one night. I was was intrigued by the story but also confused. I had a hard time following the narration. A few times I glanced through the book while i was listening to Dick read the pages. I was surprised with how difficult this book is to read. I didn't think it would be so complicated. I had never thought of this as a text for children, and now I really don't think that it is. I think the text is too difficult for many students, and students in the classes I teach would need a lot of background information taught before a story like this could be even be looked at. I do not forsee reading this book to my class, or for my class. I am glad I read the story and I feel it was important, but I think the text would be better suited for a college level course where students were able to talk about the characters in greater detail and with greater insight. I do recommend this book for adults. The text is a classic and it should still be read because it did explain what I knew about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

[clurb · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Stevenson paints a very dark and bleak picture of London. His language makes the story very claustrophobic and although I came at this book already knowing the plot, I found that the understated writing style made it all just a touch more scary than I'd expected. Best read alone on a rainy night, under a blanket.

[gonzalo8046 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Nice short read. Even though you know the ending ten pages in, I still enjoyed it.

[universehall · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This book truly does earn the title of "classic". It has suspense, interesting characters, a fine storyline, and something that some books that are considered "classics" are lacking: a point. You could argue about whether the true demon of the story is man's nature, science, or the Promethian tendency of the eponimous doctor. However, the essence of the story is the classic "tradgedy" plotline: the hubris of the lead character leads to his downfall. I do emphasize the word "tragedy" in my review, as it's definitely not a happy-fun-time kind of book. But if you don't go into it expecting that, you will probably be perfectly satisified. In the end, I would say that the main flaw of this book is that it is infuriatingly short. You could almost complain that this book is nothing more than an extended short story. However, from another viewpoint this could be a virtue; what's better than a classic novel that can be read in less than two hours?

[fig2_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This creepy novel explores the good and evil found in all of us, as well as the marriage of science and mysticism, A fabulous horror classic!

[orix_bluewave · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This is a story of multiple personality person.He has two personality.One is very aggressive,another is calm.This is a interesting story.

[clancy.coonradt · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Great piece of literature. Really interesting way of keeping the reader blind to very key pieces of information that would allow for easier identification of potential threats and climaxes. Really enjoy RLS and look forward to reading more of his work.

[robert.zimmermann · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I wasn't sure what to really expect with this one. Yes, it's a classic that "everyone knows about," but I didn't really know what it was about going into reading it. I knew there was a Doctor who turns himself into Mr. Hyde (pure evil). I didn't really know the specifics or anything about other characters or story line in general.

I have a somewhat ignorance with a good amount of classic books. I know them, I know enough to want to read them, but I don't peruse them further until I read them. This helps give me a fresh reaction to the story.

So my reaction to this story was great overall. Like many classics I actually listened to the audiobook version (librivox.org is GREAT for this and my budget) because it helps me read them at a good pace and makes it easier for me to pay attention. I just can't read some of the writing sometimes no matter how beautiful. Ok, back to the review, haha. It was a great story with a mystery and a great moral dilemma about good and evil. I won't really get into much more though. I know it's short and I'm not saying really anything at all. But I really like Stevenson's writing and the horror added into the mystery of what's going on. I've read Treasure Island only from him, so this is number 2 I've read. I'll have to now go and read more of him since I'm enjoying it.

[dmu-1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I liked this book a lot. It's a short book but it still has lots of mystery and exciting parts within it. It's about a man named Mr. Utterson who tries to learn about the mysterious Mr. Hyde who is Dr. Jekyll's evil side.In the book, the setting is based in England. Dr. Jekyll finds a way to make a compound that allows him to transform into a separate personality, Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is a younger and pure evil being. I personally like Mr. Hyde's name a lot. His name sounds like the word "hide" and Mr. Hyde's personality reflects his name. He tries to be discreet and tries to not talk to anyone unless he has to. Throughout the book, Mr. Utterson tries to learn about this mysterious Mr. Hyde. Almost nobody knows about him. Finally, after many mysterious encounters with Dr. Jekyll and one murder, he learns who Mr. Hyde truly is when he reads a letter that was left for him. I also liked this book a lot because the story isn't just told from the point of view of one person. It's mainly told from the point of view from one person, but it's also told from the point of view of two other people.This book is very good! It makes you feel multiple emotions as you read it. It makes you excited, scared, surprised, and curious. I would recommend it to many people.

[cyafer · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Short and sweet and pretty interesting. Not a bad read.