Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (& other short stories) by Robert Louis Stevenson

jekyll and hudge review title

This review is going to be written a bit differently from previous reviews. Since this book is a collection of eight short stories, instead of trying to type out eight different in depth reviews for each one, I’ll do small reviews for each, give a separate rating for each, and a rating for the book as a whole. If that makes sense. If not, you’ll see what I mean as you read on.

So let’s talk about these Gothic horror stories then!

Jekyll & Hyde

Title: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde – including other short stories

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Publisher: Alma Books Ltd

Series Status: Standalone

Number of pages: 221

My Rating: 3//5 stars

TEXT - Synopsis

(Found on Goodreads)

One of Stevenson’s most famous and enduringly popular works, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, describes the mysterious relationship between a respectable and affable doctor and his brutal associate. Set in the grimy streets of Victorian London, this tale of murder, split personality, and obscure science, with its chilling final revelation, became an instant horror classic when it was first published in 1886 and has enthralled and terrified generations of readers ever since.

TEXT - Review

1. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

I went into this story knowing only the tiniest of details, so I was very intrigued to see how I liked it. At first it was difficult to get into, because I had to get used to the writing and the time frame seems to jump around a bit, but soon the story turned very dramatic very quickly. It’s a rather dark story, and I was curious to learn how the events were actually happening, to see the logic behind it all. Towards the end it did drag slightly, because there were pages of explanation, but I did enjoy finding out the rest of the story.

Rated 3//5 stars

2. Markheim

I didn’t enjoy this story very much. I remember reading it and having only the faintest clue what was going on. I believe it was about a madman murdering someone, but that’s all I got from it. The writing seemed like the character was rambling, which was probably the intention, but I did find myself wanting to skip ahead. I feel like this is a story I’ll enjoy more when I’m older.

Rated 1.5//5 stars

3. Olalla

This story was easier to read. It was intriguing and more descriptive, really setting the scene well. I found it to be an entertaining story, but I didn’t really understand the ending that much.

Rated 2//5 stars

4. Thrawn Janet

So this section of the book was quite difficult to read, because it was written in a strong accent, so you had to decipher it as you were going along. However, it was still relatively easy to keep up with the events of the story, and there weren’t many occasions where I didn’t know what was going on. I enjoyed it quite a bit for how short the story was, but I feel like I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn’t written with the accent, since it took me so much longer to read.

Rated 2//5 stars

5. The Bottle Imp

I think out of all the stories, this may have been my favourite – tied with Jekyll and Hyde. It was entertaining and easy to keep up with, and wasn’t difficult to read at all. I felt like it was just the right length, since it didn’t drag on but it wasn’t too short either.

Rated 3//5 stars

6. The Isle of Voices

It was an alright story. Seemed to ramble on a bit and there were a couple of times where I didn’t know what was happening. But the plot twist really surprised me, so I have to give it extra credit for that.

Rated 2//5 stars

7. The Body Snatchers

This one is exactly what the title suggests. Since I knew what the story was about just from the title, I was intrigued to see what the story would be, if that makes sense. I feel like there was an air of mystery surrounding the title. I thought it would be boring or drag out at first, but it surprised me slightly, especially with the ending.

Rated 3//5 stars

8. The Waif Woman

Like with Markheim, I didn’t really understand this story too much. I got the gist of it, but other than that it just seemed to go on for a lot longer than it needed to. The plot line seemed good, but like I said, I just didn’t like it all too much.