Robert Louis Stevenson
I find it difficult to believe that I have never before read "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", and am already so familiar with it due to cultural saturation that the experience of reading it was rather sublime at times. Unfortunately, I could never look upon the story with entirely new eyes and read it with its eventual revelation effectively spoiled. Nonetheless, the novella is a powerful piece, an interesting and original parable about the evil that lies within each of us. The best thing about the story is the fact that while it is undoubtedly an allegory it never feels too heavy or overbearing and is always internally interesting. Readers are drawn in immediately, towards the climax of Dr. Jekyll's unfortunate situation, and an inventive narrative structure of backwards revelations keeps the surprises coming as the story unfolds. Stevenson manages to take one of the most famous tropes in English literature and develop it in an interesting, ambiguous, and timeless way- of course we accept the fundamental divide between good and evil within us, but Stevenson takes this metaphorical split onto the literal plane and mixes in a bit of science fiction to create a provoking and unrelentingly dark tale. There are no compromises and Stevenson pulls no unnecessary punches; "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is an original tale that echoes seamlessly past its own time frame and dives fearlessly and subtly into the human psyche.
The other stories selected for this book are "The Bottle Imp", "Markheim", and "The Body-Snatcher", each of which have their merits and fit in well with the fundamental good/evil divide explored in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The first is an original re-telling of the typical genie story that has an interesting Faustian twist that speaks effectively to the possibilities of ultimate love, sacrifice, and selfishness. Despite an ending that seems a bit unfulfilled and a little too cheery given the tone of the rest of the story and its predecessor in this volume, "The Bottle Imp" is an original and enlightening take on a traditional narrative that should please any readers interested in Faust bargains. "Markheim" is a quick psychological thriller that effectively, though clumsily at times, speaks to the division of good and evil within one human being, though in a qutie a different way than "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It has a bit of a twist ending that is powerful though a bit too strident to be entirely effective- I assume it would hold more weight to its own contemporary audience. The last story in this particular grouping, "The Body-Snatcher", is a well-written pure horror story that employs an interesting front-nested narrative structure that frames the story rather well. Stevenson knows how to inject a sense of mystery throughout the entire story by clouding the reasons behind its opening tumultuous exhchange and again proves his knack of a well-structured story by ending absoulutely perfectly.
Throughout these four stories, it is clear that Stevenson is interested in the ways that good and evil impulses interact and affect us as we deal with them; he takes four very distinct approaches and draws no single conclusion. Each story comes to a vastly different ending in regards to its outlook on human nature, and none feel overly contrived or overwhelmingly thematic. Stevenson allows for a little fantasy in these stories and it serves him quite well, allowing him to explore humanity in a much more real way than much purely realistic fiction can. These stories never stray too far beyond the realm of possibility to stretch credulity and as a result form a powerful testament to our power to confront and deal with the evil that lies within each of us. Stevenson refreshingly abstains from becoming overly didactic (save in "Markheim") and knows exactly how to let a story form, develop, end, and, most importantly, breathe. His worlds simply exist without being at all overwrought (again, Mr. Markheim proves the exception with a disappointing final speech) and subtly explore darker themes without annoying moralizing. Robert Louis Stevenson proves himself immensely interested in the depths of the human psyche in these stories and approaches it with a depth of understanding that can only be appreciated by all-too-human readers. These stories are intellectually engaging and, more importantly, enjoyable and well-written and definitely deserve a look. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" has certainly earned its place among the classics of English literature.
Grade: A
The other stories selected for this book are "The Bottle Imp", "Markheim", and "The Body-Snatcher", each of which have their merits and fit in well with the fundamental good/evil divide explored in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". The first is an original re-telling of the typical genie story that has an interesting Faustian twist that speaks effectively to the possibilities of ultimate love, sacrifice, and selfishness. Despite an ending that seems a bit unfulfilled and a little too cheery given the tone of the rest of the story and its predecessor in this volume, "The Bottle Imp" is an original and enlightening take on a traditional narrative that should please any readers interested in Faust bargains. "Markheim" is a quick psychological thriller that effectively, though clumsily at times, speaks to the division of good and evil within one human being, though in a qutie a different way than "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It has a bit of a twist ending that is powerful though a bit too strident to be entirely effective- I assume it would hold more weight to its own contemporary audience. The last story in this particular grouping, "The Body-Snatcher", is a well-written pure horror story that employs an interesting front-nested narrative structure that frames the story rather well. Stevenson knows how to inject a sense of mystery throughout the entire story by clouding the reasons behind its opening tumultuous exhchange and again proves his knack of a well-structured story by ending absoulutely perfectly.
Throughout these four stories, it is clear that Stevenson is interested in the ways that good and evil impulses interact and affect us as we deal with them; he takes four very distinct approaches and draws no single conclusion. Each story comes to a vastly different ending in regards to its outlook on human nature, and none feel overly contrived or overwhelmingly thematic. Stevenson allows for a little fantasy in these stories and it serves him quite well, allowing him to explore humanity in a much more real way than much purely realistic fiction can. These stories never stray too far beyond the realm of possibility to stretch credulity and as a result form a powerful testament to our power to confront and deal with the evil that lies within each of us. Stevenson refreshingly abstains from becoming overly didactic (save in "Markheim") and knows exactly how to let a story form, develop, end, and, most importantly, breathe. His worlds simply exist without being at all overwrought (again, Mr. Markheim proves the exception with a disappointing final speech) and subtly explore darker themes without annoying moralizing. Robert Louis Stevenson proves himself immensely interested in the depths of the human psyche in these stories and approaches it with a depth of understanding that can only be appreciated by all-too-human readers. These stories are intellectually engaging and, more importantly, enjoyable and well-written and definitely deserve a look. "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" has certainly earned its place among the classics of English literature.
Grade: A
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