BOOK REVIEW: The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde – by Robert Louis Stevenson

Title: The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Classics, Science Fiction, Horror
First published: January 5th 1886
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Finished reading: December 4th 2016
Pages: 96

“I learned to recognise the thorough and primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.”

I’m ashamed to admit I have been mostly neglecting the classics this year, and I made a promise to myself to at least read a few before the end of 2016. It was the perfect time to read one of my pending classics on my kindle: The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde. I was only vaguely familiar with the story, but this is the first time I’m actually reading the original version of this story. I had a bad experience reading another of Robert Louis Stevenson‘s books, Treasure Island, but luckily I found this classic to be a lot more enjoyable to read. Sure, it took me a while to get into the story, but the second half of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde was without doubt very entertaining. There is an interesting concept and message behind this story that will definitely make you think. I don’t think it’s my favorite classic ever, but I enjoyed it a lot better than I thought I would.

Dr. Jekyll has discovered the ultimate drug; a chemical that can separate good from evil and turn him into something else. The sinister Mr. Hyde is born, and is causing trouble all over the city. People wonder who Mr. Hyde is and why Dr. Jekyll would want to interact with such a shady character. But they do not know about the doctor’s secret… Will Jekyll be able to keep Hyde under control?

I think most people are probably already aware of what this story is about, especially since so many references to it have been made ever since it was published back in the 19th century. The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde has an interesting concept and especially the second half is quite enjoyable to read. It took me a while to get into the story though… And I don’t think I will be rereading it any time soon.

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WWW Wednesdays #114 – December 7th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m close to finishing Kill The Next One by Federico Axat. The story started out strong, but became a little weird later on… Fingers crossed the last part will make up for it. I’m also a few pages into The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and I’m looking forward to continue this classic later today. Finally, I’m about to start my very first Reading Alley ARC: Tipping Point by Tomas Byrne.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* I first decided to switch genres a bit and pick up a contemporary romance read. I wasn’t too sure about 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, but I remember I liked her short Christmas story last year and the travel theme sounded great. YA contemporary romance fans will without doubt love this book, but I have to admit it fell a little flat for me. Sure, the travel bits are quite interesting, but the whole plot just isn’t believable. I mean, why did her parents let her travel to Europe like that in the first place? And the things happening to her weren’t all totally believable either. It is fast-paced though and can be entertaining if you forget about the credibility details.
* I picked up Another Day Gone by Eliza Graham afterwards, and I have to admit I had high hopes for this book. Historical fiction, set during various generations, interesting blurb… It had all the right signs, but unfortunately I had a hard time enjoying this story. I couldn’t get a proper feel for the story OR characters and it was all kind of confusing. It took a long while for it to become clear what the story exactly was about, and those plot twists and suspense around the past were actually annoying instead of entertaining. It seems like a well-researched story and it has a lot of potential, but I couldn’t warm up to the actual story. Most people seem to love it though, so this might just be another case of unpopular opinion review.
* I then finally picked up another classic: The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I was vaguely familiar with the story, but this is the first time I’ve actually read this classic. It took a while to get into the story, but the second half of the story was without doubt very entertaining. I don’t think it’s my favorite classic, but I definitely enjoyed it a lot better than his other story Treasure Island.
* Afterwards, I FINALLY picked up my copy of This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab. People kept telling me I should just read this one and that I would love it, and they were totally right. ADSOM is still my absolute Schwab favorite, but this one came a close second! Brilliant, just brilliant. The prose is just excellent and I love LOVE the worldbuilding. Like in Shades Of Magic, the worldbuilding isn’t all that complicated, but this simplicity just WORKS. The idea of Verity with its three types of monsters is intriguing, and I loved the main characters August and Kate. Both the dynamics between the characters and their development is very well done and I can’t wait to read the sequel next year. V.E. Schwab has definitely proven to be worthy to be in my TOP 10 of all time favorite authors!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m trying to read more books published before 2000 for a challenge, so I might read Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown next. I also need to read both Netgalley ARCs Walk Into Silence by Susan McBride and From Sand And Ash by Amy Harmon soon…. And my newest TBR jar pick is still Little Women by Louise May Alcott., which I will probably pick up closer to Christmas.

BOOK REVIEW: Treasure Island – by Robert Louis Stevenson

Title: Treasure Island
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Classics, YA, Historical Fiction
First published: 1883
Finished reading: May 24th 2015
Pages: 190

“It was Silver’s voice, and before I had heard a dozen words, I would not have shown myself for all the world. I lay there, trembling and listening, in the extreme of fear and curiostiy, for, in those dozen words, I understood that the lives of all the honest men aboard depended on me alone.”

I wanted to like this classic pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson so bad. A children story about pirates and a treasure hunt sounded like the perfect read, but unfortunately I ended up being quite disappointed by it. I was unable to warm up to the main characters and there is a significant lack of action during the whole novel. I mean, the story is supposed to be about a treasure hunt, but they all seem to talk more than they actually ‘hunt’. To be honest, I cannot see why Treasure Island would actually be considered children literature… I felt bored during most of the story (not counting the final chapters), so I wonder how children will be able to pay attention for so long. I didn’t mind the prose; that is what you expect when you start reading a classic written in the 19th century. Plus, with my kindle I was able to look up any old-fashioned words quickly anyway. But I did mind the characters and their sometimes less convincing actions. Taking Jim Hawkins for example: he sure is entitled to survive a lot of dangers for a boy his age! I know a lot of people love this classic and my opinion won’t be popular, but Treasure Island really just wasn’t for me.

Jim Hawkins is a very clever boy who ends up outsmarting a whole gang of dangerous pirates. When he gets his hands on a treasure map, he and local Doctor Livesy decide to go look for the treasure before the pirates that killed the original owner show up again. But the squire that works for the doctor doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, and soon they are in more trouble than they can imagine… As they board the ship that will take them to the island the treasure is hidden, the three don’t realize that half of the crew is made out of the same pirates they tried to run away from. Looking for the treasure won’t be as easy as they had originally planned…

I feel almost bad for not enjoying Treasure Island, but to be honest I had a hard time finishing this classic. I found especially the first part of the story quite boring and the characters didn’t exactly convince me. It could have been because I was expecting something different or because I had really high expectations, but I know one thing for sure: Treasure Island won’t be making it to my favorite classics list.

WWW Wednesdays #41 – May 27th

Originally featured at Should Be Reading and now hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words, WWW WEDNESDAYS is still about answering the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?

I started reading A Thousand Pieces Of You by Claudia Gray the other day and so far I’m enjoying it. Hopefully it will stay that way! I’ve also started reading Tease by Amanda Maciel a few days ago and while it’s interesting, I cannot really connect to the characters. It makes it a bit more difficult to read this one fast, but it’s not a bad read at any rate.

• What did you recently finish reading?

I finished Treasure Island the other day, and unfortunately I cannot say I ended up enjoying this classic by Robert Louis Stevenson. I feel a bit guilty, but I was almost bored by the story and couldn’t connect to the characters… I also finished City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare, and I’m still sticking with the fact that I like the prequel trilogy better. There are so many love triangles going on that it’s becoming annoying!

• What do you think you’ll read next?

My next TBR jar pick is still The Diviners by Libba Bray; another series I’ve been wanting to read for a while now…But I might read The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas first because I need it for my Bookish Bingo challenge. Plus, that way I will have another series completed until the next Throne Of Glass book will be published. 😉

WWW Wednesdays #40 – May 20th

Originally featured at Should Be Reading and now hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words, WWW WEDNESDAYS is still about answering the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading the second book of The Mortal Instruments series: City Of Ashes. I mainly started reading it because it was my TBR jar pick, because I wasn’t planning on continuing the series any time soon… So far it’s ok, but I still prefer The Infernal Devices. I’ve also started Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson the other day, a classic I’m not really enjoying so far.

• What did you recently finish reading?

Last week was Bout Of Books week and I was able to finish no less than six books! Woot! The last two were Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang and The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige. The first I didn’t end up enjoying as much as I initially thought, which is mostly because of the annoying characters. The Wicked Will Rise was actually better than the first book in the series, or at least it had more action in it.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

My next TBR jar pick is The Diviners by Libba Bray; another series I’ve been wanting to read for a while now… I might take a break from the fantasy genre though and read Tease by Amanda Maciel first. I need this one for my Bookish Bingo challenge and it sounds like an interesting read.

WWW Wednesdays #39 – May 13th

Originally featured at Should Be Reading and now hosted by Sam at Taking On A World Of Words, WWW WEDNESDAYS is still about answering the following three questions:

• What are you currently reading?

I started reading both Falling Into Places by Amy Zhang and Don’t Tell Mummy by Toni Maguire yesterday. The first was a TBR jar pick, and unfortunately I’m having a hard time warming up to this story… I’m not liking the main characters at all so far. The second book is a very well written memoir I have a feeling will turn out to be heartbreaking…

• What did you recently finish reading?

I’m participating in the Bout Of Books read-a-thon so I’m trying to read as much as possible. I loved the first two books of this read-a-thon; I finished Unwind by Neal Shusterman yesterday and it was definitely a strong read. I will be getting a copy of the sequel soon… Angelfall I was able to finish on Monday and I instantly became a Penryn and Raffe fan. I need to read the sequel by Susan Ee ASAP!

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Like I said above, I really want to know what becomes of Raffe and Penryn! Since I have a copy of World After on my shelf, I will probably forget about my read-a-thon TBR and pick up this sequel next. Either that or Treasure Island, a classic pirate story written by Robert Louis Stevenson that I can use for my Bookish Bingo challenge… (Also not on my Bout Of Books TBR; oops!)