Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

 Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

    Today we are going to deal with a very short book because (depending on the edition) it has just over 100 pages, but just because it is short doesn't mean it's worse. On the contrary! This novel is a perfect example that quality is not equal to quantity. The theme of today's entry is a holding in suspense, another absolute classic - Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

    Written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and published for the first time in 1886, the novel very quickly achieved great commercial success and became one of its bestsellers. It is characterized by a balanced, but tense story to the very end. The style of writing itself is rather plain, it is one of those books that can be read as a rest from some fancy, experimental literature, from which your head hurts after a long reading. This is light and pleasant lecture, and if we take into account its quality, we get something that cannot be passed indifferently. From the very first sight, we are accompanied by a rather dark, traditional English climate, at times even feeling dense fog! It should also be noted that this is a horror novel, so prepare yourself for a solid dose of ghastly ambient. The story of the plot idea is also very interesting. According to biographer Graham Balfour who asked Stevenson's wife Fanny Stevenson about it:

    In the small hours of one morning, I was awakened by cries of horror from Louis. Thinking he had a nightmare, I awakened him. He said angrily: "Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogey tale." I had awakened him at the first transformation scene.

    The story tells the story of a London lawyer, Gabriel John Utterson, who tries to solve the mystery of his friend Doctor Henry Jekyll's relationship with mysterious Edward Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is a very well-known doctor who is trying to develop an elixir with which he could separate man from his inborn evil. The action starts when Utterson, during a regular walk with his cousin Richard Enfield, comes to the door of a big house. Enfield then tells his cousin that a month ago he saw a very disturbing event in which an ominous-looking man, Mr. Hyde, who hit and trampled a little girl who got in his way on the sidewalk. Outraged by this event, Enfield forced Edward Hyde to pay a hundred pounds as a compensation, to which he agreed, paying with a check signed by Dr Jekyll... 

    Okay, so it's time for my arguments why this book is so worth reading. Well, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a kind of phenomenon, because what struck me the most after reading this book was the fact that I suddenly realized that I had just finished a short, very pleasant book, which at the same time left me with a luggage of questions. The story of Dr. Jekyll talks about how spoiled and rotten a man can be, how cruel he can be and seems to ask the question "What is the reason of this evil?". 

    Thank you for your attention and until next time.