There was nothing wrong with this book. Not in the least. Why a three-star rating only then? Because it also wasn't my particular cup of tea in terms of excitement. The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is so well-known, there's very little mystery to a story that, now that I've read it, was supposed to be unveiled slowly and with increasing suspense. Instead, the reader already knows what to expect, and so that critical element to this tale is lost for them. It didn't make the reading dull per se. In fact, I found the reading very easy, without catches in the language to trip you up, and moving along at a swift, smooth pace. And considering I already knew the general concepts of the story, that came as quite a pleasant surprise. I have to give kudos to Stevenson for his talent in writing a story. Maybe a couple of times I felt an added comma might have helped to clarify the sentence structure and avoid was seemed to be run-on's, but that was the least of my concerns.Character-wise, I was intrigued to see that the story was told from the point of view not of Dr. Jekyll, but of one of his lifelong friends who watched his longtime companion endure and suffer through shocking, unbelievable changes. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde themselves appeared just enough times throughout the book in actual scenes to give them some depth. However we heard more about them than from them. Nonetheless, Mr. Utterson, our main character and friend of Dr. Jekyll, is a reliable narrator that reacts more than he suspects. For when he does suspect things, often times he doesn't confess them. They only come out in conversations between himself and other side characters.
On another note, the interesting truth to Jekyll and Hyde is that Mr. Hyde is not a gigantic, malformed juggernaut of some sort. Although the story makes it clear that he's the embodiment of evil in Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde is no less human than Dr. Jekyll himself is. In fact, the most surprising thing I found out was that Hyde was actually a smaller, bent, but younger man when Jekyll transformed into him. Dr. Jekyll himself seemed to be a tall, distinguished elderly gentleman in contrast, so that whenever Jekyll turned into Hyde, all the clothes that Jekyll had been wearing actually hung on Hyde's figure almost ridiculously. This is a completely different perspective and image than the one that's become so popular over the years.
Overall however, I think the last point of interest that the original story carried over is that Jekyll was willingly, even desirably transforming himself into Hyde. He enjoyed the mischief, the freedom, the ability to do whatever he wanted, as he wanted. And yet he was also cowardly at times, like a wild animal that's being constantly hunted, or judged. It's precisely those moments of fear in him that made his anger and viciousness stronger. It's not that he was out to get people, but more that what he did to people--regardless what kind of harm--didn't make a dent on him. He's the man with no morals, who will shrug off hurt, murder, leisure, pleasure, trial and just about anything else. About the only thing that he feared... was dying.
In the end, I've got to say that this was a very worthwhile read. The actual story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is much more different than popular opinion spouted it out to be. The concepts are the same, but the storyline is unusual and intriguing. Even if you think you know what's going on, you can never be quite sure on certain aspects of what's happening, because the people you follow and listen to don't always say what it is they're thinking, leaving you in a state of suspense. This is definitely one of those books you should take the time to sit down and read at some point in your life. It's intriguing and enlightening, and for a tale that everyone knows, it's still got its points you'll find entertaining. If only to get the real back story to this tale, you should check this out and read it. If you don't want to buy it, I won't demand you do. It's not gonna be a collectible for everyone. But it's still good. That, it undoubtedly is.
