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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror by Robert Louis Stevenson
27 reviews
bambidew's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
seawarrior's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I may have enjoyed this more if I was reading it around the time it was published, but hundreds year later it's not very thrilling and the most exciting portion of the novel was spoiled for me ages ago. None of the characters endeared themselves to me and the narrative structure is just odd, though not in a positive way. The book begins through the perspective of Dr. Jekyll's lawyer, with the climax and end of the story told through two letters, the final one written by Dr. Jekyll himself. The narration never switches back to the lawyer who was trying to uncover the true nature of who Hyde was, resulting in an ending that feels unsatisfying and abrupt.
What I did find interesting about the book was the focus on the duality of human nature, and additionally, how much the duality between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seems to be misunderstood in popular culture today. Jekyll openly admitted in his final letter that he is not all good, and alternatively, has many temptations he deemed too inappropriate or terrible to detail. His regular use of the potion that turned him into Hyde, a man he knows is pure evil, evidences that he is not altogether a moral man, which is only reinforced by his admittance that clubbing a man to death was a pleasurable experience to him, though he did the deed in Hyde's form. Instead of serving as a symbol of good versus evil, I felt this story more accurately portrayed the struggle of responsibility versus release. In using Hyde to relish in the temptations he once felt shame in, Jekyll is released from his guilt, glowing with liberty, and still allowed to maintain his prestigious position in society. Yet prolonged use to his transforming potion and Hyde's identity eventually undoes him, as the thinly restrained evil increasing within Dr. Jekyll empowers Hyde and soon leads to demise of their whole person.
I'm not certain I would recommend this book to others. It was somewhat tedious to read, though its thankfully not very long. I feel the most merit in reading the story in this day and age lies in how afterwards you will likely see more threads of it reflected within popular culture, and can then dissect them more thoughtfully.
What I did find interesting about the book was the focus on the duality of human nature, and additionally, how much the duality between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seems to be misunderstood in popular culture today. Jekyll openly admitted in his final letter that he is not all good, and alternatively, has many temptations he deemed too inappropriate or terrible to detail. His regular use of the potion that turned him into Hyde, a man he knows is pure evil, evidences that he is not altogether a moral man, which is only reinforced by his admittance that clubbing a man to death was a pleasurable experience to him, though he did the deed in Hyde's form. Instead of serving as a symbol of good versus evil, I felt this story more accurately portrayed the struggle of responsibility versus release. In using Hyde to relish in the temptations he once felt shame in, Jekyll is released from his guilt, glowing with liberty, and still allowed to maintain his prestigious position in society. Yet prolonged use to his transforming potion and Hyde's identity eventually undoes him, as the thinly restrained evil increasing within Dr. Jekyll empowers Hyde and soon leads to demise of their whole person.
I'm not certain I would recommend this book to others. It was somewhat tedious to read, though its thankfully not very long. I feel the most merit in reading the story in this day and age lies in how afterwards you will likely see more threads of it reflected within popular culture, and can then dissect them more thoughtfully.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, and Murder
tking250's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child abuse
arianappstrg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4,5: I love this story but I do have this one unpopular opinion. 'If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek' is a really dumb line :D
The first time I read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde I did not agree with the narration style at all. Third-person omniscient through the eyes of strangers in a story that could have been a banger psychological profile/ case study just seemed to miss the mark for me. However, the second time I read it, I understood why Stevenson chose to tell the story like so. It makes for such an interesting exploration of concepts like reputation, rumors, gossip, Victorian bias, and police bias. It helps you see how events can be so easily blown out of proportion and how the truth can either be much simpler or more horrifying than anticipated/rumored. It's also an insightful and diverse way of showing how different people account for the same events. It challenges you to distinguish between fact, opinion, and fiction. Still, though, I feel a bit iffy because I keep wondering would my feelings be any different if I followed Jekyll and Hyde's point of view throughout the whole story?
On the bright side, I love the descriptions of Victorian London as its own heavily gothic and spooky character, 'Mr Utterson beheld a marvellous number of degrees and hues of twilight; for here it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of a rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration... The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses, with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers, and its lamps... seemed, in the lawyer's eyes, like a district of some city in a nightmare'. There is such rich imagery all throughout the story. At times, it's so vivid it overwhelms you but there are also instances where it is so subtle you have to read closely otherwise, you'll easily miss the immersive elements and the spine-tingling feels!
In conclusion, this is a 4,5 for me due to mixed feelings about the narrative style which is, in the end, more of a personal preference than a fault with the story itself.
The first time I read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde I did not agree with the narration style at all. Third-person omniscient through the eyes of strangers in a story that could have been a banger psychological profile/ case study just seemed to miss the mark for me. However, the second time I read it, I understood why Stevenson chose to tell the story like so. It makes for such an interesting exploration of concepts like reputation, rumors, gossip, Victorian bias, and police bias. It helps you see how events can be so easily blown out of proportion and how the truth can either be much simpler or more horrifying than anticipated/rumored. It's also an insightful and diverse way of showing how different people account for the same events. It challenges you to distinguish between fact, opinion, and fiction. Still, though, I feel a bit iffy because I keep wondering would my feelings be any different if I followed Jekyll and Hyde's point of view throughout the whole story?
On the bright side, I love the descriptions of Victorian London as its own heavily gothic and spooky character, 'Mr Utterson beheld a marvellous number of degrees and hues of twilight; for here it would be dark like the back-end of evening; and there would be a glow of a rich, lurid brown, like the light of some strange conflagration... The dismal quarter of Soho seen under these changing glimpses, with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers, and its lamps... seemed, in the lawyer's eyes, like a district of some city in a nightmare'. There is such rich imagery all throughout the story. At times, it's so vivid it overwhelms you but there are also instances where it is so subtle you have to read closely otherwise, you'll easily miss the immersive elements and the spine-tingling feels!
In conclusion, this is a 4,5 for me due to mixed feelings about the narrative style which is, in the end, more of a personal preference than a fault with the story itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, and Violence
Objectively speaking, the gore in this novella is quite descriptive. I do realize that the description ofggcd1981's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde é terror/ficção científica gótico. Cada vez mais me convenço de que terror gótico é um dos meus sub-generos preferidos. Tive um pouco de dificuldade com o inglês da obra original, porém não foi empecilho para desfrutar essa obra. Durante toda a história a atmosfera é sombria e intrigante. Todo o tempo se percebe que a história caminha para um final sombrio, as perguntas são "qual" e "como". Gostaria de ter lido sem saber nada sobre a história, infelizmente já era familiar com a resposta ao "grande" mistério da obra. Mesmo assim a atmosfera sombria e a história em si me mantiveram interessada, mesmo sabendo a resposta. Sem dúvida, até este momento, uma das melhores novelas que li. Daria 4.5 estrelas, mas como goodreads no momento não me permite terei que dar 4 estrelas, pois 5 reservo para obras que tem um significado mais profundo para mim.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, and Violence
drusilla_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Murder
Minor: Child abuse
knightbirds's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts