OK, so "Jekyll and Hyde" isn't the same suspenseful page-turner it was a hundred years ago. In fact, the novella has integrated itself into mainstream society to the point that reading it may seem unnecessary. After all, beyond the obvious "plot twist" that has become synonymous with the novel, what makes the novella worthwhile?
I would agree that, for most situations, an extensive knowledge of "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is not required. Actually reading "Jekyll and Hyde" will not expand your reference frame in the same way as, say, a bag of chocolate chips will expand your cookie dough. However, Stevenson is something of a clever clogs, and reading the novella in its entirety will lead, with a little thought, to some interesting insights concerning Victorian society. There are other reasons to read "Jekyll and Hyde" as well: you can brag about it at cocktail parties, you can chortle at the confoundment of the minor characters, and the whole affair will only take a few hours out of your afternoon.
Rating: 4/8
--edit -- As per Edwina's suggestion I have expanded this section. Thank you, Miss Ogg.
Tea: You're going to need something tight-laced and English here. Sugar is, of course, out of the question. To get in touch with your repressed Victorian side, I would recommend a strong black breakfast blend sans milk.
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Dear Katie,
ReplyDeleteAfter your no-less-than-stunning description of the novella, I was no less than disappointed by your no-less-than boring tea bit. You need to tell me WHY that tea is so suitable for the novella. Besides the fact that I already read the novella while I was quite tealess, I have no reason to believe that this tea would have in any way enhanced my no-less-than-mediocre time reading it.
With regards,
Edwina "Some Days I Feel Like Shirt" Ogg