Hyde [Unabridged] [Audible Audio Edition] Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B00ICPMAJ4 | Format: PDF, EPUB
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An authentic, gothic reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, told from the villain' s perspective, that takes listeners deep into the seedy side of Victorian London and explores the nature of personality and of the subconscious. Mr. Hyde is trapped in Dr. Jekyll' s surgical cabinet, counting the days until he will face capture and be forced to make the ultimate choice about survival. Over the course of four days, he thinks back on what brought him to this moment, and he finally has the chance to tell the story of his brief but marvelous life. In liberating Mr. Hyde from the omniscient perspective of the original story, the author takes us inside the mind Hyde shares with Jekyll as he awakens after many years of dormancy, wide-eyed at being able to explore the world on his own. We feel the potions take effect. We tromp through the streets of London, drink gin in seedy pubs, we visit doll shops and menace the men who take advantage of the women there, and we attempt to rescue lost girls. We feel the strange distance of watching Jekyll' s high-class life through a membrane of consciousness. And then we feel the helplessness of someone being framed for serious crimes. The evidence all points to Hyde. Even if he didn' t intend to commit these crimes, is it possible that they have been perpetrated, without his knowledge, by his own hand?
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- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 16 hours and 37 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Audible.com Release Date: March 18, 2014
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00ICPMAJ4
I am always amazed when authors take on the re-telling (or in this case, interpreting) of a classic. seems like a dangerous enterprise in terms of opening the door to unflattering comparisons. Mr. Levine doesn't seem worried-- he even includes the original Stevenson story at the end of "Hyde". I thought that made for a very interesting contrast, it also showed how a Victorian Era writer needed to be more creative than a writer in our "show-all, tell-all" times.
I started reading with enthusiasm and then faced a pretty big clunker on page one or two-- where the author dates the narrative in 1886, and then has the character referencing atomic particles, an anachronism that clanged. Anyhow, I persevered. [Mr. Walton caught me out on this point! See the below comment for a brief 'schooling' on the history of the atom]
Levine is one heck of a writer, his descriptive abilities are the best part of the book-- although sometimes they can get a bit gruesome and uncomfortable. This isn't a pretty picture of Victorian London, this is grimy, smell, depraved and hellish in many, many ways.
The telling of the story is done in a manner which evokes a dream state, which works sometimes, but sometimes seems to get a bit droning in nature (I really noticed this when I read the original book, which is much punchier in delivery).
I did not view Hyde as a hero, as one of the blurbs claims. It would be more accurate to say that his own behavior is often justified by his own voice, which he never had in the original, which is Jeckyll's story. But even his persuasive telling of the story isn't enough to hide the fact that he is still a deeply unhingy character, as is Jeckyll.
I'm generally not a fan of the classics, I've never read the original 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' and after reading this I'm certain I never will. I did try to listen to the audio version with my daughter last year after we'd finished the audiobook of 'Dracula', which we both loved. We agreed Dr. Jekyll was no Dracula and we gave it up to try something more to our liking.
I think reading this as a fan of the original could work for or against Levine. It's always a risk to take something that is well loved and make it into something new. I understand how readers might not like to see what he's done to one of their all-time favorites. Having no love or affection for the original I thought 'Hyde' was fascinating and well done, the duality of Henry Jekyll versus Edward Hyde was perfectly pitched.
I loved the way the author narrated the story from Hyde's perspective, we come to know and sympathize with him and through his eyes we see Jekyll and their shared history. Suffering abuse at the hands of a disturbed father clearly impacts the inner workings of Jekyll's mind and creates the infamous Mr. Hyde who has stayed hidden for over thirty years. Now as Jekyll approaches his fiftieth birthday, Hyde emerges to act on Jekyll's desires, free to be himself without the repression or constraints of his position in society. Initially born to protect Henry, Edward also feels the resentment and rivalry of a sibling. While we know the end of their story won’t be a happy one it’s fascinating to see how it all evolves.
Events are vividly described, colors, smells, clothing, sounds, the weather are all portrayed with exacting detail as is the madness. I like details and I like gritty dark fiction so this book and I got along quite well.
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