Which is it?

Title: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

aka The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
aka Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Author: Robert L. Stevenson who is known for other such works as Treasure Island and Kidnapped to name but a few.

Genre: Short Story, Horror
# of Pages: 81

Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Premiere classics Edition

Began and Finished Reading: January 2008

The audience follows Mr Utterson and the dilemna he faces over the course of a year that concerns his friend and client Dr. Jekyll. The good-natured Doctor has left his entire estate to Mr Hyde, a man with a crude reputation. Slowly, the plot thickens till the "shocking" ending leaves the reader astounded - that the two men are in fact the same person. The transformation caused when a concuction is injected that the Dr discovered which seperates the good and bad elements of a person.

Though a mark of just how his work has penetrated the Western cultural stratosphere, the fact that the finale to Stevenson's work is common knowledge (so much so that it would be a 100$ question on Who Wants to Be A Million Air) kills part of the effect the author wishes to evoke. Rather than relate with Utterson in pursuit of uncovering this mystery, the reader is frustrated with him, urgining him on in their minds for him to discover what we already know. The aspect of empathy is broken which seems unfair to Stevenson and I personally curse the foolish Literature teachers that feel such spoilers are of no consequence. They rape the novel of their soul and the author of their sole divine right - to depict the story from the narrative that best suits their ends.

Recommend To: Of course, post Tresure Island this is a great night read. Not enough horror for the kiddos not to sleep... though they may request a nightlight ;)



Title: An issue for the Trivia lover - the volume I own has all three titles at different times (Cover, Cover page, and table of contents). Which is it?