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This is a classic tale, so spoilers abound in this review.

I last listened to the BBC OTR version, but didn't care for it too much. We're reading it in the Evolution of SF group, so I thought I'd try this version #5 from Librivox narrated by Phil Chenevert, a solid narrator. You can find it here:


It's only 3 hours long, but that's about twice as long as it needs to be due to the wordy, stilted Victorian writing. Still, it's worth getting through because overall, it's a great story & it's told in such a neat format. It is told from the POV of Utterson, Jekyll's friend & attorney. Nine, the final chapter lays out everything from Jekyll's POV. By that time, we pretty much know or can guess the story, so there aren't any surprises, but it's a heart-rending account.

Hyde is a smaller, younger, & perverted version of Jekyll. (Smaller, not larger as he usually is in the movies.) He is the evil side that Jekyll has starved for so many years. No one can accurately describe what makes Hyde so hideous, but everyone finds him abhorrent. Once he figures out the chemical formula that releases him though, Hyde becomes stronger. Jekyll tries to quit, but things have gone too far. I was really impressed by his description. I wonder how much Bill Wilson swiped for his descriptions of alcoholism & relapse in the A.A. Big Book. The words probably weren't identical, but they elicited the same cycle of despair. Better living through chemistry is an illusion that will bite you in the behind.

Obviously this is a story about the duality of man's nature, perfect in its setting. The upstanding gentry liked to slum. They were often conflicted by their desires & society's expectations. It's similar to the theme of The Picture of Dorian Gray which was published a few years later.

Highly recommended for its historical importance, but don't expect a great book unless you like the style. I don't.