Hyde

Written by Daniel Levine

Narrated by John Curless

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 readers 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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490603995

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this book. I wanted it to be engaging, and it was -- to a degree -- but the truth is, I read to page 112 and then put the book down and I haven't picked it up in weeks. I finally decided to return it because it just isn't calling to me. That being said, I went with 2.5 stars because I think for some people, they would find it an engaging and compelling re-telling of the original story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The prose is old-fashioned, but that is intentional as the story is one that dates back a 100 years. Part of me wants to finish the tale, and part of me simply doesn't have the time.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked up a copy of this book because it sounded very intriguing. I have to tell you that after reading this book that I was a little sad when I finished it. Mr. Levine has a really good talent for telling a spelling bounding story with such depth and character development.

I instantly was in love with Hyde. I never saw him as a villain but more as a humanitarian. In fact, I liked him so much that when Hyde would disappear and Jekyll took over, I was slightly disappointed. The ending did not come as too much of a great surprise to me. It was easy to put all the pieces together on what was going to happen. This book is