I’ve just finished the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Ian Holm audiobook) and I’m just so impressed. As far as I understand, this is the progenitor of the “Evil Personality” theme and if so, Robert Louis Stevenson was a genius. Despite knowing exactly what was going to happen, it’s constructed so well that I was still gripped throughout.
I also love how Hyde isn’t a sneering, over-confident villain (as one might expect from the premise) but is instead a force of raw, carnal emotion. He’s a murderer, a hedonist, a coward; he’s spiteful, rage-fueled and totally uncontrolled. What I love most is that he’s not Jekyll’s opposite, but his half. Jekyll is a very morally dubious person, surprisingly, with his only genuine fear of Hyde arising once he starts losing control of him. Hell, he tramples a little girl and once he’s assured his debauchery isn’t ruined, he continues unabated.
Sorry for ranting, I just love finding books like this that totally captivate me. It’s so good.
by TheSpicyHotTake