The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror

By: Robert Louis Stevenson

Narrated by: Michael Kitchen

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

This dark psychological fantasy is more than a moral tale. It is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution and criminality, and the secret lives behind Victorian propriety, to create a unique form of urban Gothic.

©2000 Robert Louis Stevenson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

The Dark Human Heart

Effectively read by Michael Kitchen, this audiobook offers three compelling nightmarish tales by Robert Louis Stevenson. The first is Stevenson's classic tale of the dual nature inside all of us, of our inner conflict between good and evil: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is a concise and powerful story whose unusual structure involves us more and more deeply in Jekyll's inevitable doom. The second tale, "The Body Snatcher," leads steadily to a nightmarish shock. The third tale, "Olalla," is a gothic look at evolution (devolution!) played out in an old aristocratic Spanish family. Kitchen reads all three tales with perfect pitch, pace, understanding, and expression.

Excellent performance of the classic tales

Would you listen to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror again? Why?

I decided to get this book after coming across some references to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide in self-development literature. All 3 stories have a flavor of a psychological thriller, amended for time and place. For me, Dr Jekyll-Mr. Hide story is more about the personality destruction by addiction, then about the split/dual personality. The narrator is excellent, with the perfect blend of passion for the plot and characters, and impartiality of a story teller.

Michael Kitchen is a gem. Oh, and Stevenson isn’t bad either.

Strange Case is one of my once a year reads, and it always moves - and horrifies - me a great deal. The other stories here are wonderful as well.

Now that Foyle’s War (which, I also recommend) is no more I wish Michael Kitchen would read as many books as possible for Audible. His voice is as subtle and richly expressive as his face and gestures when he acts (and I don’t say that often, even about other favorite actors). A very enjoyable listen, all around.

expected better

i bought this expecting it to be better - more eerie, more story but it's simple and slow and not scary at all. was disappointed in it and other stories though i normally love this kind of thing!

Truly great narrator: Michael Kitchen

Classic stories read by one of the two or three best British narrators. Lets hope Michael Kitchen is commissioned to record dozens more classic works.

Great stories & narration, abrupt chapter breaks

Gothic horror with moral lessons about human nature falling (or resisting falling) into mortal temptation. Elegant language, well narrated. But the chapter breaks are abrupt and somewhat jarring. Well worth the time to listen.

Good narration and liked the first story

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a good story and I always enjoy listening to Michael Kitchen narrating books. I didn’t care so much for the other stories that are part of this audiobook.

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Letdown and disappointed.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Meh...

Did The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror inspire you to do anything?

It has inspired me not to buy more book by "Robert Louis Stevenson"

Any additional comments?

As I have already stated before with "Treasure Island" I'm not very impressed with the writings of "Robert Louis Stevenson" he has a real knack for coming up with interesting ideas but is less talented when it comes to executing them. This is just my opinion, but I think you would be better off checking out the Warner brothers bugs bunny cartoon of jackal and hide "Hyde and Hare" Which takes the mane story concept and turns it into a modern day masterpiece.

Wonderful stories.

Wonderful stories and narration.Thorough enjoyed them.Will listen to again. RLS is a master of story telling with beautiful use of language. Michael Kitchen does them justice. Perfect narration.

Disappointing book

I was really disappointed by this book, I expected to read a marvellous book being given the famous name, but that wasn’t the case. The story itself doesn’t have any substance, nothing that one can understand the line of the story.

Haunting

But please, Mr Producer, please leave a pause between one chapter and the next - and in this case between one story and the next! I had to back up to realise that story two had begun at chapter four and then the third at chapter five. All this slightly detracted from Michael Kitchen's marvelous reading.
But haunting even so.