3 Stars

Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu

IN SEARCH OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

Los Angeles: Renaissance Books

ISBN 1-58063-157-6

2000

Although this book has no direct vampire connection, these authors are best known for their pioneering work, IN SEARCH OF DRACULA, and their two biographies of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula. Here they trace Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll back to a historical person in 18th-century Edinburgh, William Deacon Brodie. Brodie, a respected community leader by day, led a secret life as head of a gang of thieves by night, finally exposed and hanged for his crimes. McNally and Florescu outline Brodie's case, followed by an account of Stevenson's career and his fascination with Brodie, the dark side of the human personality, and the concept of a double life.

Particularly interesting is the analysis of Stevenson's tale in terms of the "beast within," with a detailed exploration of the ways various movie and stage adaptations have changed the story to fit the trends of the times. Most adaptations simplify the characterization of Jekyll to make him "good" as opposed to Hyde's utter "evil," whereas in the original story Jekyll is a hypocrite who wants a safe outlet for his baser impulses. Appendices include a timeline of Stevenson's life alongside relevant current events, a filmography, and a travel guide for readers wishing to retrace the steps of Brodie and Stevenson.

Like McNally and Florescu's other collaborative works, this book is highly readable as well as informative. Photographs and theater/film posters (all in black and white) enhance the text. Themes of addiction, sexuality, the Freudian unconscious, and the folklore and literary motif of the double, as they appear in "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," invite the reader to deeper consideration of the familiar tale. Another significant theme that might be applied to Stevenson's novella is not developed, however -- the implications of Darwinian evolutionary theory and the late Victorian preoccupation with "atavism" and "degeneration." Because the authors approach their subject from so many different angles, they cannot delve into any one topic in great depth. Moreover, the book lacks an index. Still, I recommend it to anyone interested in classic horror.

Reviewed by Margaret L. Carter