Customer Reviews

Frankenstein; Dracula; Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Signet classics)

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Back in 1992 I was forced to buy this little paperback for a class called Literature of Terror. The class turned out to be pretty lame, but the book remains with me to this day -- battered, dog-eared and beloved. Most college textbooks are nothing more than extortionately priced trash, but this one packs a three-punch combination: three of the Great horror novels of English literature in one binding.

For openers we get Bram Stoker's DRACULA, arguably one of the ten most famous books ever written. Despite being written in the epistolary style -- that is, as a series of letters penned by various characters in the books -- the novel is highly entertaining, especially the opening chapters, which are set in Transylvania and achieve a remarkable atmosphere of brooding intensity. We are so inundated with vampires nowadays -- the BLADE trilogy, the television shows BUFFY and ANGEL, the UNDERWORLD series, not to mention Anne Rice's seemingly endless parade of Lestat novels -- that it is sometimes difficult to remember that Stoker's book, while not the first vampire tale, singlehandedly invented the genre -- not only the immortal Dracula character, but most of the lore that surrounds vampires generally.

Next up is the book everybody knows about but nobody has read, Mary Shelly's FRANKENSTEIN, which if it had been called FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER would have spared everyone of that name a lot of suffering as children ("Frankenstein was the scientist, you bastards, not the frickin' monster!"). Shelly's ornate, very 19th century prose is not easy on the reader, although there are passages which are so beautifully written they
resemble poetry ("I collected bones from charnel houses, and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame") and there more than a few preposterous plot developments and tedious Victorian asides; but as a moral tale about the price of hubris and the desire to play god, it hardly has an equal. In any case, readers will be interested to see that Shelly's monster is not the mute, shovel-headed zombie of the black-and-white films, but an intelligent being whose desire for revenge, rather than the manner of its creation, makes it a monster.

The closer is Robert Louis Stevenson's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, the shortest and, in my opinion, the easiest read of the three novels. Like FRANKENSTEIN, HYDE is a moral tale, rendering a harsh verdict on Victorian hypocrisy and on the human desire to have one's cake and eat it too. Poor Dr. Jekyll is handcuffed by convention; he cannot satisfy his ungentlemanly appetites without ruining the angelic public image he has worked so hard to create. So like an American politician, he spends his days kissing babies and his nights (as Mr. Hyde) chasing babes, only to discover that his nifty little potion has a nasty drawback ("Side effects may include shape-shifting and homicidal mania. Do not take the potion if you are evil, or have a tendency to become evil.") Though he lived in an ornate era, Stevenson resists the urge to gild his story in purple prose or to indulge in the long, often tedious passages which make FRANKENSTEIN so relentlessly gothic. Nor does he allow the novella to bog down as DRACULA does in mid-story. What we get is a tersely written, highly effective bit of genius.

So there you have it. Three horror classics in one softcover edition. It is truly unfortunate, and stupid, that this little gem is out of print, because anyone wanting to take a gander at the foundation stones of all modern horror should start by reading this book.

There is an introduction written by Stephen King but it adds some to the stories themselves as it places them within historical context. But if you are a first time reader of these stories be warned there are no footnotes, endnotes, or explanations of unfamiliar terms - so you could find yourself at a bit of a loss.

The book contains the third edition of "Frankenstein" originally published in 1831, I understand from other readings that Shelley made some changes in the text itself. The third, and last, edition includes the introduction she finally wrote for the novel.

For the experienced gothic reader or the novice willing to look up unfamiliar words, this book is a treasure as it has the three most famous and chilling gothic stories of the 19th century.

Enjoy them thoroughly and chillingly.

Three classics books, three classic monsters, and three classic stories that have been told and retold time and time again, all here in one great book! I'm sure you Horror Film fans like me have seen the Boris Karloff Frankenstein, the Bela Lugosi Dracula, and the Fredric March Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but if you haven't read the original novels...YOU AIN'T SEEN OR READ NOTHING YET! Buy this book now, you won't regret it!

This is a great book.

It's nothing less than an inexpensively priced guided tour of horror with Stephen King as your host.

As much as the classics themselves I also enjoyed reading King's take on them. As America's modern successor to these authors King's perspective is helpful in appreciating the stories you're about to read.

And what he has to say is interesting for the ways in which it does and sometimes does not bear itself out:

As to Frankenstein, King observed that Mary Shelley would often depart from her story to offer philosophical speculations more akin to a dorm room than a horror story. For my part, though I respect King's opinion, I found her digressions to be helpful as part of the overall narrative. Though the public consciousness for its part seems focused on the more sensational aspects of the Frankenstein monster's appearance and demeanor, I think Shelley's speculations also have a legitimate role. I found some of her observations to be very prescient given modern developments in gene research.

As to Dracula, King basically said that the book used deliberative pacing to help establish mood. For me however the book kind of reminded me of what Charles Dickens may have been like had he written horror stories. I saw the pacing and detail as just means by which Stoker tried to establish credibility for what was a pretty incredible story. Where Stephen King was offput by Van Helsing's use of antiquated medical techniques, for me they kind of lent a certain mood and verite to the story. At his time, Van Helsing with all his brandy and deving rods was (believe it or not) at the forefront of medical science. I also liked finally reading Stoker's ending to the Dracula story which for some reason has never been included in any Dracula movies I've ever seen. Maybe Stoker's original vision is just too ambitous to be reduced to the movie screen.

As to Dr. Jekyll, King said that the book's short length made it all the punchier. But for me I was disappointed that Stevenson took so long in his short volume to actually get his story going. It would seem to me that if you're going to make your story short, you better make every word count, a feeling I didn't have as much as with the other books in this volume.

Like I said, this is a guided tour of horror and I think a very good one. If you get a chance to buy this book, do it because you'll get not only the original characters themselves but also Stephen King's take on them as well.

The three most famous titles of horror are now available in a single mass market paperback! Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are presented in full. The stories speak for themselves they are absolute classics and are great reads even today. This was perfect for the college student who would need one of these titles and hopefully encourage them to read the others! Pick this one up for great reading.

Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / 0-451-52363-6

The classic three foundational works of horror, and the inspiration for dozens if nor hundreds of movies, are packaged here together in an attractive tight package.

"Frankenstein" is something of a love-it-or-hate-it work and I will confess of falling on the more heretical side of that equation - there's a strong didactic feel to the work and Shelley comes off a little too hand-wringing and pearl-clutching for my taste. All well and good to create a monster who is turned evil by society, but the author really must trust the reader to understand this on their own, without little "this means, of course..." moralizing asides every five pages. However, if you can get past Shelley's distracting narrative lurches, the story itself is quite superb.

"Dracula", arguably *the* foundational vampire novel, is included here and shows off the diarist form of narration so popular at the time. ("Dear diary, you won't BELIEVE who just materialized in my room...") This is always an interesting tact for a horror novel because it can mean that the suspense is lost (if you're alive enough to write the diary entry, then where is the drama?) but Stoker bypasses this problem nicely - the race here is not to "stop the vampire" or "stay alive" but rather to hunt and destroy the vampire forever, before Mrs. Harker can be completely corrupted. The hunt is a superb one, although I am biased - Dracula is one of my favorite classics.

Last, but never least, is "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". This short story is surprisingly short indeed, and it is a testament to how superbly the story is written that this short story has inspired so many movies and dramas. This is a wonderful addition to any collection and it is delightful that it is included here.

~ Ana Mardoll

This is a great book. It has three of history's greatest novels and a really interesting introduction by Stephen King. It's not too big of a book so it's easy to carry around and it's at a really good price. If you're a dedicated reader then I definitely recommend this book.

For this value, this book is absolutely amazing. Not too bulky, maybe the size of an average hand (thumb to pink) in width, it is a great value with good pages and binding.

These three horror stories speak for themselves, but put back to back like this is truly a treat.

Frankenstein, to begin with, is the original Frankenstein before the movies got to him. A story of revenge and betrayal, with many other themes of feminism and creationism intertwined.

Dracula, a monster that needs no introduction is a great continuation to this monster fest as is Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hide. Definitely worth the buy.

If you've never read Frankenstein, Dracula, or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before now is your chance! All three of these amazing books in one collection. After once though you won't believe how many contemporary pop-culture references can be attributed to these great works.

This is a good deal being three books in one. Frankenstein exposes the dangers of playing God, an timely lesson for embryonic stem cell research advocates. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explorers our dual natures and how our carnal side cause shame and hatred. And Dracula is just a story with no particular over-arching theme but is fun to read being the original vampire novel.