The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- The pavilion on the links -- A lodging for the night -- Markheim -- The sire de Mal?troit's door -- The beach at Fales? -- The suicide club. Story of the young man with the cream tarts ; Story of the physician and the Saratoga trunk ; The adventures of the hansom cab.

Basic Reason for Beginning: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I must admit.
Basic Reason for Finishing: *stubborn*

Full review here. ( )

This is the classic horror story by Robert Louis Stevenson, and is deserving of its fame. It is truly gothic, but with its emphasis on man's competing natures, has an almost modern feel to it. Stevenson's writing is concise but descriptive and he knows his characters well. The 3 stories contained in the volume are enjoyable as well, particularly "The Bottle Imp" which has a very satisfying conclusion (it is reminiscent of O. Henry stories, though I think it predates them). ( )

Generally, I like Victorian mystery tales, but this is a classic that has not aged well. The half-baked pseudoscientific speculations on the nature of man and the conflict between his aggressive and passive sides, or his good and evil sides, or whatever, are quite silly. But the novel is somewhat fun. ( )