Comparison: Mary Reilly And The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

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moving novel. It takes the story Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, and gives a fresh take on the distinguished Dr. Henry Jekyll and the nefarious Mr. Edward Hyde. It is told through the psyche of a Victorian servant named Mary Reilly. The book's structure purports to be Mary Reilly's diary. The entries articulate Mary Reilly's feelings and experiences while in service for Dr. Henry Jekyll, and how she often empathizes with Dr. Jekyll on his afflictions which she cannot comprehend. As the book progresses Mary Reilly continuously comments on her Masters every changing state of health. Towards the end of the book her mother passes away leaving Mary in grief. Soon after this personal catastrophe, she encounters Mr. Hyde while looking around out side. In this confrontation Mary is bitten on the shoulder by Hyde and is near death when Hyde abruptly ceases his frenzy. Not long after this the body of Mr. Hyde is found dead in Jekyll's laboratory.
Naturally two books related to each other in this way ...

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is the point of view of the narrator. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story is told through two different views at different times. In the beginning the story is told through the eyes of someone looking down into the story. But as time progresses the character Mr. Enfield takes over, this narrative switch takes place throughout the book. However, in Mary Reilly the story is told through the eyes of Mary Reilly.

Valerie Martin has done an astonishing job in keeping the events and people in her novel in sync with the events and people originally depicted by Stevenson. However, because Mary Reilly is focused on the character Mary Reilly instead of being focused on Dr., Jeckyl, like in ...

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