Video of a scene

Here's the video that Mar, Mireia and I did.

Videos

Videos

Here I leave a couple of videos of the book. Enjoy them!

My feelings

My feelings about reading in English

I have to confess that I started reading this book in a bad mood. On that moment I was reading a book that was entitled Mockingjay, from The Hunger Games saga, and having to read an English book didn't make me happy.

However, the situation changed when I was watching and episode (in English, of course    -everything has to be said-) from the TV series The Vampire Diaries in which the young, evil but sweet with the girl, and attractive vampire mentioned the book of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. That day I started my school lecture.

At first, and as it can be seen in my first summaries, I wasn't very convinced about the book. I didn't like Mr Utterson, he seemed to have no personality, but that changed in chapter 7 (a bit late, I know). Other characters that I liked more were Dr Jekyll (although obviously not Mr Hyde), Dr Lanyon and Poole, who is the servant (I explained why do I like him in the summary of chapter 7 -I've just realised that everything changes there!-)

So, after all, this book hasn't been as bad as I had imagined. In fact, it was good compared to English lectures from other years. It wasn't a difficult book, and there weren't many words that I had to look for in the dictionary (except for the two or three last chapters).

One thing that I didn't like about this book is that it doesn't explain why did Dr Jekyll leave all his money to Mr Utterson, just because he's his friend? I wouldn't want to be this the reason. I loved the end of the book, and, just maybe, I'll read the whole version in a future. But I'm not sure I'll read it in English, that'd be too long!

Here I live some quotes from the book that I particularly liked:

"Every man has two sides to his character. He is two people. They live together -often uncomfortably- in the same body."

"Everyone is a mixture of good and evil."

"My good self and my evil self were fighting for my mind and body - and my evil self was winning." 

C9: Opinion

Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession

Personal opinion:

This chapter is the last one, and it's obviously the longest. I could finally find out why did Dr Jekyll decide to become Mr Hyde and how could he do that. Although some of the things in his confession were not really important, the major part of it was. His words make us understand the fight that he had inside his body, because although he had fun at first, as time passes he become scared and worried about Mr Hyde. Doctor Jekyll shows us that the good part of humans doesn't always win, and we have to do something agains that while we have time. Summarising, this was the best ending for the book.

C9: Vocabulary

Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession

Vocabulary list:

• Unashamedly: not embarrassed about your behaviour or attitude, even if other people might not approve it. [descaradament, sense vergonya]

• Tremble: a part of the body that shakes because you're nervous or upset. [tremolar]

• Bitter: that has a strong sharp taste, not sweet. [amarg]

• Dull: boring, not interesting. [avorrit]

• Delight: a feeling or great happiness and pleasure. [plaer]

• Masterful: skilled at controlling people and situations. [imperiós, autoritari, dominant]

• Wound (p.s. of 'wind'): a serious injury. [ferir]

• Wintry: cold and typical of winter. [hivernal]

• Onwards: if something happens or exists from a particular time onwards, it starts at that time and continues to happen or exist. [a partir d'ara]

C9: Summary

Chapter 9: Doctor Jekyll's confession

Summary:

This is the last chapter of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It explains Dr Jekyll's life and the experiment that allowed him to turn into Mr Hyde. Here's the story:

Mr Hyde became a very important doctor at a very early age, so when he was young he seemed to be old. However, as he says, everbody has two faces. In his case, Mr Hyde was a good and a well-working man, and his other face was fun-loving and irresponsible. He then had an idea: What would happen if he could separate both characters?. He started doing an experiment to achieve that dream, but it had to be perfect, because if it failed he could die. One day he decided to drink it, and he turned into Mr Hyde, his evil part. Then he bought a mirror to look his appearance. Mr Hyde did bad things, but he had fun, so Dr Jekyll kept doing that. However, the day that Mr Hyde kicked the child, Dr Jekyll knew that he had to change something. One day, he went to sleep as Dr Jekyll, but he woke up being Mr Hyde, and he became nervous. Hyde had become stronger in his body while Jekyll was everyday weaker. Things got worse when Hyde killed Sin Danvers Carew, and until then Jekyll decided to stop being Hyde, but it was impossible. One day he was in a park and he suddenly turned into Hyde, thing that worried and scared him. That was when he decided to contact Dr Lanyon, who never believed in his experiments. The horror on Dr Lanyon's face made Dr Jekyll realise that he had an important problem, and he changed his feelings, but it was too late because Mr Hyde took his body whenever he wanted.

That was when Dr Jekyll decided to write a letter to Mr Utterson confessing his true story. After that, he died. 

C8: Opinion

Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter

Personal opinion:

This chapter gives the explanation of Dr Lanyon's death. It could be said that the doctor died of horror. Both letters (Dr Lanyon's and Dr Jekyll's) finally answered the mysterious question: Who was Mr Hyde?. I feel sorry for Dr Lanyon, although I already knew that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde were the same person. Now let's see what happens in the last chapter.

C8: Vocabulary

Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter

Vocabulary list:

• Locksmith: someone whose job is to fix locks on doors and windows and to open doors for people who have lost their keys. [manyà, serraller]

• Bent (p.s. of 'bend'): to become curved or folded and not straight. [inclinar]

• Shake off (ph.vb.): to get rid of something bad. [treure's de sobre]

C8: Summary

Chapter 8: Doctor Lanyon's letter

Summary:

This chapter starts with Dr Lanyon's letter. There he explains that one day he received a letter from Dr Jekyll, who apologised for all the disagreements that they had during their life. In the letter he gave Dr Lanyon some instructions so as that he could save his life. And that's what Lanyon did. 

He went to see Poole, who took him into Dr Jekyll's room, from where he took some packets that contained a bottle of liquid, and a book. As the letter said, Dr Lanyon returned to his house and waited for a mysterious visitor until midnight. The visitor took all the liquids and drunk them. After some time, the man became Dr Jekyll. Finally, in Lanyon's letter, he tells Mr Utterson that the visitor was the man that killed Sir Danvers Carew: Mr Hyde.

C7: Opinion

Chapter 7: The last night

Personal opinion:

Although this one was the largest chapter until now, it's one of the most interesting ones. Maybe it's the most interesting one until now. Finally Poole decided to visit Mr Utterson to ask for help. I really like Poole, maybe bacause I've always had a soft spot for servants. They've always been attractive to me although they don't usually have an outstanding presence in the stories, but maybe it's because of that, because they're always loyal, quiet, respectful, polite and they always keep secrets. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that the servant is the character that knows all of the secrets of all the characters in a story.

Anyway, let's return to the opinion. Finally Mr Utterson did something by himself!. At first he was reluctant to think that something wrong was going on at Dr Jekyll's home, but with Poole's help he decides to break the door of Dr Jekyll's study and there he finds his body. It's surprising the fact that the doctors gives all his money to Mr Utterson, and I wanna know why. Another thing that I want to know is what's on that letter. I'm going to read the next chapter NOW.

C7: Vocabulary

Chapter 7: The last night

Vocabulary list:

• Shut: to close something. [tancar]

• Fetch: to go and search something. [buscar]

• Lit (p.s. of 'light'): to make a place brighter by giving it light. [il·luminar]

• Axe: a heavy stick with a sharp piece of metal on the end; used for cutting trees. [destral]

• Weep: to cry because you feel unhappy or have some other strong emotion. [plorar]

• Tore (p.s of 'tear'): to damage something. E.g. from the book: It tore my heart. [trencar, estripar. Ex. del llibre: Em va trencar el cor]

• Inwards: towards the inside of something. [cap endins]

• Saucer: a small round flat dish where you put a tea or a coffee cup. [sotacopa]

C7: Summary

Chapter 7: The last night

Summary:

This chapter is longer than the others, so there are lots of things to be explained about it. Mr Utterson receives a visit from Dr Jekyll's servant, Poole, who said that he was worried for the doctor, so they both went to his house. When they opened the door, all the other servants were in the room. They were scared of the situation. Poole took Mr Utterson into Dr Jekyll's room, and the man who answered wasn't the doctor, as they both agreed. Poole said that someone must have killed his master. Poole explains to Utterson that the man inside the room had asked him for some chemicals which the servant had to get in a chemist, but none of them were really good enough, so he had to go to another chemist, and like this a lot of times.

Mr Utterson and Poole decide to break the door to find out the murderer of Dr Jekyll, but all they found was a silent and comfortable room with a body lying on the floor. It was Mr Hyde. He was dead. 

Dr Jekyll's study contained strage things, like a mirror (why would he want a mirror on his study?), and Mr Utterson found in the desk a large packet adressed to him. He oped it and found lots of letters that contained the doctor's will. They said that all Dr Jekyll's money was to Gabriel John Utterson, it is, Mr Utterson. Between those letters they found one that had been writen that day. It was from Dr Jekyll and it said that Utterson should look inside Lanyon's letter, so Mr Utterson went home to find out what was going on.

C6: Opinion

Chapter 6: The face at the window

Personal opinion:

This one is a short but intense chapter, because lots of things happen in two pages of lecture. Mr Enfield appears again after not hearing from he since the first chapter. However, he doesn't have much importance in this sixth chapter, only at the end. Well, it was good to see him again. At the end of the chapter we don't know is Dr Jekyll is finally dead or not. I'm sure I'll find out in the next chapter.

C6: Vocabulary

Chapter 6: The face at the window

Vocabulary list:

• Overhead: above your head. [per damunt, sobre teu]

• Courtyard: a square area that is surrounded by buildings or walls. [pati]

• Hopelessness: a situation that is very unlikely to succeed or improve. [desesperança]

• Nod: to move your head first downwards and then upwards to answer 'Yes' (or 'No', in this case) to a question or to show that you agree, approve or understand. [assentir o negar] 

C6: Summary

Chapter 6: The face at the window

Summary:

Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield were having a walk together when they arrived to Dr Jekyll's house. They both know now that the mysterious door of the first chapter is a door to get into Dr Jekyll's laboratory. They were talking with Jekyll, who didn't want to go outside with them, when suddenly they heard a shot. They quickly hide in the street, but when Mr Utterson asked Mr Enfield to help Dr Jekyll, he just nodded his head.

C5: Opinion

Chapter 5: The death of a friend

Personal opinion:

This chapter is the most interesting of the book until now. The death of Dr Lanyon, a character that I liked because of his mysterious issues, intrigues the reader because of the unexplained problems with Dr Jekyll. Typical of him, Mr Utterson acts as a conciliator between Dr Jekyll and Dr Lanyon except of discovering what happens on his own. The envelope that Mr Utterson finds inside the letter from Dr Lanyon's also mysterious. I want to know what happened between Dr Lanyon and Dr Jekyll! 

C5: Vocabulary

Chapter 5: The death of a friend

Vocabulary list:

• Churchgoer: someone who goes to church regularly. [practicant]

• Burial: the process of putting a dead body into a grave in the ground at a funeral. [enterrament]

• Uneasy: someone who feels slightly nervous, worried or upset about something. [inquiet, preocupat]

C5: Summary

Chapter 5: The death of a friend

Summary:

This fifth chapter starts time after the last one. Mr Hyde keeps being disappeared, and everything seems to be as always. Dr Jekyll organizes parties, invites friends and Mr Utterson and Dr Lanyon visit him. However, Dr Jekyll suddenly disappears and he wants to know nothing from nobody, so Mr Utterson decides to visit Dr Lanyon to talk about Jekyll's situation, but Lanyon looks strange and tired, as if he was going to die. When Mr Utterson pronounces Dr Jekyll's name, Dr Lanyon gets pale and says that he doesn't want to hear that name. Then Mr Utterson worries about his friends because they've known each other for a long time, and it had no sense to get angry now. 

After his visit to Dr Lanyon, Mr Utterson writes a letter to Dr Jekyll asking him why doesn't he want to see him and why is he angry with Dr Lanyon. Utterson receives a letter from Dr Jekyll, who says that he's not angry with Lanyon, but that they mustn't see each other never again. In the letter, the doctor says that he has done something wrong and that he's being punished for it. 

Dr Lanyon dies a few days later. After the burial, Mr Utterson goes home and receives a private letter from Dr Lanyon. Inside it there was another envelope where was written not to open it after Dr Jekyll's death. Mr Utterson has temptations, but he decides to respect his friend's last wish. Mr Utterson visits again Dr Jekyll, but his servant tells him that the doctor wants to see nobody. Finally, Mr Utterson becames tired of his old friend's attitude and he stops visiting him.

C4: Opinion

Chapter 4: Doctor Jekyll receives a letter

Personal opinion:

In this chapter it is said the content of the letter that Dr Jekyll receives. Finally Mr Utterson expresses his unacknowlegde about the situation, so he asks for more information although Dr Jekyll doesn't give it to him. Mr Hyde suddenly disappears from the scene, thing that I'd have never imagined as Dr Jekyll seemed to protect Mr Hyde whatever he did. So, in that aspect the chapter was good, but the rest was a bit boring, as everybody knew what would happen when Mr Guest compared both letters.

C4: Vocabulary

Chapter 4: Doctor Jekyll receives a letter

Vocabulary list:

• Feverish: affected by fever. [amb febre]

• Unharmed: not hurt or damaged. [il·lès]

• Clerk: someone whose job is to look after documents in an office. [oficinista]

C4: Summary

Chapter 4: Doctor Jekyll receives a letter

Summary:

Mr Utterson visits Dr Jekyll again. The doctor had already heard about the murder, as the newsboys were spreading the story everywhere. Mr Utterson expresses his worries about his clients, Sir Danvers Carew and Dr Jekyll, and he says that he wants to know what's going on. The doctor says that nobody will never see Mr Hyde again, and he gives to Mr Utterson a letter that he has received from Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll doesn't care anymore for Mr Hyde, but now he's worried for his own reputation. With it, Mr Utterson discovers that Mr Hyde had plans to murder Dr Jekyll, that's why he had to run away. 

After his visit to Dr Jekyll, Mr Utterson goes to his chief's house, Mr Guest, as he had also been in touch with Dr Jekyll. The lawyer gave the letter to Mr Guest because he was interested in the study of handwriting. Then Mr Utterson shows to Mr Guest the letter for Dr Jekyll's dinner party. Mr Guest compares both letters and, surprisingly, he discovers that both are very simmilar. 

C3: Opinion

Chapter 3: The Carew murder

Personal opinion:

This third chapter is very short, so I could read it really fast. It has been a year until the second chapter, so the reader doesn't know what has happened to Mr Utterson. He seemed to be very interested in Mr Hyde, so what did he do? Just forget about him because of what Dr Jekyll told him? He doesn't seem to be that kind of men, but I hope I'll discover what has happened during this period of time. The chapter doesn't say neither what was written on the letter nor why did Mr Utterson know Sir Danvers Carew, so when I finished reading it I had lots of questions on my mind.

C3: Vocabulary

Chapter 3: The Carew murder

Vocabulary list:

• Shook (p.s. of 'shake'): make quick movements. [agitar, sacsejar]

• Smooth: relaxed and confident. [tranquil]

C3: Summary

Chapter 3: The Carew Murder

Summary:

This third chapter begins a year later with a girl's story of the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. As the girl says, she was looking through the window when she saw two men walking in the street. One of them was old and the other was young. They were talking when suddenly the young man took a stick that he had and hit the old man until he died. There was nothing around the crime scene, except a letter for Mr Utterson, so the police went to ask him. Mr Utterson identified the corpse, it was a man called Sir Danvers Carew. Then he identified the crime weapon, it was a stick that he had given years ago to Dr Jekyll. He told the police about Mr Hyde's direction, so they went to his house, but a servent told them that he wasn't at home. However, they went into the house and discovered the other half of the stick (the one they found in the street was broken) and a cheque book. They went to the bank, where they were told that the cheque was from Mr Hyde.

C2: Opinion

Chapter 2: In search of Mr Hyde

Personal opinion:

This second chapter keeps explaining the incomprehensible obsession of Mr Utterson with Mr Hyde. It seems like if he wants to become a private detective or something similiar, as he is still thinking about the man that scared him. The normal reaction would have been to forget about him and keep with his own life, but he insists on that. Mr Utterson went every night to Mr Hyde's house to see him like if he was a kid asking for sweets during Halloween. 

On the other hand, and forgetting about Mr Utterson, I really liked Dr Jekyll, and old and rich man who cares about a poor and unpolite person like Mr Hyde. His mysterious reaction at the end of the chapter makes me want to know about him, as he seemed interesting to me. Now I wanna know why is Dr Jekyll so interesting in Mr Hyde.

C2: Vocabulary

Chapter 2: In search of Mr Hyde

Vocabulary list:

• Will: A legal document that explains what you want to happen to your money and possessions after you die. [testament]

• Shameful: So bad that you feel ashamed of it. [vergonyós]

• Sharply: In a severe way. [bruscament]

C2: Summary

Chapter 2: In search of Mr. Hyde

Summary:

Mr Utterson, who was a lawyer, was having a look at Dr Jekyll's will, which said to give all his ownings to Mr Hyde. Mr Utterson became worried, so he went to visit his old friend, another doctor called Lanyon. He was asked about his friendship with Henry Jekyll, but he said that he hadn't seen him for a long time because of some disagreements. He neither knew Mr Hyde. After that visit, Mr Utterson promised to himself to see Mr Hyde's face, so he went every night to the mysterious door to wait that man. One day he saw Mr Hyde and presented himself, as the other man didn't know him. However, Mr Hyde became angry because of Mr Utterson's intrussion and went into his house. 

After that experience, Mr Utterson decided to visit Dr Jekyll, but he was not at home and one of his sevants opened the door. When the servant was asked about Mr Hyde, he answered that all the servants had the obligation to respect him and do everything he wants.

At night, Dr Jekyll made a dinner party where Mr Utterson asked him again about Mr Hyde, but he only said that he had been told about Mr Utterson's visit to Mr Hyde, and that he really cared about that man, so Mr Utterson shouldn't poke his nose into that issue. Indeed, Mr Utterson was asked to help Mr Hyde when Dr Jekyll's gone.

Characters

The characters

• Mr Utterson: he works as a lawyer. He’s a quiet, serious man. He’s afraid of strangers and of showing his feelings, but he’s always ready to help the others. He doesn't allow himself many enjoyable things in life.

• Richard Enfield: he's Mr Utterson's best friend. Unlike Mr Utterson, Enfield is a fun-loving man, and as it is said in his description: "a man about town". He's different from Utterson, but they enjoy spending time together and having long walks.

• Dr Lanyon: Mr Utterson's old friend. He's also friends with Dr Jekyll, or at least they used to be friends, as now they don't talk too much because of some scientific differences.

• Dr Jekyll: Mr Utterson's friend. He's a tall, well-made man of fifty with a smooth, kindly face. He protects and takes care of the mysterious Mr Hyde.

• Mr Hyde: he's Dr Jekyll's other half, literally.

• Sir Danvers Carew: a man killed by Mr Hyde. Mr Utterson went to the crime scene, where he discovered that Carew was killed with a stick that he had given as a present to Dr Jekyll.

• Mr Guest: Mr Utterson's chief clerk. He likes the study of handwriting. He finds out that the handwriting of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde's letters are strangely similar.

• Poole: Dr Jekyll's servant. He helps Mr Utterson to find out Dr Jekyll's double personality.

Chapter 1: My opinion

Chapter 1: The mysterious door

I started reading this book one day that I had a headache, so in the first page, where the Mr Utterson is described, I thought that he was a common good man with a good job and who acts as he should act. However, I liked Richard Enfield's description, as he seems to be an interesting character. He's described as a fun-loving man, so his relationship with Mr Utterson is a bit strange and uncommon.

The vocabulary wasn't difficult to understand, so the lecture was easy and interesting. The part that I liked the most was when Mr Enfield and the doctor were shouting at the man and he suddenly says: "Name your price". Everything in that man is interesting, his look, his proud face, his words... 

The last part of the chapter was a bit confusing because it stops telling Enfield's story and we're again with the two main characters. However, this first chapter was only an introduction of the story, but the author writes this introduction in a very interesting and mysterious way.

Chapter 1: Vocabulary

Chapter 1: The mysterious door

Vocabulary list:

• Evildoer: person who commits wicked acts. [malvat]
• Shut: to close something. [tancar]

Chapter 1: Summary

Chapter 1: The mysterious door

Summary:

This first chapter starts with the physical and psychical description of the main character: Mr Utterson. It is said of him that he works as a lawyer and that he’s a quiet, serious man. He’s afraid of strangers and of showing his feelings, but he’s always ready to help the others. He’s best friends with his cousin Richard Enfield, who is very different from him. He’s a fun-loving man.

One day, while they were having a walk, Mr Enfield explained Mr Utterson a story about a mysterious building that was in the street they were walking through. The story was about a man that scared a girl by walking above her when she fell in the street. Mr Enfield and other people saw it and they acted as they should: Mr Enfield and a doctor shouted at the man because of his actions and asked him to give some money to the kid’s family. When they proved that the cheque was good. However, something strange was in there, because the cheque was in name of a man whose generosity was well known all over London.

After finishing the story, Mr Utterson asked his friend about the name of that strange man, and he said that his name was Hyde.

About the author

The author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born in Edinburgh, and he was a Scottish writer. He died in the occidental part of Samoa, whose habitants put him the nickname of “Tusitala” which means “the one who tells stories”. He used to write narrative novels.

His father worked as an engineer, and Stevenson graduated in law, subject that he studied in the University of Edinburgh. However, he never worked as a lawyer. He tried to live in places where the air was clean, as he had problems with his lungs. He travelled a lot, and that’s the reason why all his first novels were about descriptions of those places.

 In one trip to California he met Fanny Osbourne, an American lady who was divorced and was 8 years older than him. They got married in 1879, year in which he became a famous novelist because of the book called Treasure Island. He travelled to Switzerland and to France, and in 1884 he came back to the United Kingdom, where he stayed until 1887. During that period of time he published other novels like The black arrow: A tale of the Two Roses, Kidnapped and his most famous one: The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which was and is considered one of the best novels about fantastic terror.