Mary Reilly
by Valerie Martin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Valerie MartinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-04-10
ISBN: 0375725997
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of Mary Reilly
Book Review: Mary Reilly's Emotional Appeal
Summary: 5 Stars
K. Gordon
Dr. Laurie Leach
WRI1150H
8 December 2004
Mary Reilly's Emotional Appeal
Mary Reilly was written in 1990 by Valerie Martin to provide another perspective to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. Overall, I thought the book was successful in answering some of the questions I had about what it was like to work as Dr. Jekyll's servant. Although reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde prior to reading Mary Reilly provided a more broad perspective on the several murders that took place, Mary Reilly was far more pleasurable to read as it appeals to more emotions.
The story began with Mary's journal entry about having been locked up in the closet and clawed by a massive rat picked off the street. It was horrifying and infuriating at the same time. I couldn't believe that a father could do such a thing to his daughter. Her hands became scarred and horrendous-looking. I can't even imagine what it was like for her growing up being the kid in school that no one wants to come by because of the appearance of her hands. It wasn't her fault that her dad took pleasure in torturing her. Her mother couldn't even help her out because she was too afraid. Luckily, Mary was able to leave her father and started working for Dr. Jekyll.
Mary Reilly was told through journal entries, which were easier to follow than the character perspective jumping seen in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Every day, she worked on her hands and knees serving Dr. Jekyll. Once every week, she'd have a half-day to herself. Back in primitive society, women didn't have that much freedom. This whole novel made me grateful that the ways of society have changed and for the better, if I should say. Although Dr. Jekyll wasn't a very demanding individual and really looked after his servants better than most other elite individuals, just the thought of not being able to do as you please was suffocating.
What made this novel appealing was the developing friendship or companionship between Mary and Dr. Jekyll. This was definitely taboo back in the days where servants were not allowed to have any special relationship with their masters. As I read about their conversations with each other, I couldn't help but hope that they'd defy the standards of having no real relation between master and servant. I hoped that they'd somehow end up together. Of course, romance novels were always interesting to read. Readers often get caught up in finding out what'll happen next and if the lovers will finally do what they desire. That's what happened in this novel. A little romance made Mary Reilly all the more irresistible to put down.
Mary Reilly differed from the other novel with this insinuating romance along with more suspenseful events. I thought reading Mary Reilly was far more horrifying than reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The moments when Mary would say that she felt something strange in the room, I would think that it was Mr. Hyde. Whenever I thought about Mr. Hyde lingering around in the room somewhere, I remember a movie character that scared the living daylights out of me as a child. It still does to this day. This character was a stubby but gory-looking leprechaun that went after some teenagers that stole his gold coins. Whenever Mary would be frightened to see Mr. Hyde, I would also get the chills thinking about the leprechaun. I didn't know when Mr. Hyde would come into view and that was what kept me on my toes.
Several of Mary's encounters with Mr. Hyde really made me cringe. There was this one part when he smears his bloody hands over her face. This gave me chicken skin and I had to take a moment to myself before reading on. I've never had that kind of reaction to reading a book before. There was also the time where Mr. Hyde sank his teeth into Mary's shoulder and held her in a presumably intimate way that made me overcome with this mixture or anger and sympathy for her. I thought "oh no! He's going to rape her! Fight back Mary!" Fortunately, Mr. Hyde stopped and I found myself extremely relieved. I thought "geeze, this book never fails to surprise me."
Another part of the novel that made me sorrowful was when Mary's mom had died. The poor mother couldn't read any of Mary's written letters to her. When she passed away, the landlord sold all her belongings and stored her body into some dingy hole in the basement. This woman definitely had a difficult life living in the shadow of her husband. Because Mary worked all the time and her half-day wasn't enough time for her to visit her mother, she probably had many regrets not being able to spend more time with her mother. If I was her, I would've regretted it so badly. Her mother's death encouraged me to live my life to the fullest, taking it with full stride so that when I die, I won't have anything to regret.
Mary Reilly was by far the most suspenseful novel I have ever read. The journal entry format of the novel created a more personal and intimate atmosphere. It made me feel as if I was Mary scrambling about the house cleaning this and that and talking to the doctor. This in turn, made it easier for me to take on Mary's emotions of fear and compassion for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde versus reading the story as if I was an onlooker. Because Mary Reilly was easier to follow with Mary's narration and because it had a more profound effect on my emotions than The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I'd have to say Mary Reilly was more enjoyable and entertaining to read.
Summary of Mary Reilly
From the acclaimed author of the bestselling Italian Fever comes a fresh twist on the classic Jekyll and Hyde story, a novel told from the perspective of Mary Reilly, Dr. Jekyll's dutiful and intelligent housemaid.Faithfully weaving in details from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, Martin introduces an original and captivating character: Mary is a survivor?scarred but still strong?familiar with evil, yet brimming with devotion and love. As a bond grows between Mary and her tortured employer, she is sent on errands to unsavory districts of London and entrusted with secrets she would rather not know. Unable to confront her hideous suspicions about Dr. Jekyll, Mary ultimately proves the lengths to which she'll go to protect him. Through her astute reflections, we hear the rest of the classic Jekyll and Hyde story, and this familiar tale is made more terrifying than we remember it, more complex than we imagined possible.
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