Wealth of Words Wednesday #2: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Previous Installments:

#1: Ameliorate, Aplomb, and Pecuniary

Usually, I don't find enough new (or forgotten by me) words to fill a post just from one book, but all of these words are from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. More surprisingly, that book is relatively short (less than 200 pages).

The first word is: pedant

The sentence in which I found it:

O, I know he's a good fellow- you needn't frown- an excellent fellow, and I always mean to see more of him; but a hide-bound pedant for all that;...

From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, 22% Kindle edition.

a. someone who is extremely concerned with minor details or rules

b. a soldier of fortune, or a mercenary

c. an officious peddler of jewelry

The second word is: sedulous

The sentence in which I found it:

He now begs them to search with most sedulous care, and should any of the same quality be left, forward it to him at once.

From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, 51% Kindle edition.

a. showing continued hard work and dedication

b. showing tenderness and benevolence

c. showing conceit and egotism

The third word is: incipient

The sentence in which I found it:

This bore some resemblance to incipient rigour, and was accompanied by a marked sinking of the pulse.

From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, 68% Kindle edition.

a. something discerning or marked

b. slumberous or inactive

c. beginning to happen or develop


Correct Answers (Highlight to View):

1. (pedant) a. someone who is extremely concerned with minor details or rules 2. (sedulous) a. showing continued hard work and dedication 3. (incipient) c. beginning to happen or develop

Have you encountered any of these words before? Which new words have you come across recently?

MMRM: "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" and "The Mezzotint" by M.R. James

'Tis the season for the unearthly, the undead, and the downright macabre. Not everyone can read an entire book in time for Halloween- some of us are too busy with other books, or even other things (gasp). For those poor souls, I offer these reviews: I will be writing my thoughts on some of my favorite short stories for this spooky season, either one at a time or in pairs.

This Year's Mini Macabre Review Mondays:
#9: "The Alchemist" and "The Beast in the Cave" by H.P. Lovecraft

Both of the stories below deal with objects that are not what they seem at first glance.

"Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" by M.R. James

Available to read for free, online here.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Great)
Content: Disturbing monstrous imagery (Ages 12+)
Page Count: 12 pages
Year Published: 1894

I was tempted to rate this one four stars, but the beginning felt a bit unnecessary, even though it has a sense foreshadowing and setting. Although to some extent, my love for classic books is mired in the fact that they can be simultaneously more detailed and somehow more concise with words, I found this little story wandered too far towards the detailed end of the spectrum.

The Plot: A tourist buys an ancient manuscript, and is forced to pay the full price.

This tale actually reminds me more of horror movies than it does any other horror story I can think of off of the top of my head. An object is infused with a curse, and whoever happens to own the object is forced to deal with it. Unfortunately, with horror movies, the story is often overlong, and although I did find find this a bit long for my tastes, some of the imagery made it worth it, as seen below:

One remark is universally made by those whom I have shown the picture: 'It was drawn from life.'

            ~"Canon Alberic's Scrap-book" by M.R. James

The takeaway from this short story is: if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don't buy cursed objects. Don't bring them home. Don't think about buying cursed objects. 

"The Mezzotint" by M.R. James

Available to read for free, online here.

Rating: 3 Stars (Good)
Content: Ages 9+ for general spookiness
Page Count: 18 pages
Year Published: Approximately 1904

This story is similar to "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book", but different enough to be worth a read. I didn't find myself as repelled by the beginning of "The Mezzotint" as I had the other story, but there seemed to be a more cohesive storyline, despite the extra pages. I was more engaged by the progression of this story, but by the end, I wasn't as impressed with "The Mezzotint".

The Plot: A mezzotint (think a more advanced form of an etching) is brought to an academic's attention when the picture appears to change over time.

"The Mezzotint" isn't nearly as scary as "Canon Alberic's Scrap-book", nor did I find it quite as good. The author linked these stories through a mention of the above story's protagonist at the beginning of "The Mezzotint", and I can see why, as both deal with objects that aren't as they seem. However, the two stories end much differently, and if one appeals to you, it's likely you'll find the other appealing as well.

Keep it spooky,

SFF: The 5 Supernatural Creatures/Beings You Prefer Reading About

Sunday Fun Five #64:

#60: The 5 Literary Characters Who Should Run For President

#61: The 5 Authors You Wouldn't Mind Having as Your Teacher

#62: The 5 Comfort Reads You Depend on For Difficult Days

#63: The 5 Reasons You Need More Than One Patronus

#64: The 5 Supernatural Creatures/Beings You Prefer Reading About

For the 23rd of October: #65: The 5 Books You Read in 2016 That Were More Addictive Than Pumpkin Pie Spice-d Things

A Countdown of

The 5 Supernatural Creatures/Beings You Prefer Reading About

5. The Fey/Fairies
Often beautiful, often mischievous, fairies seldom make the cut to adult fiction, unless it's in some vampired-up transformation. Still, I like having fairies and the Fey in my books, whether they happen to be tiny or more human sized.

4. Werewolves/Shifters
I was slow to like the whole werewolf/shifter book genre, as I often found they were too violent/animalistic for my liking, especially when it comes to paranormal romances. However, the few I read prior to the Kate Daniels series and the Others series didn't poison my opinion of the books enough that I wouldn't read them- a good thing, as those are now two of my most favored series.

3. Unicorns
Though they are seldom found in adult titles, I love a good unicorn book. This addiction may stem from my childhood fascination with anything horse-related. Horse + horn on head, therefore, is even better.

2. Vampires
Vampires are my old standby. I like the idea of creatures that might have to kill just to survive (even if it's for an unholy amount of time).

1. Dragons
Something about critters that can (usually) breathe fire and fly away just makes my imagination soar. Whether they're on the winning side, or they happen to be on the "bad" side, I enjoy any book with dragons featured as characters/obstacles.

Which supernatural beings and creatures do you enjoy reading about?