Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

By Robert Louis Stevenson and Marta Gómez-Pintado Valero

First published in English in 1886 is about a lawyer, Gabriel John Utterson, who investigates the strange link between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Edward Hyde. The book is known to be a vivid representation of psychopathology for a split personality.

The illustrations in this edition are by Marta Gómez-painted, illustrated in this same collection of Alice in Wonderland.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nórdica Libros
• Release date: Jun 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9788492683758

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born on 13 November 1850, changing his second name to ‘Louis’ at the age of eighteen. He has always been loved and admired by countless readers and critics for ‘the excitement, the fierce joy, the delight in strangeness, the pleasure in deep and dark adventures’ found in his classic stories and, without doubt, he created some of the most horribly unforgettable characters in literature and, above all, Mr. Edward Hyde.

Book preview

done."

Story of the door

MR. UTTERSON the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable. At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye; something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after dinner face, but more often and loudly in the acts of his life. He was austere with himself; drank gin when he was alone, to mortify a taste for vintages; and though he enjoyed the theatre, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove.

I incline to Cain's heresy, he used to say quaintly: I let my brother go to the devil in his own way. In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down going men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.

No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson; for he was undemonstrative at the best, and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good nature. It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready made from the hands of opportunity; and that was the lawyer's way. His friends were those of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object. Hence, no doubt, the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, the well known man about town. It was a nut to crack for many, what these two could see in each other, or what subject they could find in common. It was reported by those who encountered them in their Sunday walks, that they said nothing, looked singularly dull, and would hail with obvious relief the appearance of a friend. For all that, the two men put the greatest store by these excursions, counted them the chief jewel of each week, and not only set aside occasions of pleasure, but even resisted the calls of business, that they might enjoy them uninterrupted.

It chanced on one of these rambles that their way led them down a by street in a busy quarter of London. The street was small and what is called quiet, but it drove a thriving trade on the week days. The inhabitants were all doing well, it seemed, and all emulously hoping to do better still, and laying out the surplus of their gains in coquetry; so that the shop fronts stood along that thoroughfare with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswomen. Even on Sunday, when it veiled its more florid charms and lay comparatively empty of passage, the street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest; and with its freshly painted shutters, well polished brasses, and general cleanliness and gaiety of note, instantly caught and pleased the eye of the passenger.

Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east, the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point, a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street. It was two stories high; showed no window, nothing but a door on the lower story and a blind forehead of discoloured wall on the upper; and bore in every feature, the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence. The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained. Tramps slouched into the recess and struck matches on the panels; children kept shop upon the steps; the schoolboy had tried his knife on the mouldings; and for close on a generation, no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages.

Mr. Enfield and the lawyer were on the other side of the by street; but when they came abreast of the entry, the former lifted up his cane and pointed. 

Did you ever remark that door? he asked; and when his companion had replied in the affirmative, It is connected in my mind, added he, with a very odd story.

Indeed? said Mr. Utterson, with a slight change of voice, and what was that?

Well, it was this way, returned Mr. Enfield: "I was coming home from some place at the end of the world, about three o'clock of a black winter morning, and my way lay through a part of town where there was literally nothing to be seen but lamps. Street after street, and all the folks asleep—street after street, all lighted up as if for a procession and all as empty as a church—till at last I got into that state of mind when a man listens and listens and begins to long for the sight of a policeman. All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a view halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child. He was perfectly cool and made no resistance, but gave me one look, so ugly that it brought out the sweat on me like running. The people who had turned out were the girl's own family; and pretty soon, the doctor, for whom she had been sent, put in his appearance. Well, the child was not much the worse, more frightened, according to the Sawbones; and there you might have supposed would be an end to it. But there was one curious circumstance. I had taken a loathing to my gentleman at first sight. So had the child's family, which was only natural. But the doctor's case was what struck me. He was the usual cut and dry apothecary, of no particular age and colour, with a strong Edinburgh accent, and about as emotional as a bagpipe. Well, sir, he was like the rest of us; every time he looked at my prisoner, I saw that Sawbones turn sick and white with the desire to kill him. I knew what was in his mind, just as he knew what was in mine; and killing being out of the question, we did the next best. We told the man we could and would make such a scandal out of this, as should make his name stink from one end of London to the other. If he had any friends or any credit, we undertook that he should lose them. And all the time, as we were pitching it in red hot, we were keeping the women off him as best we could,

Reviews for Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

[dste_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A strange, deformed man haunts the streets, trampling over fallen children and seemingly wresting money from the good Dr. Jekyll to escape the consequences of his misdeeds. Jekyll has even gone so far as to make this mysterious Mr. Hyde the sole benefactor of his will, against all advice from Mr. Utterson, his lawyer. Utterson suspects blackmail, and he's determined not to rest until he's helped his dear friend and client escape with his life. For surely, he thinks, Hyde must be tempted to murder Jekyll in order to usurp him. Utterson doesn't know how right he is, though not at all in the way that he suspects.The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic horror novel, and one that has been referenced so often in modern culture that I knew its biggest secret going in. For me, the surprises and the appeal were in discovering the way in which the story was told. Much of the plot involves watching Mr. Utterson and others slowly uncovering the mystery, and, for me, this resulted in a very interesting dramatic irony. I knew exactly what the characters were missing, but I didn't know all the twists and turns of the plot, how the characters would react to them, or how the story would reach its end. For me, this was enough to maintain interest, and I think other readers would have a similar experience if they have only a surface-level knowledge of the plot.This is a short book, certainly a quick read, and I found it to be a good example of British literature of the nineteenth century. Characters’ physical descriptions are meant to signify aspects of their personalities, houses and the weather are likewise described with obvious symbolism, the omniscient narrator tells you what the characters are like, and the characters have over-the-top reactions whenever anything remotely horrifying happens. Because of this, combined with how easy it is to read, I think it would make a great introductory book for anyone looking to get into British classics from the same time period without immediately jumping in the deep end.I also found it interesting as a window into the past, seeing how people lived and spoke and how they told their stories. I would recommend it if you have a similar interest, or if, somehow, you actually don't know the secret behind this particular mystery. If that's the case, I recommend you go out and read it right now. You're sure to have an experience worth talking about.

[dylkit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The influence of Hogg's "Justified Sinner" is quite clear on this story, only Stevenson takes the idea one step further and internalises the dark side within his character of Dr Hyde, ready to be unleashed with the aid of chemical substances, rather than have it as a separate external influence on the character as Hogg does. I thought I knew the story well, but it was definitely worth reading the original. It's a much shorter book than I expected. I'm sure I read a novel once that told the story from the point of view of Dr Jekyll's maid that was far longer than Stevenson's story. I liked the non-linear way the story is told.

[csayban · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written in a dark, minimalist style, Stevenson classic murder mystery novella of good versus evil is still capable of making your skin crawl even when you already know how it ends. Ultimately it is a tale of what happens when a person allows their evil impulses into the open air and how it is impossible to ever return unscathed.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

thr first 9 chapters of this 10 chapter book are just a forward to the final explanation what happens to the doctor. i kind of knew thr story but wanted to know why the change happens and how and of course how it ends. well, in chapter 10 i got the why and how answered. however no real end to the story. i think it would be better if yiu dont know anything about the story to enjoy this book.

[flying_monkeys_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 5 of 5What can be said about a classic such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? A story so well-known, one that has permeated our culture so completely (perhaps rivaled only by Frankenstein and Dracula), most everyone knows the gist without ever having read the novella or watched a film adaption. I daresay, little, if anything new, or at the very least, "fresh." Thus I will stick to my personal reaction in this review.From a writer's perspective, I applaud (and appreciate) the structure and narrative style. Stevenson built upon (and relied on) the reader's natural curiosity and desire to solve the mystery of Mr. Hyde, to know what was "really" happening, which probably made this quite the sensational page-turner during its initial publication in 1886. I read the story much slower than I do with most modern fiction; there's much to savor and digest for those patient enough to nibble. One of the story's less subtle themes - repression of one's curiosity and not asking questions that "shouldn't" be asked - was ingenious, wasn't it? Given the tools Stevenson utilized to engage readers. OH! And the descriptions throughout the story often knocked me for a loop they were so ... distinct; Stevenson knew exactly what images he wanted to conjure up in readers' minds.I will definitely give this one a re-read whenever I want a refresher in (1) allegory and (2) the characterization and theme of duality and hypocrisy.Disclaimer: If you are bored or confused by complex sentences, extended paragraphs, and/or Victorian Era prose, then The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde probably won't float your boat.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I recall being frustrated that I knew the plot before the author wanted me to - so it wasn't thrilling. It was also old-fashioned writing and difficult for me. I def. need to try it again someday....

[lindaliu-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting. I thought I had read this before but perhaps the memory is from the various takes on this in film or other stories. A very short novel, which I could have finished in a day if I had not been looking at booking holidays instead. It is ultimately about the duality of personality and I think about evil that lurks in us all. Dr Jekyll stumbled on a way of separating his identities from his normal benevelent self from his undernourished evil self in the evil form of Mr Hyde. The mystery of the events from his lawyer friend's point of view drew me in quite quickly. The confession at the end by Dr Jekyll was intriguing in the way he explained what was happening, and it seems like the good doctor was not entirely separate from that evil self throughout his life. So ultimately a struggle of good against evil and the perils of what happens if you indulge that evil.

[jaygheiser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story. I was very surprised that the chronology was reversed. It starts at the end and works its way forward, a device that none of the knock-off versions of this tale use. A master story teller.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a re-read of this classic 19th century novella which has been the inspiration behind so many spin-offs since. It is a taut and atmospheric piece of writing, and the conclusion that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same, two sides of the same being, only becomes evident near the end - it is hard for us to understand how this would have shocked and thrilled the reader in 1886, so familiar has the Jekyll and Hyde motif become.

[jdubba_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jekyll and Hyde is a cultural landmark for English speaking peoples, yet while the basic premise of the story must be known to all, I heretofore had never sat down and read the work in its original. It is interesting to see how our preconceptions can mingle with reality. Rather than a book of violent rampages from a large and monstrous Mr. Hyde, it is a very subtle work of slowly built suspense and chilling horror, far from the typical Hollywood caricature given to Mr. Hyde. And though not a hugely profound work, the portrayal of the fight between a man's passions and his reason was richer than the black and white, good versus evil I had assumed it would be. Since this work is very short in nature, more of a novella than a true novel, I would recommend anyone who knows the story to pick it up and give it a read, it might just change your perspective the next time your presented with the poorly drawn caricatures.

[supersam_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

a fun read, best read at halloween time

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Since references to the basic plot points of this story are so pervasive in popular culture, it's impossible to read this story for the first time without an awareness of what is to come. The removal of the element of suspense leaves the story flat, and its conclusion drags due to a lengthy revelation. While this revelation diluted the story's emotional effect for me, its content intrigued me. Jekyll's description of his tortured mind is infused with both theological and psychological themes. I'm not the first person to notice this. I discovered several articles in theological journals comparing its themes to Romans 7, and I'm sure I would have similar results in a search of the psychological literature. The audio version didn't work well for me because it didn't allow me to pause for reflection. I'll read a print edition next time.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

RLS's long short story (or short novella) telling the tale of the good doctor and his evil alter ego. There are shades of early sci-fi here, with the drug made up of "volatile salts" that allow Jeckyll to switch personas. Supposedly inspired by the case of an 18th century Edinburgh society figure who dabbled in organised burglary in the evenings, the title has become the accepted phrase for the duality of human nature. Read November 2011.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“... that man is not truly one, but truly two.”The idea that we all have a dark side? Well, certainly the main character of this story does! Dr. Henry Jekyll meets/creates/releases Edward Hyde, “The evil side of my nature,...”, and is not the same for it! It's a quick read, well except for the last chapter that draaaaags on, and an important story in the history of "horror" literature, so I'm glad I read it! Not scary by today's standards, but still a freaky idea and one that has been repeated often! I wonder which of my two halves would be the dominant one? Or do I have more than two? Hmm...

[the_raingod · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There can't be many people who are unaware of this book's big reveal - and if you don't know the pivotal point of the plot I will refrain from revealing it here (although I would recommend you don't read the preceding reviews where such restraint is not evident). The author evidently was not expecting his story to become so entrenched in popular culture, as the whole book leads up to the point where you discover the mystery behind Mr Hyde. As someone familiar with the premise, the book lost a great deal for me, it's well written but not much happens in modern terms, and without the mystery to draw me in I really kept reading in order to discover how the big reveal was made. I've intended to read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for a long time, and it's such a short book that I certainly don't regret finding the time. I would be inclined to recommend it to young readers, although the language may be a little difficult in places for children, at least the ending may come as something more of a surprise.

[crazy4reading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I finally finished this book. The only reason it took me so long to read this book is because I had some ER books that needed to be read before I could finish this book. I am glad I waited until I finished those books to read this one. I was able to concentrate on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.I really enjoyed the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had seen a play this summer and that is why I decided to read the book. I wanted to see how the book was compared to the play. The book was just as good as the play I had seen.I have to say that this story is fantastic and as I was reading it I could tell that it was about the two personalities people have in themselves. The good and the evil that are always fighting inside you. I found it interesting when I read the letter from Henry Jekyll about how this all came about.The afterword by Jerome Charyn was very well written and informs the reader about the author and some of the possible connections between the characters and Robert Louis Stevenson.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Een Victoriaanse klassieker, terecht. Beklemmend geschreven, met een mooie opbouw.

[swampygirl-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very intriguing story, if perhaps a bit open-ended. I had been meaning to read this book for some time, but only finally got around to it after reading A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

[samantha100_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Elegantly told and suspenseful, this classic story certainly stands the test of time. I read the Keynotes Classics edition. I especially appreciated the introductory key written by Michelle M. White. She provides interesting information about the author and offers valuable suggestions about what to look for in the story. As a result, I believe I got much more from this reading than I did when I first read it. Highly recommended.

[magadri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the story. However, since nearly 98% of the population is familiar with this story, it is kind of a drag to read this since you know how everything unfolds. I also didn't find the way in which the story was told very captivating. It is such a thin book, and I had a terrible time getting through it. I actually skipped parts in this book because they were so dreadfully boring.

[lord_boris-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Other reviews have dwelt on themes of duality etc and others still correctly state that the impact of this book is lessened by how much of its plot is already in the collective consciousness of readers. You know before reading it that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person, it has entered our language. Never having read the book before, the thing I was most struck with was its apparent concern with drug addiction. The negative effects of drugs and the associated shame and secrecy.

“and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught.”

“It took on this occasion a double dose to recall me to myself; and alas! six hours after, as I sat looking sadly in the fire, the pangs returned, and the drug had to be re-administered.”

“Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of; but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with an almost morbid sense of shame.”

A quick google reveals that he wrote Jekyll and Hyde during a six day cocaine binge and spent much of his later, short life, hooked on opium, alcohol and morphine. This was possibly for well intentioned medicinal reasons as he was not a well man. Nevertheless, this leaves me thinking this is a much darker, personal book than perhaps is generally believed.

[karin7-11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A lawyer and a mad scientist are the two main characters in this gothic, science fiction horror novella. I won’t recount much since the main essentials of the story are quite well known. It’s the dual natures of good and evil fighting in humans and it was so very gothic a look on it, with the crazy mad scientist who looks so good. I thought I’d hate this, but due to the good writing, it was only a dislike and two stars.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this using my Serial reader app and I was really happy with it!

I knew it was a classic, and, much like classics, it was a book that I'd always meant to read, or intended to read but never actually read.

I loved the atmosphere that Stevenson created. His somehow empty, foggy, cacophonous London was brought to life. I didn't find the language too hard or difficult to follow at all, which surprised me. I liked the tension for the majority of the novel -- Stevenson crafted tension through letters, confessionals and those late-night walks around London where all sorts of horrors happen.

I didn't care too much for the characters, but I definitely admired the author's writing, his language and how accessible the book is after all this time.

Even though I knew the ending, I still found it readable and hope you do too. c:

[roboschro · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"There comes an end to all things; the most capacious measure is filled at last; and this brief condescension to my evil finally destroyed the balance of my soul."It may be difficult for a reader to forget what is half-known about these famous characters, and approach this story afresh. But it's worth doing -- it's a tidy little story, and the title characters embody an intriguing attack on the nature of Victorian morality.

[leslie398 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought that I would give this classic another try via audiobook but my overall impression remains that this is one case where the movie is better (specifically the 1941 version with Spencer Tracy).

[fundevogel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story has a good premise but it isn't really realized, possibly due to the irregular format. The book doesn't read like a typical novel. Instead it is broken into several small, greatly overlapping parts each narrating the course of events as they were percieved by a character. The first section is told by the lawyer Utterson, who suspects his friend the doctor is being blackmailed by Mr. Hyde, then the reader is presented with the account of Dr. Lawson to whom Mr. Hyde's identity is revealed near the end of the events of the story and finally you get the story according to Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde is of course uninterested in recording his experiences.The problem is that though the idea of building a complete narrative from various points of view is a good one in this case its done rather sloppily. The accounts are more repetitive than complementary and it isn't until the last one that the idea of the duality of man is introduced in a last minute hamfisted sort of way. It reminds me of the last chapter of Brave New World where Huxley decided to spell out what his book was all about as if it wasn't already obvious to the most disinterested of readers. The only difference is Huxley didn't need that chapter to explain his intent, where as the ideas Stevenson invoked weren't at all hinted at in the rest of his book. I've heard this book was written very quickly and surmise that it's parts are akin to the scraps of writing a writer produces in the early stages of writing to flesh out their thoughts and possibly rework to actually use in the story. But Stevenson never got any further in developing his novel he just strung together the bits of writing he whipped out and called it a novella. It a real shame since it's a good story and even with the horribly bad structure and organization you can tell that Stevenson knew how to put words on the page, even if he didn't bothered to put his words to unified purpose. The edition I read also included the short stories "The Body Snatcher", "Markheim" and "The Bottle Imp". These also had a tendency to ramble on longer than necessary. Perhaps he was paid by the inch? However they were better told and were fairly sophisticated horror stories with interesting premises. Markheim in particular is the sort of story that would be an interesting piece to analyze for a literature class. It touches on similar themes to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but is exponentially better at communicating them.

[gonzalo8046 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice short read. Even though you know the ending ten pages in, I still enjoyed it.

[ghr4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It would have been a treat to read Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror tale Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde without the foreknowledge of the now familiar story or having seeen its multiple film adaptations. A well deserved sensation when first published, it remains a sturdy tale of terror, psychological conflict, and the frightening duality of human nature. Stevenson artfully lays out clues for the reader to guess the identity of Mr. Hyde, and the final chapter, recasting the events from Dr. Jekyll's viewpoint, provides a chilling conclusion.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick read of good and evil; Jekyll and Hyde. A classic use of the double.

[srboone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slow in places (strange for such a short work), but exciting and suspenseful, this is a fun read. I got my nephew to read it by showing him that this was where The Incredible Hulk came from and he lapped it up. Now he doesn't have patience for funny books anymore!