Classic
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Summary
London lawyer Gabriel Utterson investigates the strange hold that the vicious, violent Edward Hyde has over his respectable friend Dr. Henry Jekyll, uncovering a truth stranger than blackmail. Stevenson reveals that Jekyll's chemical experiments have split his own nature, freeing a second self that grows stronger with every indulgence. The novella's central idea entered the language instantly, and Jekyll and Hyde remains shorthand for the divided self.
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Historical Context & Significance
Stevenson wrote the story in a matter of days and published it in 1886, and it sold tens of thousands of copies within months. Its picture of respectable Victorian society concealing hidden appetites has fascinated readers and adapters ever since.