What do you think?
Rate this book
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Weir of Hermiston
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson. Oxford University Press,1987
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1886
21 people are currently reading
1525 people want to read
About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson
6,856 books6,951 followersRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
Most modernist writers dismissed him, however, because he was popular and did not write within their narrow definition of literature. It is only recently that critics have begun to look beyond Stevenson's popularity and allow him a place in the Western canon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 18, 2009
Ah, the nineteenth century - when sentences rolled off the tongue and bachelors had dastardly fun. Stevenson wrote this "sparsely-printed shilling novel" (as The Times called it) in 1886; a bit after Dickens, a touch before Conan Doyle. As soon as I sat down with it, I felt as if I was slipping onto the chaise longue with a great storyteller, ready for psychoanalysis by proxy.
Two things I liked about this book: its structure and its treatment of theme. Structurally, it builds to a finale by the final two chapters being contained in letters found at the scene. They take us from a gentlemanly third person narrative right into the thick of things. It creates an extra suspense, like a locked box in a ghoulish conjuring trick. Thematically, Stevenson engages with a universal fear about our ability to control our urges while keeping the nature of the beast discreetly unnamed. It releases anyone who's ever had an impure or guilty thought - that's you too! - to empathise with Jekyll's predicament.
For a full review, see my blog.
Two things I liked about this book: its structure and its treatment of theme. Structurally, it builds to a finale by the final two chapters being contained in letters found at the scene. They take us from a gentlemanly third person narrative right into the thick of things. It creates an extra suspense, like a locked box in a ghoulish conjuring trick. Thematically, Stevenson engages with a universal fear about our ability to control our urges while keeping the nature of the beast discreetly unnamed. It releases anyone who's ever had an impure or guilty thought - that's you too! - to empathise with Jekyll's predicament.
For a full review, see my blog.
December 23, 2022
im giving it a 4 stars since its short and still felt lengthy, however from the plot pov it is AMAZING describes DID so well and tbh i read the last 2 chapters with my mouth open, The flot is rocky, however it is full of revelation and constant plot hole filling - book's great overall
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2010
After reading Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde I got the taste for his style and decided to give his highly regarded (unfinished) novel Weir of Hermiston a close read. Characteristically substantive, in keeping with the aesthetics of his time, this short but densely heavy piece of realist fiction took me thrice the amount of hours to finish reading it than perhaps the majority of contemporary novels of the same length.
In this story Stevenson explores several themes, among them: tradition, loyalty, propriety, isolation, paternal/filial relationships (particularly of the discordant variety), class/status relations, and, of course, forbidden love. However, one of the more interesting thematic facets of the narrative is the manner in which the subject of social duality was revisited in the story, and with much greater subtlety than in Jekyll and Hyde. The duality of personhood, for instance, which in Jekyll and Hyde bore more of a Darwinian rendering of the split (i.e. its pitting the violently bestial with the self-repressed and morally up-right) becomes manifest in the novel’s primary antagonist, Lord Hermiston, with far lesser extremity. In Lord Hermiston the duplicity is so fluid as to slip in unnoticeably with a rustic drunkenness rarely worn on the surface, yet so carefully tended to and publically concealed that both his social and his professional reputation (often considered to be one and the same) is enough to inspire awe, fear, and esteem, and sometimes all simultaneously; a reputation guarded by a virtually impregnable fortress, vulnerable only to the battering-ram of his son’s indignation.
Another feature of this book that I found unique and enjoyable is its use of the rustic Scottish dialects in the character dialogue. I found its inclusion to lend greater authenticity, contrast, and, hence, greater dimension to the novel. However, the glossary provided at the end of this edition was definitely essential to being able to interpret the more unfamiliar words and phrases.
My brief date with Stevenson, with his elegant and evocative writing style, has been an enjoyable one indeed. And if nothing else, besides getting in touch with some juicy classic literature I am likely to have improved my own vocabulary in the process. Still, I think that reading Weir of Hermiston has sufficiently satisfied my taste for his work for awhile.
In this story Stevenson explores several themes, among them: tradition, loyalty, propriety, isolation, paternal/filial relationships (particularly of the discordant variety), class/status relations, and, of course, forbidden love. However, one of the more interesting thematic facets of the narrative is the manner in which the subject of social duality was revisited in the story, and with much greater subtlety than in Jekyll and Hyde. The duality of personhood, for instance, which in Jekyll and Hyde bore more of a Darwinian rendering of the split (i.e. its pitting the violently bestial with the self-repressed and morally up-right) becomes manifest in the novel’s primary antagonist, Lord Hermiston, with far lesser extremity. In Lord Hermiston the duplicity is so fluid as to slip in unnoticeably with a rustic drunkenness rarely worn on the surface, yet so carefully tended to and publically concealed that both his social and his professional reputation (often considered to be one and the same) is enough to inspire awe, fear, and esteem, and sometimes all simultaneously; a reputation guarded by a virtually impregnable fortress, vulnerable only to the battering-ram of his son’s indignation.
Another feature of this book that I found unique and enjoyable is its use of the rustic Scottish dialects in the character dialogue. I found its inclusion to lend greater authenticity, contrast, and, hence, greater dimension to the novel. However, the glossary provided at the end of this edition was definitely essential to being able to interpret the more unfamiliar words and phrases.
My brief date with Stevenson, with his elegant and evocative writing style, has been an enjoyable one indeed. And if nothing else, besides getting in touch with some juicy classic literature I am likely to have improved my own vocabulary in the process. Still, I think that reading Weir of Hermiston has sufficiently satisfied my taste for his work for awhile.
May 20, 2020
This is an old University book that I decided I should re-read before donating to the charity shop. I'm not sure why really as I know the story but it was a fairly quick read so no harm done. As one would expect from the era, it has a very distinctive, flowery style of language but the writing did conjure up beautifully the menacing atmosphere that surrounded Mr Hyde. An interesting study on ultimately the battle between good and bad that goes on inside us all - and what could happen if we had a way of dividing ourselves in two. Probably not a book I would choose to read nowadays but it's a classic so I'm glad I revisited it.
(I must confess I could not face reading the Weir of Hermiston. It's unfinished and a quick dip into it revealed Scottish dialect and impenetrable prose. It bothers me very much that I've effectively only read half the book, but life really is too short to read a story in which I have no interest and which doesn't even have an ending!)
(I must confess I could not face reading the Weir of Hermiston. It's unfinished and a quick dip into it revealed Scottish dialect and impenetrable prose. It bothers me very much that I've effectively only read half the book, but life really is too short to read a story in which I have no interest and which doesn't even have an ending!)
November 3, 2019
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really wish I did not know about the twist before I read the book but because it is so famous it was impossible not to. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale about two men who lived seemingly different lives and how their worlds horrifyingly collided.
The final revelation, a case of the duality of man's nature; good versus evil, had I not be aware of it, would have made the narrative even more captivating. Nevertheless, the book was engaging from start to finish.
Weir of Hermiston ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It took me some time to get into this novel, I think the use of Scottish dialect did not help my reading as I had top go and check up on meanings. It told the story of Archie, a maternal orphan who lived with his dad and wanted to become a lawyer. His relationship with his dad is essentially nonexistent and turns gradually worse when Archie disagrees with his dad,who is a judge and stern enforcer of the death penalty much to his son's aversion. When Archie starts to make his disagreement public, his dad sends him to live at the family's estate at Herminston in the Scottish Moors. There he meets Christina and falls in love with her but their romance seems doomed as she is of less social standing than him.
Unfortunately this novel was unfinished due to the fact the Stevenson died while writing it. Even though I would have liked to have more closure regarding some of the characters, especially Archie's relationship with his dad, the abrupt ending was not as bad as it could have been. I get immense pleasure form picturing Archie and Christina in each others arms at the Weaver's Stone.
I really wish I did not know about the twist before I read the book but because it is so famous it was impossible not to. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale about two men who lived seemingly different lives and how their worlds horrifyingly collided.
The final revelation, a case of the duality of man's nature; good versus evil, had I not be aware of it, would have made the narrative even more captivating. Nevertheless, the book was engaging from start to finish.
Weir of Hermiston ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It took me some time to get into this novel, I think the use of Scottish dialect did not help my reading as I had top go and check up on meanings. It told the story of Archie, a maternal orphan who lived with his dad and wanted to become a lawyer. His relationship with his dad is essentially nonexistent and turns gradually worse when Archie disagrees with his dad,who is a judge and stern enforcer of the death penalty much to his son's aversion. When Archie starts to make his disagreement public, his dad sends him to live at the family's estate at Herminston in the Scottish Moors. There he meets Christina and falls in love with her but their romance seems doomed as she is of less social standing than him.
Unfortunately this novel was unfinished due to the fact the Stevenson died while writing it. Even though I would have liked to have more closure regarding some of the characters, especially Archie's relationship with his dad, the abrupt ending was not as bad as it could have been. I get immense pleasure form picturing Archie and Christina in each others arms at the Weaver's Stone.
June 17, 2024
I don’t have much to say about this book that hasn’t already been said, but I enjoyed it like I assumed I would. It’s been redone in so many ways in the almost 140 years since its publication, but reading the original is matchless.
I’ve always thought the psychoanalysis of dual/split personality as intriguing and reading about the perils of Dr. Jekyll as he morphs into the demented Hyde was a fun experience, for lack of better phrasing. This is a classical read that I feel everyone should check off their lists at some point in time.
*I must add that what led me to read the book was an episode entitled “Nowhere to Hyde” from my favorite and the greatest cartoon of all time— Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
I’ve always thought the psychoanalysis of dual/split personality as intriguing and reading about the perils of Dr. Jekyll as he morphs into the demented Hyde was a fun experience, for lack of better phrasing. This is a classical read that I feel everyone should check off their lists at some point in time.
*I must add that what led me to read the book was an episode entitled “Nowhere to Hyde” from my favorite and the greatest cartoon of all time— Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
March 28, 2021
There are too many listings for this in GR so I just picked one.
I enjoyed listening to this and the narrator (Alexander Spencer) did a fantastic job.
I love this writing style and this was so good. I think it helped, for me, knowing the story before listening to it. It allowed me to really enjoy the narration and the writing of this book .
Ugh this is just so fantastic. I love these weird creepy books!
I enjoyed listening to this and the narrator (Alexander Spencer) did a fantastic job.
I love this writing style and this was so good. I think it helped, for me, knowing the story before listening to it. It allowed me to really enjoy the narration and the writing of this book .
Ugh this is just so fantastic. I love these weird creepy books!
March 9, 2022
the Victorian sexual repression is SCREAMING
August 12, 2024
I particularly enjoyed the audiobook edition, read by British actor Tom Baker.
February 1, 2025
I can appreciate it, but found a lot of it quite boring. Maybe it was knowing the premise of the story beforehand
April 28, 2012
Psychologically Addicted to Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein created a monster. This monster has escaped the confines of the page and transformed itself from genre to genre moving further from the text with each evolution. Like Dracula and Frankenstein, Mr Hyde has appeared on stage and screen. The monster of these horror productions has grown in the telling until it becomes part of the public psyche. Many more people know of the monster from Jekyll and Hyde than have read the book. However, this gothic novel is not about a monster. It is a psychological story about the different aspects of personality that combine to make up a person. There is a bit of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde in all of us. Jekyll writes in his full statement of the case:
“Strange as my circumstances were, the terms of this debate are as old and commonplace as man; much the same inducements and alarms cast the die for any tempted and trembling sinner; and it fell out with me, as it falls with so vast a majority of my fellows, that I chose the better part and was found wanting in the strength to keep to it.”
The universal nature of this theme has allowed the tale to transcend time and be as relevant today as it was in the Victorian era of its publication. The complex psychology of the story shows an awareness of the mental struggles that we all deal with in a lifetime and that those with multiple personality disorders go through everyday.
Stevenson also deals with the psychology of drug addiction. It is through drinking a potion of undisclosed psychoactive drugs that Jekyll is transformed into his degraded form of self, Hyde. In Victorian society opium, cocaine and alcohol were the popular drugs of the day to abuse but whatever the substance the trials of addiction are the same. Jekyll goes through a typical cycle of pre-occupation, ritualisation, addiction, remission, relapse and despair that addicts to anything endure.
“For two months, however, I was true to my determination; for two months I led a life of such severity as I had never before attained to, and enjoyed the compensations of an approving conscience…I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught.”
Soon Jekyll is taking the drug more frequently. As his exposure to the drug increases his control over the transformation into Hyde wanes. He unintentionally changes out on the streets of London and has to take the drug just to remain normal.
The setting, London in the late nineteenth century, adds to the gothic horror atmosphere with thick fog in the streets. Yet despite this fog the crimes of Edward Hyde are clearly illuminated. Sir Danvers Carew is murdered in a lane “brilliantly lit by the full moon.”
In telling the story Stevenson gives the reader three distinct narrators. First we see the strange case from the viewpoint of the lawyer Utterson. This sets up the mysteries of what is happening to Jekyll and who is Hyde. Hyde’s identity is revealed in a letter from Dr Lanyon, an old friend of both Utterson and Jekyll, who provides the second point of view. Finally all is laid bare by the epistolary hand of Dr Jekyll in his full statement of the case. Stevenson has a talent for creating characters that leave the page and last in the memory of his readers. Who can forget Long John Silver who came alive in daydreams of childhood adventures?
The idea for this novel came to Stevenson in a dream. He wrote the first draft in three days, completing the book in six weeks. Although from conception to completion The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde took only a short period of Stevenson’s life it stayed with him until his death. According to his wife Fanny, his last words, as he fell dying to the floor after the onset of a sudden headache, were:
“What’s the matter with me, what is this strangeness, has my face changed?”
This is a fantastic book that exposes to scrutiny the duality of the mind and dangers of addiction. It transcends the gothic horror genre its film adaptations have revelled in. If you haven’t read it do so, and if you have, but a long time ago along with Treasure Island, read it again.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein created a monster. This monster has escaped the confines of the page and transformed itself from genre to genre moving further from the text with each evolution. Like Dracula and Frankenstein, Mr Hyde has appeared on stage and screen. The monster of these horror productions has grown in the telling until it becomes part of the public psyche. Many more people know of the monster from Jekyll and Hyde than have read the book. However, this gothic novel is not about a monster. It is a psychological story about the different aspects of personality that combine to make up a person. There is a bit of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde in all of us. Jekyll writes in his full statement of the case:
“Strange as my circumstances were, the terms of this debate are as old and commonplace as man; much the same inducements and alarms cast the die for any tempted and trembling sinner; and it fell out with me, as it falls with so vast a majority of my fellows, that I chose the better part and was found wanting in the strength to keep to it.”
The universal nature of this theme has allowed the tale to transcend time and be as relevant today as it was in the Victorian era of its publication. The complex psychology of the story shows an awareness of the mental struggles that we all deal with in a lifetime and that those with multiple personality disorders go through everyday.
Stevenson also deals with the psychology of drug addiction. It is through drinking a potion of undisclosed psychoactive drugs that Jekyll is transformed into his degraded form of self, Hyde. In Victorian society opium, cocaine and alcohol were the popular drugs of the day to abuse but whatever the substance the trials of addiction are the same. Jekyll goes through a typical cycle of pre-occupation, ritualisation, addiction, remission, relapse and despair that addicts to anything endure.
“For two months, however, I was true to my determination; for two months I led a life of such severity as I had never before attained to, and enjoyed the compensations of an approving conscience…I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught.”
Soon Jekyll is taking the drug more frequently. As his exposure to the drug increases his control over the transformation into Hyde wanes. He unintentionally changes out on the streets of London and has to take the drug just to remain normal.
The setting, London in the late nineteenth century, adds to the gothic horror atmosphere with thick fog in the streets. Yet despite this fog the crimes of Edward Hyde are clearly illuminated. Sir Danvers Carew is murdered in a lane “brilliantly lit by the full moon.”
In telling the story Stevenson gives the reader three distinct narrators. First we see the strange case from the viewpoint of the lawyer Utterson. This sets up the mysteries of what is happening to Jekyll and who is Hyde. Hyde’s identity is revealed in a letter from Dr Lanyon, an old friend of both Utterson and Jekyll, who provides the second point of view. Finally all is laid bare by the epistolary hand of Dr Jekyll in his full statement of the case. Stevenson has a talent for creating characters that leave the page and last in the memory of his readers. Who can forget Long John Silver who came alive in daydreams of childhood adventures?
The idea for this novel came to Stevenson in a dream. He wrote the first draft in three days, completing the book in six weeks. Although from conception to completion The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde took only a short period of Stevenson’s life it stayed with him until his death. According to his wife Fanny, his last words, as he fell dying to the floor after the onset of a sudden headache, were:
“What’s the matter with me, what is this strangeness, has my face changed?”
This is a fantastic book that exposes to scrutiny the duality of the mind and dangers of addiction. It transcends the gothic horror genre its film adaptations have revelled in. If you haven’t read it do so, and if you have, but a long time ago along with Treasure Island, read it again.
January 20, 2011
While most people know the entire story of this book, it was very interesting to read. I finished it on the metro one morning and spent the rest of the time staring out the window, thinking of that line from that Janis Joplin song, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose." The story is about a man who manages to free himself not only from his own responsibilites, but from the responsibilites of guilt, of obligation and of any moral decision. He was entirely free of everything - something that is exhilirating and terrifying to consider.
August 6, 2012
Knowing this was a classic horror book I was disappointed that it never got me very interested. I only finished it just so I could get through it not because I wanted to know what would happen next. Perhaps it is because I had a pretty good idea of how the story went that there just wasn't any suspense. It is a good portrayal of the battle of good vs evil in each of us.
August 12, 2025
I really enjoyed "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". I didn't know what to expect and started reading it with an open mind - and it delivered. Right till the end I wasn't sure where the story is going to go and it was a very enjoyable journey. It's surprising how much about the characters was revealed in so few pages. Five stars from me and I would go back to reading it.
The "Weir of Hermiston" is more interesting when I think about the story, than when I was in the middle of it - maybe it was the Scottish accent written down that I struggled with and feel like I maybe missed a few parts. Shame it was never finished, and we won't know where the author would have taken the characters but it also allows me to imagine my own continuation of the story.
The "Weir of Hermiston" is more interesting when I think about the story, than when I was in the middle of it - maybe it was the Scottish accent written down that I struggled with and feel like I maybe missed a few parts. Shame it was never finished, and we won't know where the author would have taken the characters but it also allows me to imagine my own continuation of the story.
November 5, 2025
Nice and quick read, but is it really THIS short? Why do I feel like it skipped through important parts of the plot?
If it's actually THIS short, then it's an undeveloped and unadventured plot; it does have the base for it, but it lacks depth all the way through the end, including the plot and character development.
It could be because I listened to the audiobook, but it doesn't even have a mysterious setting to it, the mystery of the characters, the plot, there's nothing T.T and I'm sad, because I had high expectations, after people making non-stop recommendations about this book.
I would LOVE to re-read it in a physical format at some point and see if I like it a bit more, since it's supposed to be his MASTERPIECE.
If it's actually THIS short, then it's an undeveloped and unadventured plot; it does have the base for it, but it lacks depth all the way through the end, including the plot and character development.
It could be because I listened to the audiobook, but it doesn't even have a mysterious setting to it, the mystery of the characters, the plot, there's nothing T.T and I'm sad, because I had high expectations, after people making non-stop recommendations about this book.
I would LOVE to re-read it in a physical format at some point and see if I like it a bit more, since it's supposed to be his MASTERPIECE.
November 17, 2025
I've never been a fan of gothic or horror novels so I was very skeptical when I got this text assigned for my 18th and 19th century British literature class in college. I am happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The way the story is written is masterful in developing the characters, which for me is what made this story worth it. The depth of the characters and how that feeds into the overall theme of the book is really interesting and well done. I won’t go into much detail so I don’t spoil anything but guys I have thoughts!!! Never thought I’d say this about a gothic horror novel, but I recommend reading it.
September 22, 2022
I have no words for “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. It left me astonished with an interesting and shocking twist to the story. But one should be patient with this this story cause everything only makes sense in the end.
As for the “Weir of Hermiston”, I really would like to see the story had ended. Despite that it was a never dull read. And it also somehow reminded me of “Anne of Green Gables” for the description of nature and how Archie was different from his family like Anne was different from the household of the Green Gables.
As for the “Weir of Hermiston”, I really would like to see the story had ended. Despite that it was a never dull read. And it also somehow reminded me of “Anne of Green Gables” for the description of nature and how Archie was different from his family like Anne was different from the household of the Green Gables.
February 5, 2021
If there is a place, this man will build a fortress on it. Robert Louis Stevenson had been a poet, children’s writer and diving into a psychological thriller was not a hard task for him, it seems. Pivoting a bit from gothic, to use science and psychology to portray a different world of a killer, the small dots that RLS create end up creating a beautiful, beautiful picture, its just majestic. While, writing and publishing this work in 1886, RLs was way ahead of his time.
April 16, 2025
Idiocy of asking for a review before I could possibly have read the book!!!
Yes, I have the book on Kindle but when I try to read it I am asked for a rating and a review before I can read it!! I have given 5 stars knowing already it (both books) are seen as among the greatest in Scottish literature. Please Amazon revise this strange practice at once!
Yes, I have the book on Kindle but when I try to read it I am asked for a rating and a review before I can read it!! I have given 5 stars knowing already it (both books) are seen as among the greatest in Scottish literature. Please Amazon revise this strange practice at once!
September 25, 2020
I've always loved RLS' style, his imagery is so striking and his words so eloquent. I've read this book countless times and I still notice new things each time. Comparing the themes in this book to Stevenson's Calvinist upbringing is fascinating.
March 19, 2025
I know it to be a classic, but I really didn't enjoy this. In its favour is its brevity and its physical representation of the duality of human nature. However, it was lacking for me. I think it was it's hindsight narrative.
I did not read Weir of Hermiston.
I did not read Weir of Hermiston.
June 12, 2018
indeed, the strange case it is.
November 9, 2019
Not my favorite 19th century English novel, thought it would be scarier. The English was a bit hard to follow.
August 10, 2020
Fun read!
October 18, 2020
Very dark and sad.
January 28, 2021
Very spooky and enjoyable.
January 29, 2021
Read for my English class. I found Stevenson's writing style to be a bit awkward at times, but it was still a very enjoyable read. :)
March 16, 2022
This reads very similar to Sherlock Holmes. A true classic.
February 25, 2025
It would have been interesting if I hadn’t understood the plot in the first few pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews