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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
The young Robert Louis Stevenson suffered from repeated nightmares of living a double life, in which by day he worked as a respectable doctor and by night he roamed the back alleys of old-town Edinburgh. In three days of furious writing, he produced a story about his dream existence. His wife found it too gruesome, so he promptly burned the manuscript. In another three days, he wrote it again. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published as a "shilling shocker" in 1886, and became an instant classic. In the first six months, 40,000 copies were sold. Queen Victoria read it. Sermons and editorials were written about it. When Stevenson and his family visited America a year later, they were mobbed by reporters at the dock in New York City. Compulsively readable from its opening pages, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is still one of the best tales ever written about the divided self.
This University of Nebraska Press edition is a small, exquisitely produced paperback. The book design, based on the original first edition of 1886, includes wide margins, decorative capitals on the title page and first page of each chapter, and a clean, readable font that is 19th-century in style. Joyce Carol Oates contributes a foreword in which she calls Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a "mythopoetic figure" like Frankenstein, Dracula, and Alice in Wonderland, and compares Stevenson's creation to doubled selves in the works of Plato, Poe, Wilde, and Dickens.
This edition also features 12 full-page wood engravings by renowned illustrator Barry Moser. Moser is a skillful reader and interpreter as well as artist, and his afterword to the book, in which he explains the process by which he chose a self-portrait motif for the suite of engravings, is fascinating. For the image of Edward Hyde, he writes, "I went so far as to have my dentist fit me out with a carefully sculpted prosthetic of evil-looking teeth. But in the final moments I had to abandon the idea as being inappropriate. It was more important to stay in keeping with the text and, like Stevenson, not show Hyde's face." (Also recommended: the edition of Frankenstein illustrated by Barry Moser) --Fiona Webster
The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.—
The bottle imp.—
Markheim.—
The beach of Falesa.—
Thrawn Janet.—
The isle of voices.—
Will o' the mill.—
The body snatcher.—
Prividence and the guitar.—
The enchantress.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1991
17 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson
6,835 books6,943 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.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 15, 2015
I only read the first four or five stories in this, but they were all interesting, if a bit products of their times.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a weird read for me, since the story really needs ignorance to work well, I think. So sadly, I don't think I appreciated it the way someone might if they came upon it without prior knowledge of the twist. It was clearly good, but I was more bored than enthralled, unfortunately.
The other stories I read were much more enjoyable because I had no idea what to expect.
Maybe next year I'll manage to read the other half of this book! But right now I've got so many scheduled reads going on that I know I won't get back to this any time soon.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a weird read for me, since the story really needs ignorance to work well, I think. So sadly, I don't think I appreciated it the way someone might if they came upon it without prior knowledge of the twist. It was clearly good, but I was more bored than enthralled, unfortunately.
The other stories I read were much more enjoyable because I had no idea what to expect.
Maybe next year I'll manage to read the other half of this book! But right now I've got so many scheduled reads going on that I know I won't get back to this any time soon.
February 27, 2025
This book is one of those Reader’s Digest books, the ones with multiple short stories in them, but I was only interested in reading Jekyll and Hyde.
To say I struggled to get through this story would be an understatement. Every sentence was a chore. Although it was written very well, the sentence structure and word choosing was so out there that I oftentimes had to reread the beginning of the sentence just to get the original idea back in my head.
There were too many ‘blurbs’ in the middle of all these sentences, basically just bulking up the page. The use of semicolons, commas, and parentheses was so hard to ignore but eventually I just said screw it and mentally skipped over these sections just to get the gist of it.
The only thing that got me through was an episode of VeggieTales where they did a spoof on this story, so I kind of had a little bit of background, but I was determined to read through the real thing.
I did it. Haven’t heard of any of the other short stories this book has in it. So I’m counting this as a finished since I read all that I wanted from this one 😅
To say I struggled to get through this story would be an understatement. Every sentence was a chore. Although it was written very well, the sentence structure and word choosing was so out there that I oftentimes had to reread the beginning of the sentence just to get the original idea back in my head.
There were too many ‘blurbs’ in the middle of all these sentences, basically just bulking up the page. The use of semicolons, commas, and parentheses was so hard to ignore but eventually I just said screw it and mentally skipped over these sections just to get the gist of it.
The only thing that got me through was an episode of VeggieTales where they did a spoof on this story, so I kind of had a little bit of background, but I was determined to read through the real thing.
I did it. Haven’t heard of any of the other short stories this book has in it. So I’m counting this as a finished since I read all that I wanted from this one 😅
May 23, 2016
Comencemos por el principio. Leí este libro en numerosas ocasiones; primero por gusto personal (estaba en la biblioteca de mi abuelo), luego para el colegio y también para la academia de inglés. Y la semana pasada lo leí nuevamente para el Serendipia Club (club de lectura de la Comunidad Blogger Argentina).
Algunos detalles no los recordaba, otros me resultaban claros como si lo hubiese hace unos días.
Admito que la experiencia lectora no es la misma cuando uno ya conoce la resolución del misterio, pero me esforzaré por reseñarlo como si lo hubiese leído por primera vez.
Es uno de mis clásicos preferidos de la literatura, y se lo recomiendo a todas aquellas personas que no suelen leer libros clásicos, porque es corto y atrapante.
Peeeero, si quieren leer la reseña completa, curiosidades sobre la escritura de la obra, sus adaptaciones y muchísimo más, pasen por mi blog y vean la entrada completa ;)
http://pardonmispanglish.blogspot.com...
Algunos detalles no los recordaba, otros me resultaban claros como si lo hubiese hace unos días.
Admito que la experiencia lectora no es la misma cuando uno ya conoce la resolución del misterio, pero me esforzaré por reseñarlo como si lo hubiese leído por primera vez.
Es uno de mis clásicos preferidos de la literatura, y se lo recomiendo a todas aquellas personas que no suelen leer libros clásicos, porque es corto y atrapante.
Peeeero, si quieren leer la reseña completa, curiosidades sobre la escritura de la obra, sus adaptaciones y muchísimo más, pasen por mi blog y vean la entrada completa ;)
http://pardonmispanglish.blogspot.com...
November 26, 2018
Jekyll and Hyde - 4 stars!!
Everything else..... 1 star....
Everything else..... 1 star....
June 28, 2021
3 1/2 stars
…all human beings, as we meet them, are comingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil. ~ Dr. Jekyll
This is one of those novels (novella actually), that even though I’d never read it, or even watched a movie version, I was quite familiar with the plot.
However, it was not what I expected: a classic thriller, pursuit of a maniacal villain, grotesque horrors, and satisfying justice. Nope.
My full review: https://100greatestnovelsofalltimeque...
…all human beings, as we meet them, are comingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil. ~ Dr. Jekyll
This is one of those novels (novella actually), that even though I’d never read it, or even watched a movie version, I was quite familiar with the plot.
However, it was not what I expected: a classic thriller, pursuit of a maniacal villain, grotesque horrors, and satisfying justice. Nope.
My full review: https://100greatestnovelsofalltimeque...
January 18, 2020
What an awesome volume! Brief and written in 19th century (Victorian) prose with a broad vocabulary and complex structure I'd liken this to the same sensual delight as eating a fine piece of chocolate...
March 21, 2022
The titular and opening story in this collection is a thoughtful masterpiece. I didn't know the plot in advance which made it all the more impactful. Fully recommend. The subsequent stories range in quality and decency. I found them all thought provoking but not all agreeable.
January 31, 2020
Classic, the last time I read this was in high school Lit class... many..many years ago. I enjoyed it much more now.
May 17, 2025
This review is specifically in response to “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.” i.e. an absolute banger.
Like most people, I’ve long been familiar with this story and the numerous ways to interpret it. The most immediately apparent to me upon finally reading it in its entirety was our inclination to entertain our darker impulses, with the classic Jungian shadow self being an inexorable facet of our psyches. But what happens when we give in to them and let them steer the ship instead of pursuing thoughtful integration? As we see here, nothing good! I was fascinated by Jekyll’s underlying pity for ol’ Mr. Hyde, even throughout the suffering that occurred. I suppose that’s what lends a tragic tone to the tale, in that in spite of his hubris there was a man desperately clutching to the parts of himself he wished to understand and perhaps liberate. There is also a clear addiction allegory here, as the transformation is induced via consumption of an outside substance. When inhibitions go out the window, it’s easy to dissociate and blame “that other guy.”
Now, for some favorite quotes:
“I learned to recognize the primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both…”
“You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name.”
“‘If he be Mr. Hyde,’ he had thought, ‘I shall be Mr. Seek.”
That last one is there because I found it clever and kinda sexy.
Like most people, I’ve long been familiar with this story and the numerous ways to interpret it. The most immediately apparent to me upon finally reading it in its entirety was our inclination to entertain our darker impulses, with the classic Jungian shadow self being an inexorable facet of our psyches. But what happens when we give in to them and let them steer the ship instead of pursuing thoughtful integration? As we see here, nothing good! I was fascinated by Jekyll’s underlying pity for ol’ Mr. Hyde, even throughout the suffering that occurred. I suppose that’s what lends a tragic tone to the tale, in that in spite of his hubris there was a man desperately clutching to the parts of himself he wished to understand and perhaps liberate. There is also a clear addiction allegory here, as the transformation is induced via consumption of an outside substance. When inhibitions go out the window, it’s easy to dissociate and blame “that other guy.”
Now, for some favorite quotes:
“I learned to recognize the primitive duality of man; I saw that, of the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness, even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both…”
“You start a question, and it’s like starting a stone. You sit quietly on the top of a hill; and away the stone goes, starting others; and presently some bland old bird (the last you would have thought of) is knocked on the head in his own back garden and the family have to change their name.”
“‘If he be Mr. Hyde,’ he had thought, ‘I shall be Mr. Seek.”
That last one is there because I found it clever and kinda sexy.
November 4, 2024
Ten random short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. This man had such varied writing styles that, aside from sharing some phrases that anyone might have used, I see no sign that these stories were penned by the same author. I thoroughly enjoyed "Markheim." Some of the others were okay.
"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"The Bottle Imp"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"Markheim"
9/10 (4.5 "stars")
Beautifully written.
...
"The Beach of Falesá"
4/10 (2 "stars")
It was impossible for me to understand the full meaning of what these characters were saying. I got the gist of the story itself. First published in 1892, it contains some racism.
...
"Thrawn Janet"
3/10 (1.5 "stars")
This one is unreadable (unless you understand Scots). It starts out in plain English but quickly shifts to Scots and stays that way until the last period. It was infuriating picking out the regular English words and trying (in vain) to understand what the story was even about. I wasted time on this.
...
"The Isle of Voices"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"Will O' the Mill"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
...
"The Body Snatcher"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
...
"Providence and the Guitar"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
This duo seemed more rude and inconsiderate than their enemies, in my opinion. Also, they must have had some resilient vocal cords.
...
"The Enchantress"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
Yep.
...
336 pages, including a brief afterward.
"The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"The Bottle Imp"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"Markheim"
9/10 (4.5 "stars")
Beautifully written.
...
"The Beach of Falesá"
4/10 (2 "stars")
It was impossible for me to understand the full meaning of what these characters were saying. I got the gist of the story itself. First published in 1892, it contains some racism.
...
"Thrawn Janet"
3/10 (1.5 "stars")
This one is unreadable (unless you understand Scots). It starts out in plain English but quickly shifts to Scots and stays that way until the last period. It was infuriating picking out the regular English words and trying (in vain) to understand what the story was even about. I wasted time on this.
...
"The Isle of Voices"
6/10 (3 "stars")
...
"Will O' the Mill"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
...
"The Body Snatcher"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
...
"Providence and the Guitar"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
This duo seemed more rude and inconsiderate than their enemies, in my opinion. Also, they must have had some resilient vocal cords.
...
"The Enchantress"
5/10 (2.5 "stars")
Yep.
...
336 pages, including a brief afterward.
August 30, 2024
Thrawn janet was harder to read if you are not use to Scottish accents. Over all loved it. Especially dr.jekyll and mr.hyde. the suicide club was slow but fun
November 26, 2024
Didn't finish all the stories in this collection.
December 31, 2024
7.5 out of 10
This is my last book of 2024. happy new year to everyone
This is my last book of 2024. happy new year to everyone
August 3, 2022
Review for The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
“They are all mad,” thought he, “all mad—but wonderfully decent.”
Review for this collection overall is 4.5 stars
I have read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before and to this day it is one of my favorite stories but I had not read the other ones in this collection before
The strange case of dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- 5 stars one of the saddest stories I have ever read but really phenomenal writing. I absolutely love this story very much of good and evil self.
The Bottle Imp- interesting but not as good as the first story 4 stars
Markheim- 5 stars thought the ending was done really well
The beach of Falesa - 5 wtf the was that???
Thawn Janet- 3.5 stars what good story is not complete without a good a mention of the devil
The isle of voices- just the title alone is a chef’s kiss 5 stars what a mother fucking ending
Will o’ the mill- 5 stars for the descriptions alone go off king we love a good description of scenery. The proposal??? fucking cute.
The Body snatcher- 5 I think this story is about a cannibal but I’m kinda confused also 5 for the title alone.
Providence and The Guitar- 5 stars for this line and this line alone “The stage is not the only course,” said Léon. be a sculptor, be dancer, be a poet or a novelist; follow your heart, in short, and do thorough work before you die.”
The Enchantress- 3 seemingly interesting???
“They are all mad,” thought he, “all mad—but wonderfully decent.”
Review for this collection overall is 4.5 stars
I have read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde before and to this day it is one of my favorite stories but I had not read the other ones in this collection before
The strange case of dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- 5 stars one of the saddest stories I have ever read but really phenomenal writing. I absolutely love this story very much of good and evil self.
The Bottle Imp- interesting but not as good as the first story 4 stars
Markheim- 5 stars thought the ending was done really well
The beach of Falesa - 5 wtf the was that???
Thawn Janet- 3.5 stars what good story is not complete without a good a mention of the devil
The isle of voices- just the title alone is a chef’s kiss 5 stars what a mother fucking ending
Will o’ the mill- 5 stars for the descriptions alone go off king we love a good description of scenery. The proposal??? fucking cute.
The Body snatcher- 5 I think this story is about a cannibal but I’m kinda confused also 5 for the title alone.
Providence and The Guitar- 5 stars for this line and this line alone “The stage is not the only course,” said Léon. be a sculptor, be dancer, be a poet or a novelist; follow your heart, in short, and do thorough work before you die.”
The Enchantress- 3 seemingly interesting???
December 17, 2013
I have been trying to read the classics and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is now on the list of the classics I've read. I'm glad I did.
There has been a number of what is called a "classic" that I cannot figure out why they would even be considered one in the first place, but I really did like this book. I think it stands the test of time very well, and while everyone is familiar with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, I found myself very drawn into the excellent narrating and it was not what I was expecting.
I do wonder why the height and stature of Edward Hyde was changed so dramatically over the times when in the book, he was originally very small and slight, smaller than Dr. Henry Jekyll. That reminds me of the story of Frankenstein's monster. A pet peeve of mine is that the monster is always called Frankenstein when he didn't even have a name; Frankenstein was the name of the doctor who created the monster.
I do wish more description was given to the evil deeds of Edward Hyde, but I suppose what was given helped the mystery and horror associated with his character. It's just the curious nature in me that wonders what all he did.
Good book!
There has been a number of what is called a "classic" that I cannot figure out why they would even be considered one in the first place, but I really did like this book. I think it stands the test of time very well, and while everyone is familiar with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, I found myself very drawn into the excellent narrating and it was not what I was expecting.
I do wonder why the height and stature of Edward Hyde was changed so dramatically over the times when in the book, he was originally very small and slight, smaller than Dr. Henry Jekyll. That reminds me of the story of Frankenstein's monster. A pet peeve of mine is that the monster is always called Frankenstein when he didn't even have a name; Frankenstein was the name of the doctor who created the monster.
I do wish more description was given to the evil deeds of Edward Hyde, but I suppose what was given helped the mystery and horror associated with his character. It's just the curious nature in me that wonders what all he did.
Good book!
August 30, 2014
I want to keep this short and sweet. Stevenson is a world class writer. His best stories are usually set in the pacific. He is dark, but he is very precise, sharper than the English authors, but it is perhaps too sharp and it often reader like vapor, instead of something tangible. Nevertheless, you can tell that he has a mastery of speech to the fullest degree. He writes classy. However, believe it or not, Aldous Huxley writes even classier. The Scottish writers are not far inferior to the English. If we take Stevenson as their representative, they are almost as good.
March 31, 2017
3.5 For a classic I really didn't like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Rather I really enjoyed The Bottle Imp, Will o the mill, The body snatcher, Providence and the Guitar, and The Enchantress. However he had some questionable remarks and writings about Native Islanders and Women. But I think as he went on in his writing career he was a bit more not negative in his writings. Unfortunately in that time there was horrible views on people who weren't white men. Oh have things really changed? But I don't think I will forget the Bottle Imp or the Enchantress anytime soon.
November 10, 2019
Since this was a compilation of short stories, I have mixed feeling about it. Some of the stories were really well done, really well written, and had great plots. Some of them were quite weird. They all were creative though, and I came to notice Stevenson's concise and creative way of telling things and his magical, sometimes horrorish themes. Some of these stories I really enjoyed reading and got a lot from, some of them I do think I took very little from and enjoyed vey little, most of them fall somewhere in between.
May 29, 2025
I really read this book for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a gripping tale that may have earned 4 stars on its own, but I felt I must rate the book as a whole. What unites these stories was an underlying feeling of dread, but all were unique. I can appreciate Stevenson's imaginative range. Some of the stories packed a punch (Markheim), or were beautifully described (Will o' the Mill), others I just didn't care for (The Enchantress), or maybe I missed the point (The Body Snatcher). I'm glad to have read this, but I don't tend to enjoy reading short story collections as one book.
May 12, 2020
Overall, I never realized how diverse Stevenson was as a writer with Polynesian folklore, a Scottish yarn, elements of French and suspense to rival Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Really most excellent; each a thoroughly satisfying page-turner. I'm still trying to puzzle out the details of "Thrawn Janet," but it, too, was fascinating (and just the right length). The one that spoke to me most, by far, was "Will O' the Mill" with all his wistful and no-nonsense elements.
June 9, 2016
Interesting, though Jekyll and Hyde itself was kind of disappointing. Stevenson had a very wide-ranging imagination (and I'm intrigued about his personal life-- did he spend a lot of time at sea? Did he know the South Pacific personally?)
February 18, 2016
I enjoyed "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" as well as the shorter story "The Bottle Imp," but lost interest in the third story "Markheim," which, though relatively short, I could not summon up the motivation to press on to finish, though I tried repeatedly.
September 12, 2014
Particularly good: Markheim, Will o' the Mill, Providence and the Guitar, The Enchantress.
The others were alright.
The others were alright.
May 18, 2022
to be fair, I only read Jekyll and Hyde out of this, and it was pretty good! I bit difficult to get through, but there were some funny bits and the ending was worth it.
November 20, 2022
Some good
Read
May 24, 2024Stories include:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Bottle Imp
Markheim
The Body Snatcher
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Bottle Imp
Markheim
The Body Snatcher
June 19, 2024
Loved the last few stories. Some of the racial prejudices were hard to swallow, but the stories were pretty well written and had interesting messages. Loved Will O' the Mill.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews