Book info

• Title The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Author Robert Louis Stevenson
• Year 1886
• Genre Horror

Stevenson's famous exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil has become synonymous with the idea of a split personality. More than a moral tale, this dark psychological fantasy is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution, criminality, and secret lives.

Thoughts

I have been aware of the idea of Jekyll and Hyde, the two-faced aspect of it, but I didn’t know the actual story. I wasn’t actually aware the source material was so short, and it was a surprise to be able to get through it so quickly, much as it was with Sleepy Hollow.

The story was a lot tamer than my wild imagination had pictured. Rather than some strange mythical two-faced or two-headed being, it was simply the mystery of two men who were never seen in the same room at the same time. I really enjoyed it, all the way through the mystery, and through the big reveal at the end. I felt sorry for Jekyll, forced to admit defeat and succumb to a fate without knowing what it was.

Very intriguing, and I can see why the imagery and concept has resonated with people - in whatever form - for so long.

Rating: 5 / 5