The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Stevenson's famous exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil, "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," has become synonymous with the idea of a split personality. More than a morality tale, this dark psychological fantasy is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution, criminality, and secret lives. Also in this volume are "The Body Snatcher," which charts the murky underside of Victorian medical practice, and "Olalla," a tale of vampirism and "the beast within," with a beautiful woman at its center.

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The Dual Nature of Man.

By New Age of Barbarism "zosimos" - October 11, 2006

_The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror_, in the Penguin Classics series, consists of three tales by Robert Louis Stevenson, an essay by Stevenson, as well as an introduction and "diagnosis of Dr. Jekyll" by the editor Robert Mighall. Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish writer in the Victorian period who grew up to a strict Presbyterian upbringing which would lead him to become obsessed with sin, the nature of evil, and death throughout much of his life. Originally Stevenson wrote adventure tales and stories of pirates (_Treasure Island_ for example); however, he was to turn his writing talents to tales of horror and the supernatural, particularly with the stories seen here. Stevenson wrote these stories to be read during the Christmas season (one traditionally associated with the supernatural and tales of dread). While Stevenson was much influenced by his own strict upbringing, he also was influenced by the various evolutionary theories of... read more

Excellent edition of a classic tale

By Steven Reynolds - June 24, 2005

Stevenson's famous "shilling shocker" from 1886 has almost been distilled into a diagnostic commonplace. The notion of the "Jekyll & Hyde" personality has become a shorthand description for someone who leads a psychological double-life. Stevenson's tale dwells on the dangers of duplicity and addiction, and the unpredictable consequences of starting down the slippery slope: once you start giving in to the darker half of your nature, it isn't always possible to go back. The idea is well known, generally from the numerous screen adaptations, but the original story isn't. It's well worth reading, especially in this fine edition from Penguin. Apart from including some lesser known tales from Stevenson, editor Robert Mighall provides detailed notes, an excellent introduction, and a fascinating final essay entitled, "Diagnosing Jekyll: the Scientific Context to Dr Jekyll's Experiment and Mr Hyde's Embodiment". This essay situates Stevenson's tale in the context of nineteenth-century... read more

Go seek Hyde

By Johnny Heering "trivia buff" - June 26, 2003

The original version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is much different than you would expect, if you haven't read it before. It plays out as a mystery of sorts. A lawyer friend of Jekyll tries to find out what the relationship is between the respectable Dr Jekyll and the lowlife Mr Hyde. It is not revealed until near the end of the story that they are in fact the same man. Of course, nowadays everyone is aware of that before they have even read this story. Naturally, a lot of the suspense of the story is lost due to this. Still, this story became a classic for a reason and is well worth a read. And it's short too, for you kids looking for a short book to read for a book report. There are two other suspense stories by Stevenson included here, too. These two are not classics, but they are also enjoyable.

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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The Dual Nature of Man.

Excellent edition of a classic tale

Go seek Hyde

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales (Oxford World's Classics)