The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a short novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in 1886.
Set in Victorian-era London, the story stars lawyer Utterson. He is conversing with a friend about an encounter with a strangely unnerving and repulsive being.
At that point Utterson begins an investigation and tries to piece together the identity of the strange being known as Mr. Hyde and an old friend of his, Dr. Jekyll.
In barely a hundred pages, Stevenson makes an analysis of human nature and the dualism present in every human being between good and evil. He also addresses issues such as morality and scientific ethics.
"Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable."
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 72
- Reading time
- 2 hours 10 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1886
- Language
- English
- Downloads
- 4,892
140 years later, still timely
Why Read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 2026?
A respectable doctor designs a shortcut around conscience and meets his shadow in full. “Jekyll and Hyde” condenses secrecy, addiction, and self-splitting into a swift, eerie fable. Short enough for one sitting; sharp enough to haunt your sense of responsibility.
Today's connection
The book reads like a case study in compartmentalization: curated public selves versus unmanaged impulse. Its London—doors, fog, after-hours—mirrors moral fog. For contemporary readers, it frames questions about enhancement, anonymity, and rationalization. Bring it to discussions of ethics in medicine and tech, or to classrooms exploring unreliable narration. The suspense still works; the metaphor still cuts.
Shadow literacy
Seeing the split self helps resist easy alibis.
City after dark
Streets and doors make secrecy feel physical.
Tight, tense design
A compact build magnifies dread and consequence.
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About the author
Robert Louis Stevenson
Adventure with psychological bite and elegant pace; bright islands and darker streets.
If this one stays with you…
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From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Jekyll had more than a father's interest; Hyde had more than a son's indifference.
The large handsome face of Dr. Jekyll grew pale to the very lips, and there came a blackness about his eyes. “I do not care to hear more,” said he. “This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop.
Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation.
A purse and gold watch were found upon the victim: but no cards or papers, except a sealed and stamped envelope, which he had been probably carrying to the post, and which bore the name and address of Mr. Utterson.
You must suffer me to go my own dark way.