The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Kathleen Olmstead (adapter), Robert Louis Stevenson, Jamel Akib (Illustrations)

A single person—but with two personalities: one that’s noble and kind and another that’s pure, repulsive evil. Robert Louis Stevenson’s engrossing masterpiece about the dual nature of man—and a good doctor whose thirst for knowledge has tragic consequences—serves up all the suspense and satisfying chills one expects from the best horror and science fiction.

Genres: Classics, Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens

160 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2006

About the author

Kathleen Olmstead is the author of several Classic Starts books, including Anne of Avonlea and Moby Dick, as well as Jacques Cousteau: A Life Under the Sea and Matthew Henson: The Quest for the North Pole, both in the Sterling Biographies series.

Reviews

[The Bibliophile Doctor]

This was one weird read. It's kind of narrative about the complexities of science & the duplicity of human nature.

“Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm. ”

Story is told through POV of a lawyer Mr Utterson who has no clue as to who is Mr Hyde and his connection with Dr Jekyll.

Throughout the book, characters are confused about duality of human nature. We as a part of society, repress the bad or evil qualities & implore everyone to bring out good ones. But is it always possible? For normal people? Or for those who have great ambitions in life?

" I learned to recognise the thorough and 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.”

We human beings always have been on a quest to discover something new, while in the process we lose things that should matter the most to us, without realisation of what trap we are falling into or sometimes even digging up our own grave along the way. Ain't pollution and nuclear weapons perfect examples of man's greed?

“If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.”

As Newton's third law says : For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Sometimes a man's desire for achievements rather than an innate degradation in his soul is responsible for drawing a wedge in his conscience.

A must read this one.

[kanira]

"if he shall be Mr. Hyde, i shall be Mr. Seek!"
iconic lmao.

[Alia]

"Over time I had succeeded in dividing the two sides of my nature, the good and the evil. I wish I was in no sense a liar, as both sides of me were true."
I like this book. Because it tells you that in life, you may have an evil side, and a good side.
Though, I find it a bit confusing but I read it again.

[Angelica Nagy]

I have always wanted to read the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Wonderful book. It would have been a 5 star book, the only issue I had with it was how abruptly it ended. I felt cheated out of Mr. Utterson's final thoughts on his dear friend Dr. Jekyll and his descent into mad scientist. However, we are left reeling with unanswered questions at the end of Dr. Jekyll's signed confession.

[Belén]

3.75⭐ El final mejoró todo el libro.

[MeenaG]

I am so happy my library had this book, it's one of my favourite classics.
The story is such fun to follow and see how it unfolds. Love this story and the interesting characters.

[Gaby Casares]

2.5 ⭐️
The OG concept for the substance movie. Older type English writing so a bit clunky but super short so it’s worth it.

[Eli Gaudeus]

Langere versie had beter geweest

[Luc Dantes]

I guess it is worth more stars than this as it is targeted at a younger audience. I started reading it in the classroom with my students and they might be better judges but alas I left the school before conpleting it with them and this have finished reading it on my own. The discussion topics at the end are nice for the classroom but yeah, the story was kind of underwhelming, especially as the ending is already common knowledge.

[ainunsailah]

Saya masih berharap saya membaca buku ini tanpa saya pernah mendengar cerita tentangnya dari teman. Membaca buku misteri dalam keadaan kamu sudah tahu akan jalan ceritanya bukanlah satu misteri. Perasaan teruja dan rasa ingin tahu mengendur.

Cerita ini tentang hakikat manusia. Yang sememangnya ada sisi baik dan buruk. Kerana pada kita ada malaikat dan syaitan. Ada nafsu dan iman. Kerana itu sebagai Muslim, kita diingatkan dengan sifat Munafik. Berkelakuan baik di hadapan manusia dan bermalasan bila sendirian. Menyedari sifat Munafik dan kehinaannya buat kita berusaha mengubah diri. Mahu sentiasa jujur. Kerana yang mahu kita persembahkan segala amalan adalah kepada Dia Yang Mengetahui.

Dan kehidupan Dr Jekyll adalah kehidupan kita. Yang ada sisi baik dan jahat. Beza kita dan dia, kita percaya penyelesaiannya adalah pada diri sendiri, cenderung ke arah spiritual dan tidak pula kita cuba rungkaikan secara saintifik dan logika akal. Ternyata Mr Hyde lagi cepat berkembang dan sedikit demi sedikit menidakkan Dr Jekyll. Dan itu juga kita. Sisi baik sentiasa penat, lambat, menyusahkan. Sisi jahat sentiasa kelihatan mudah dan menyeronokkan. Tapi kita percaya akan mujahadah.

Kalau dalam cerita ini Mr Hyde menang dan menguasai. Kita kembali merenung diri kita. Sama ada Dr Jekyll yang sedang menang atau Mr Hyde sedang menguasai. Antara iman dan nafsu. Pilihan sentiasa di tangan kita.

[Jessica Kumala]

Very easy to read and fascinating.
I really do think that the Classic Starts is a good way to help young readers to build the love of reading.

[Psycho4icecream]

This is a really interesting take on how much it costs you to repress who you really are. Unlike most mass media interpretations that take Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be a case of DID, this novella really just argues that they were never separate beings. They're the same person with different aspects inhibited. As Hyde, Jekyll abandons any rational thought and social contracts to self-maximise. That split exists because Jekyll's perception of himself never allowed room for darker impulses, he had to be the good philanthropist, never jealous, never cruel. So those suppressed ideas built up until he needed an alternate reality just to release them.

That's why I believe Dr. Jekyll was a villain, he didn't exactly "stumble" into evil. He deliberately created Hyde to access urges he already had and enjoyed indulging. Every time, the choice to drink was his.

Lanyon's account is especially important to understanding this, because witnessing Hyde transform into Jekyll is the first time we get actual credence to the idea that the two are one and the same, which is exactly why Jekyll sent pre-written instructions, confessing directly could risk Hyde resurfacing and destroying the evidence, and for as much of a rationalist Lanyon was, words alone could not convince him. I guess it also explains retroactively why Lanyon acted so strange and refused to discuss Jekyll.

By the end, as Hyde grows dominant, Jekyll fades and can only surface briefly. His suicide was the only way to destroy the system (himself) that let Hyde exist at all.

As for moral criticism, maybe it's because one person very important to me has recently gone through the hard work of becoming sober, I believe it's complicated to say where the responsibility lies, the addictive substance is what you've used to cope for so long and feel comfortable. Still, Jekyll made the potion, and he kept choosing to drink it. It feels like a bit of an addiction allegory, they feel good in the moment, but there needed to be an ongoing choice made to keep indulging it despite the cost.

[Rachael (this_rachael_reads)]

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those classics that has had such a huge impact on literature that I already knew the big twist before I ever opened the book. Unfortunately, I think that took away a lot of the mystery and suspense the story was originally meant to have.

I can absolutely appreciate what Robert Louis Stevenson accomplished. The themes of duality, morality, and the darker side of human nature are still fascinating today, and it’s easy to see why this novella has remained a classic for well over a century.

That said, I never found myself fully invested. The pacing felt slow at times, and because I already knew where the story was headed, I wasn’t left with that sense of shock or discovery that readers must have experienced when the story first released.

I’m glad I finally read it, and I can appreciate its importance and influence, but it wasn’t a favorite for me. I think readers going in without knowing the famous twist will probably have a much different experience than I did.

[Sebastian José]

The novel mysterious novel exhibits the theme of "Good v. Evil" and the two sides of one man, as Jekyll (the good) was trying to compress Hyde (the evil) from taking over his body, and that also shows what the "dissociative identity disorder" is capable of. It was intriguing to see how the mystery was solved, and how you can see not so similar scenarios of the second personality of someone murdering or causing malicious acts, but how many people alter their way of being in front of someone, and be completely distinct with others. I would 95% recommend this book, as it just wouldn't serve as entertainment, but create a new perspective on the way you see or think of others. The 'downside' I've found while reading it is that it might sound a bit vague at first or throughout some parts.

[Denyse Springs]

Not going to lie this is probably one of my favorite young adult / children's book I've read and are very long time. I love the plot twist of the idea that Dr Jekyll was in fact actually Mr Hyde. And the fact that every story and person is connected somehow was also very nice to read the letters and the twists and turns that each characters opinion and thought brought to the overall case was really nice and it kept me engaged which is very hard for me to do when reading old children's book that I used to read as a child.

[Liv]

This completely differed from my expectations, in a very refreshing way. I’d never read the book previously, just knew the basic outline from where it’s been referenced in other media or culture. I also appreciated the short but sweet length—it didn’t need to be a longer book, and I personally don’t think it would’ve been improved. While I found the narrative challenging to follow at times (it’s a little dense), I’d still recommend it.

[Henry Piskie]

A pleasant, yet short read. Oh to have read this not knowing the absolutely famous, widely known plot twist at the end of the story. Enjoyed the novel’s atmosphere and the opportunity and space for analysis that I found in Jekyll’s character. Wouldn’t mind reading again someday to look for all the clues the author left leading up to his big reveal
7/10

[Chan Enya]

This book is about step in the strange world of Dr Henry Jekyll, a handsome and respected physician; the hideous and vile Edward Hyde; and Mr Utterson, Jakyll's friend and lawyer.Here beneath the rain and the fog the dark London Streets locks a shooting secret waiting to be revealed.

[F.Febri M.]

Wonderful book.
Hanya saja saya berharap ada akhir tentang apa yang dipikirkan sang pengacara. Meskipun tidak ada, buku ini tetap sangat bagus dengan akhir dari pengakuan dr. Jekyll.
Buku klasik yang membahas dua identitas dalam satu tubuh. That's look like DID in real life.

[Deepa Shukla Torchia]

Read it with my 11-year old son and his reaction at the big reveal was priceless! Very enjoyable to read with someone who was innocent as to the story of Jekyll and Hyde. Perfectly written rendition for his age and a handful of juicy illustrations to boot!

[✰matthew✰]

didn’t think this would be my thing but i found this book randomly in my house so i read it and was pleasantly surprised.

read it in a day, partially as this editions adapted for children but also because i found it interesting and gripping, i wanted to read on to see what would happen next !!

[William Ellingsworth]

A very nice abridged version of the classic story…Adapted in a style that makes for a good introduction into Classic Horror with a sensibility for the younger reader. A great way to introduce a child into the joy of reading.

[Kasey Bahr]

Was a fun abridgement of the story. Kinda made me want to read the original, but maybe another time. I definitely got the just of this story being a horror story. I really liked it and the thoughts it provoked in me.

[Tammy]

I've never read the book before, but I've seen movie adaptations of the story. They are not the same. The book is much better (as is usually the case). The book lets your imagination do the work. Short read that is worth it.

[Dakota Smith]

Fascinating, lots in common with the book The Picture of Doran Gray by Oscar Wilde.

[Joanna’s Reading Rainbow]

This version of the story felt too clean and maybe even censored. I expected more, but it’s my fault for reading a retelling rather than the original — but it is what was available at the time. I’ll just have to read the original and compare.

[Cathy Leslie]

I have loved this story since I was a kid. This book is well written; the author makes the story understandable for younger audiences. I love this entire collection of classic starts.

[siemanatalia jestem]

honestly w ogole nie sluchakam ale mysle se gdybym sluchala to byloby to nawet 5/5 ale to bylo takie boring ze bez jaj. naprawde nie sluchalam aiem tylko ze kto kogos zabil lol

[Olivia]

Brought me back to my childhood 😌

[vlada]

“If I am the chief of sinners I am the chief of sufferers also”