The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" intrigued me with its exploration of the duality within human nature with gay undertones. Stevenson’s novella is more than just a gothic horror story—it delves into the darkness that resides in everyone, questioning whether we can truly control our baser instincts.

The story's atmosphere is chilling, with fog-drenched streets and shadowy corners that mirror Dr. Jekyll’s inner turmoil. I admired how Stevenson used suspense and ambiguity, revealing Mr. Hyde’s true nature gradually, which made the story even more haunting. In the end, it’s a cautionary tale about repression and the dangers… show more.

I read this one when I was very young, too. Around eight or nine, I think. I grew up in a reading household, and my parents never suggested a book was too old for me. This one is Stevenson at his creepiest, scariest best.

The idea that a person could completely change their personality and turn into a homicidal manic just by drinking a potion often invaded my dreams. If I were in a wicked mood, I’d read excerpts to my brother, who was about four at the time. Hey, why should I be the only one afraid to go… show more.

A classic that, in my opinion, lives up to the hype. Why is it on this list? It’s an iconic example of a story that would never have been written were it not for the literary gates opened 68 years before by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

I particularly liked that although short, this story is in no rush to reveal this or that the way it most certainly would be if written today. I find myself rereading details and descriptions when faced with any issue that presents a duality. Books like this that live far outside their own pages, ones… show more.

I know plenty of people have seen film adaptations of this story, but in Stevenson’s novel, the drug takes on a larger, more sinister role. In the story, Dr. Jekyll – a respected and well-meaning scientist – creates a drug that can alter his personality to allow his baser, more evil elements to come to the surface. It essentially summons his “alter-ego” Mr. Hyde. As the good doctor becomes more and more dependent on the drug, his evil counterpart becomes more and more the prominent personality. At its surface, the novel is a classic exploration of good vs. evil, but… show more.

This was a story I first read as a little kid after first reading Treasure Island by the same author. It is a narrative about the complexities of science and the duplicity of human nature. Dr. Jekyll is a kind, well-respected and intelligent scientist who meddles with the darker side of science, as he wants to bring out his 'second' nature which leads up to a twist at the end. Kind of like having an evil twin but not really. This book inspired a character in my story that is the backbone of the whole tale and wouldn’t really work… show more.

Dr. Jekyll’s point of view triggers so much in me, I couldn’t leave his story off the list. I’m currently obsessed with Integrated Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is all about everyone having different parts. IFS posits that none of these parts are bad, but when Dr. Jekyll cleaves himself into disparate halves, his Mr. Hyde runs amok and is very much characterized as evil. Hyde’s a clear allegory for addiction and rage. Other qualities, like sex, are unfortunately largely ignored. Reading this through a modern lens, I longed for messages of integration (rather than the judgey disintegration that follows).… show more.