Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is an 1886 Gothic horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde. The story is a profound exploration of the duality of human nature, examining the internal struggle between good and evil that exists within every person.
The novella was written during an intense burst of creativity, with Stevenson reportedly composing the first draft in just three days before burning it and rewriting it in another three to six days. It was published on 5 January 1886 by Longmans, Green & Co. and became an immediate commercial and critical success. The story was partly inspired by the real-life figure of Deacon William Brodie, an 18th-century Edinburgh cabinet-maker and city councillor who led a secret double life as a burglar.
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is one of the most famous pieces of English literature and is considered a defining work of the gothic horror genre. The phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" has entered the English vernacular to describe someone with an outwardly good but sometimes shockingly evil nature. The novella has had an enormous impact on popular culture and has been adapted countless times for stage, radio, film, and television.
