One of Robert Louis Stevenson's bestselling works, a brilliantly vivid and original story
In one of the most fascinating works of fiction of all time, Stevenson examines the inner conflict between good and evil.
Lawyer Gabriel Utterson hears of an ambiguous, solitary, violent man called Edward Hyde, who is said to have trampled over a young girl in the street, leaving her bruised and terrified. Utterson becomes concerned when a friend of his, Dr Henry Jekyll, makes a will declaring that in the event of his death or disappearance, Hyde should inherit all his property. When Hyde is seen killing a respected political figure, Jekyll becomes increasingly reclusive, which leads Utterson to suspect that there is more than a casual connection between his friend and this brutal 'apelike' monster of a man...
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. The son of a prosperous civil engineer, he was expected to follow the family profession, but was allowed to study law at Edinburgh University. Stevenson reacted strongly against the Presbyterian respectability of the city's professional classes and this led to painful clashes with his parents. In his early twenties he determined to become a professional writer.
The effects of the often harsh Scottish climate on his poor health forced him to spend long periods abroad. After a great deal of travelling he eventually settled in Samoa, where he died on 3 December 1894.