Published as a "shilling shocker", Robert Louis Stevenson's dark psychological fantasy gave birth to the idea of the split personality. The story of respectable Dr Jekyll's strange association with "damnable young man" Edward Hyde; the hunt through fog bound London for a killer; and the final revelation of Hyde's true identity is a chilling exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil.
The other stories in this volume also testify to Stevenson's inventiveness within the Gothic genre: 'Olalla', a tale of vampirism and tainted family blood, and 'The Body Snatcher', a gruesome fictionalisation of the exploits of the notorious Burke and Hare.
This edition contains a critical introduction by Robert Mighall, which discusses class, criminality and the significance of the story's London setting. It also includes an essay on the scientific contexts of the novel and the development of the idea of the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality.
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Along with Frankenstein and Dracula, this is one of the pinnacles of classic Gothic fiction. A short and sweet tale, it explores the depths of human existence and the descent into insanity. It also helps that in comes in a beautiful edition with six other stories by Stevenson (including Treasure Island!) - Sean (QBD)
Guest, 21/03/2019
