The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by RL Stevenson

By nature everyone has a darker side. Imagine if your darker side came out to play more often.

Robert Louis Stevenson's story about a revolutionary scientist who unleashes the darker side of himself through a special drug has become a timeless horror classic.

Writing long before psychologists broke down our personalities into common knowledge, Stevenson's idea about the curious sides of human nature was groundbreaking.

Roaming the fog-ridden streets of uncivilised London at night, Mr Hyde unleashes the most violent and horrific cruelties on those he meets. Dr Jekyll's friends try to save him, unaware they are attempting to rescue him from himself. Cut off from the rest of the world by his nightly walks and the part of the city he chooses to live, Dr Jekyll immerses himself in the other half of life with awful consequences.

This novella - a story that is shorter than a novel - is so famous most people know the ending. Its chilling dialogue from both characters adds to its horror and fascination. But when it was written it was a shocking tale of good versus evil that kept Victorian readers on the edge of their seats.

Review by The BoB Committee