Author Robert Louis Stevenson is believed to have had a somewhat volatile relationship with the story of Jekyll and Hyde. It is believed that the initial concept was based on a dream that he had about the transformation of a man into his evil doppelgänger. Stevenson is believed to have then then written the first draft in a feverish hurry, completing it in only a few days, only to reportedly burn it and force himself to start over again. A classic gothic horror story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the earliest, and arguably the most famous, example of the “split personality” story. It has been adapted dozens of time for theatre and film.
HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
Poet and novelist Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was the author of a number of classic books for young readers, including Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr. Stevenson was often ill as a child and spent much of his youth confined to his nursery, where he first began to compose stories even before he could read, and where he was cared for by his nanny, Alison Cunningham, to whom A Child's Garden of Verses is dedicated.