Synopsis
A lawyer in Victorian London tries to understand the nature of the strange relationship between his physician friend and the cruel and violent man he seems to protect. Illustrated sidebar notes provide historical background to the text.
Dr. Jekyll, a brilliant scientist, is transformed by a self-administered drug into the twisted Mr. Hyde, the incarnation of evil. Presented in comic book format.
In Robert Louis Stevenson's nightmarish, suspenseful, and deeply disturbing novel, Dr. Jekyll experiments with a drug that splits his personality into good and evil elements. Gradually, he loses control of the process and finds himself slipping more and more frequently into the guise of the evil and depraved Hyde. Finally, Hyde is accused of murder, and the good doctor, tormented by the struggle between good and evil that he embodies, is forced into an act of violence by his tortured conscience. Narrated by several onlookers, as well as by Jekyll himself, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, one of the earliest "horror" tales (1886), is arguably the most famous horror story ever written; the concept of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to signify a split personality has become deeply embedded in the public consciousness, even for those who have never read the book. It has, of course, been dramatized numerous times in numerous ways; it has prompted many interpretations since its publication in 1886, including the view that it was a precursor of Freud's work on the ego and the libido. Stevenson wrote the novel in a fever, finishing it in less than three days while he was deathly ill with tuberculosis. He lived, however, eight more years, dying in Samoa at the age of 44.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1985-07-01 | | Edition Description: | Reissue |
| Size | | Height: | 7.0 in | | Width: | 4.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.2 in | | Weight: | 2.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
Dr. Jekyll's dual nature is revealed when he becomes the evil Mr. Hyde by night. Includes biographical data about the author.
Robert Louis Stevenson originally wrote Dr. Jekyll And Mr Hyde as a "chilling shocker." He then burned the draft and, upon his wifes advice, rewrote it as the darkly complex tale it is today. Stark, skillfully woven, this fascinating novel explores the curious turnings of human character through the strange case of Dr. Jekyll, a kindly scientist who by night takes on his stunted evil self, Mr. Hyde. Anticipating modern psychology, Jekyll And Hyde is a brilliantly original study of man's dual nature -- as well as an immortal tale of suspense and terror. Published in 1866, Jekyll And Hyde was an instant success and brought Stevenson his first taste of fame. Though sometimes dismissed as a mere mystery story, the book has evoked much literary admirations. Vladimir Nabokov likened it to Madame Bovary and Dead Souls as "a fable that lies nearer to poetry than to ordinary prose fiction."
Industry Reviews
"['Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'] is not only a good 'bogey story'...it belongs to the same order of art as 'Madame Bovary' or 'Dead Souls'."
Vladimir Nabokov
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