The book which put Stevenson's name in the mouth of the ' man in the street,' lifted him at a single bound to a place among men of the time and, by the still greater sensation which it created in America, led to the large income which soon afterwards he drew from the United States. The ear of a great public to whom his earlier writings were unknown was captured by this intense picture of the elements of good and evil in man's nature. It was hailed from pulpits and in the religious press as a great moral parable; though its moral quality, on close analysis, is seen to be more an illusion, due to the art of its writing, than the essence of the fable. Reduced to its simplest formula Jekyll and Hyde is a cry of terror at the potency for evil latent in the human soul. Such moral force as it has depends upon its assault on the nerves, not on its appeal to the heart. If not thus interpreted by the preachers of the time, it yet served the purpose of moving their hearers by the spectacle of the evil partner in the human ego, indulged in a moment ' when virtue slumbered,' coming in the end to destroy the good.

Everyone has a dark side. Dr Jekyll has discovered the ultimate drug. A chemical that can turn him into something else. Suddenly, he can unleash his deepest cruelties in the guise of the sinister Hyde. Transforming himself at will, he roams the streets of fog-bound London as his monstrous alter-ego. It seems he is master of his fate. It seems he is in complete control. But soon he will discover that his double life comes at a hideous price...

An abridged version of the tale of a kind and well-respected doctor who can turn himself into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug he has created.

In Robert Louis Stevenson's influential novel of mad science and criminal inquiry, attorney Gabriel John Utterson comes to the aid of Dr. Henry Jekyll, an old friend, only to find himself dragged from a world of genial hospitality into London's foreboding night, which is shrouded in shadows and fog—and stalked by the deranged Edward Hyde. Utterson's quest for truth is not only a detective story laden with twists, but an intense meditation on man's inherently dualistic nature, written in a style that often combines disturbing violence with restrained language typical of the Victorian era.

This dark psychological fantasy is more than a moral tale. It is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution and criminality and the secret lives behind Victorian propriety, to create a unique form of urban Gothic.

Retold with stunning modern illustration and design from award-winning illustrator Tina Berning, enjoy Robert Louis Stevenson's gripping exploration of the duality of human nature in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The haunting, colorful interpretation of this classic gothic tale follows London lawyer Gabriel John Utterson as he investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde. “All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil.” –Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Classics Reimagined series is a library of stunning collector's editions of unabridged classic novels illustrated by contemporary artists from around the world. Each artist offers his or her own unique, visual interpretation of the most well-loved, widely read, and avidly collected literature from renowned authors. From Frankenstein to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and from Jane Austen to Edgar Allan Poe, art lovers and book collectors alike will not be able to resist owning the whole collection.