The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde cover

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevenson

1886 · Gothic horror

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Free to read in your browser. Public-domain edition from Project Gutenberg, illustrated as you read.

About This Book

Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a short Victorian novella that reads like a brisk moral mystery. Told largely through the perspective of Dr. Henry Jekyll’s friend and lawyer Gabriel John Utterson and through recovered documents, the book unfolds as a sequence of encounters, testimonies, and confessions that probe a single disturbing set of events in London. The story begins with a disturbing sighting by Mr. Enfield—a sinister man named Edward Hyde slipping through a back door after an unexplained episode—and Utterson’s subsequent concern when he reads Jekyll’s will, which oddly protects Hyde. Utterson traces a trail from Hyde to Jekyll’s household, consults an authoritative friend, Dr. Lanyon, and witnesses growing unease: a brutal street crime, the baffling presence of Hyde in Jekyll’s affairs, a startling letter, and Jekyll’s increasing withdrawal. Multiple characters—Utterson, Enfield, Lanyon, the servant Poole, and the investigator Newcomen—piece together signs of a conflict that feels both legal and uncanny. The novella’s structure—fragmentary reports, eyewitness accounts, and a final personal statement—keeps readers piecing events together. Its enduring appeal lies in how it frames a psychological drama as a detective puzzle, inviting readers to weigh reputation, responsibility, and the limits of scientific curiosity.

Characters in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

  • Henry Jekyll from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitHenry JekyllA widely respected London physician and scientist, Henry Jekyll is the gracious center of a social circle that includes lawyer Gabriel Utterson. His private experiments into the nature of the self set the novel’s mystery in motion and embody its exploration of human duality, reputation, and moral responsibility within strict Victorian society.
  • Edward Hyde from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitEdward HydeEdward Hyde is a sinister figure who suddenly appears in London society, radiating cruelty and menace and becoming entangled with the respectable Dr. Jekyll. His violent impulses and secretive habits drive the central mystery, exposing the fragile boundary between civility and vice and forcing other characters to question what evil might look like when stripped of social disguise.
  • Gabriel John Utterson from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitGabriel John UttersonGabriel John Utterson is Dr. Jekyll’s close friend and attorney, serving as the story’s steady moral and observational anchor. Level‑headed and skeptical, he pieces together troubling clues surrounding Jekyll and the sinister Mr. Hyde, guiding readers through the mystery with a rational, compassionate perspective that contrasts with the tale’s darker elements.
  • Hastie Lanyon from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitHastie LanyonDr. Hastie Lanyon is a respected London physician and former close friend of Dr. Jekyll, representing orthodox, empirical science in contrast to Jekyll’s more speculative pursuits. Though estranged from Jekyll over scientific disagreements, he becomes entangled in the central mystery and ultimately serves as a crucial witness whose account clarifies the story’s scientific and moral stakes.
  • Mr. Enfield from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitMr. EnfieldMr. Enfield is Mr. Utterson’s kinsman and walking companion whose anecdote about a troubling nighttime incident introduces the sinister figure linked to Dr. Jekyll and sets the investigation in motion. As a socially connected observer, he represents respectable Victorian society, helping frame themes of reputation, secrecy, and the limits of polite knowledge without occupying the center of the mystery.
  • Poole from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitPoolePoole is Dr. Jekyll’s long-serving butler, a loyal and discreet household steward who manages the doctor’s home and guards access to the laboratory. His conscientious nature and growing concern about unusual events in the house prompt him to seek Mr. Utterson’s help, making Poole a key catalyst who moves the investigation forward while embodying duty and propriety.
  • Sir Danvers Carew from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitSir Danvers CarewSir Danvers Carew is a highly respected, benevolent public figure whose chance connection with Mr. Hyde becomes a turning point that galvanizes Utterson and the authorities, deepening the mystery around Dr. Jekyll and propelling the investigation forward without yet revealing its darkest truths.
  • Inspector Newcomen from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitInspector NewcomenInspector Newcomen is the Scotland Yard detective who partners with Mr. Utterson to investigate a shocking crime connected to the mysterious Mr. Hyde. His calm, procedural approach brings official scrutiny to the case, driving the search through London and providing a pragmatic counterpoint to the story’s mounting dread—helping to propel key discoveries without dominating the narrative.
  • Mr. Guest from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitMr. GuestMr. Guest is Mr. Utterson’s capable clerk and an astute student of handwriting whose quiet analysis provides a crucial clue that nudges Utterson’s inquiry forward. His role is small but important: as a trusted, observant professional, he helps connect pieces of evidence while remaining firmly in the background of the story’s mystery.
  • Bradshaw from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — AI character portraitBradshawBradshaw is a servant in Dr. Jekyll’s household who assists Poole and Mr. Utterson during a tense investigation at the house, carrying messages and standing watch. Though a minor character, his steady, dutiful presence helps convey the household’s alarm and propels the inquiry forward without drawing attention away from the central mystery.

Study guide

Summaries and analysis of all 10 chapters, and profiles of 10 characters, illustrated with scenes from the book.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde summary ›The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde characters ›

Key Scenes & Storyboard

8 illustrated scenes. These appear beside the passage they depict as you read.

Gabriel John Utterson and Mr. Enfield walk side by side down a neat, sunlit by‑street; polished brass and smart shopfronts gleam while, two doors from a corner, an ugly gabled block thrusts forward — blistered, knockerless door, blind discoloured wall, children playing on the steps and tramps striking matches on the stoop.
Gabriel John Utterson and Mr. Enfield walk side by side down a neat, sunlit by‑street; polished brass and smart shopfronts gleam while, two doors from a corner, an ugly gabled block thrusts forward — blistered, knockerless door, blind discoloured wall, children playing on the steps and tramps striking matches on the stoop.sunlit by‑street with ugly gabled house · curious foreboding
A black winter night: Edward Hyde, small and savage, trampling a young girl who screams while bystanders, including Mr. Enfield, seize him; Hyde stands cool and sneering, sweat on Enfield's brow, then produces ten sovereigns and a folded cheque — taken from a key fetched at that very door — his contemptuous face illuminated against the dark wall.
A black winter night: Edward Hyde, small and savage, trampling a young girl who screams while bystanders, including Mr. Enfield, seize him; Hyde stands cool and sneering, sweat on Enfield's brow, then produces ten sovereigns and a folded cheque — taken from a key fetched at that very door — his contemptuous face illuminated against the dark wall.outside the cellar/Black Mail House at night · violent, sinister
After the tale, an uneasy silence; Mr. Enfield, ashamed of his gossip, takes Gabriel John Utterson's hand and exacts a pact of silence — they shake on it with the ugly house ('Black Mail House') standing behind them, its three first‑floor windows closed and a thin column of smoke from the chimney, the impression of Hyde lingering like a shadow.
After the tale, an uneasy silence; Mr. Enfield, ashamed of his gossip, takes Gabriel John Utterson's hand and exacts a pact of silence — they shake on it with the ugly house ('Black Mail House') standing behind them, its three first‑floor windows closed and a thin column of smoke from the chimney, the impression of Hyde lingering like a shadow.street before the Black Mail House · tense, conspiratorial
A gaunt Henry Jekyll is half-crammed inside the small sleeping cabinet above the laboratory, pale face pressed to the wood, eyes hollow and haunted. Poole stands in the doorway holding a guttering lantern that throws jittery light across Jekyll’s drawn features, while Gabriel John Utterson's dark silhouette looms behind him, stunned and uneasy.
A gaunt Henry Jekyll is half-crammed inside the small sleeping cabinet above the laboratory, pale face pressed to the wood, eyes hollow and haunted. Poole stands in the doorway holding a guttering lantern that throws jittery light across Jekyll’s drawn features, while Gabriel John Utterson's dark silhouette looms behind him, stunned and uneasy.Jekyll's Laboratory (the Cabinet) · claustrophobic, haunted
Gabriel John Utterson stands alone in his sombre bachelor house, the safe open and a single lamplight throwing the gilt-edged will into sharp relief; the name 'Edward Hyde' is visible on the parchment as Utterson's face tightens from offended outrage to alarm. Papers and law books loom in shadow around him, the quiet room made threatening by the single revealed clause.
Gabriel John Utterson stands alone in his sombre bachelor house, the safe open and a single lamplight throwing the gilt-edged will into sharp relief; the name 'Edward Hyde' is visible on the parchment as Utterson's face tightens from offended outrage to alarm. Papers and law books loom in shadow around him, the quiet room made threatening by the single revealed clause. Utterson's bachelor house, night · foreboding, unsettled
In Hastie Lanyon's well‑appointed dining room the boisterous, red‑faced doctor laughs and gestures heartily, then grows sober as he admits he has not seen Henry Jekyll for years and finds Jekyll 'fanciful' in mind; Gabriel John Utterson listens, uneasy, as the genial light in the room takes on a colder edge. The contrast between Lanyon's robust exterior and the disquieting news gives the scene a brittle tension.
In Hastie Lanyon's well‑appointed dining room the boisterous, red‑faced doctor laughs and gestures heartily, then grows sober as he admits he has not seen Henry Jekyll for years and finds Jekyll 'fanciful' in mind; Gabriel John Utterson listens, uneasy, as the genial light in the room takes on a colder edge. The contrast between Lanyon's robust exterior and the disquieting news gives the scene a brittle tension. Lanyon's dining room · awkward, revealing
Under a frosty street-lamp Gabriel John Utterson slips into a narrow court and surprises a small, plainly dressed Edward Hyde at a door; Hyde startles, then turns with a defiant, husky whisper and a deformed, pale face that unnerves Utterson before he unlocks the door and vanishes. The lamplight throws Hyde's features into sharp, grotesque relief while the quiet court concentrates every fearful detail.
Under a frosty street-lamp Gabriel John Utterson slips into a narrow court and surprises a small, plainly dressed Edward Hyde at a door; Hyde startles, then turns with a defiant, husky whisper and a deformed, pale face that unnerves Utterson before he unlocks the door and vanishes. The lamplight throws Hyde's features into sharp, grotesque relief while the quiet court concentrates every fearful detail. a Soho court at night · menacing, uncanny
Poole admits Gabriel John Utterson into Dr. Henry Jekyll's low‑roofed hall, warmed by a bright fire and gleaming cabinets; Poole reports that Hyde has a key and uses the old dissecting-room, while Utterson stands with the will in his head and begins to see its dictatorial clauses like translucent words pressing around him. The physical warmth of the room conflicts with Utterson's claustrophobic vision of the testament's accusing script.
Poole admits Gabriel John Utterson into Dr. Henry Jekyll's low‑roofed hall, warmed by a bright fire and gleaming cabinets; Poole reports that Hyde has a key and uses the old dissecting-room, while Utterson stands with the will in his head and begins to see its dictatorial clauses like translucent words pressing around him. The physical warmth of the room conflicts with Utterson's claustrophobic vision of the testament's accusing script. Jekyll's house, low-roofed hall · claustrophobic, obsessed

Themes

  • dual nature
  • reputation
  • science vs conscience
  • identity
  • good and evil

Why Read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

Read Jekyll and Hyde for a compact, atmospheric example of psychological fiction that rewards close reading. Its tight plotting and economy of detail make every scene and testimony matter, so the book reads like both a mystery and a study in character: you follow legal and social investigation as much as moral drama.

The novella still speaks to readers today because its core conflict—the split between public face and private desire, and the risks of trying to control or isolate parts of oneself—remains relevant. It’s a quick, thought-provoking read that introduces themes and narrative techniques that influenced modern fiction, crime stories, and psychological realism.

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