Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson [Paperback]

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It's about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.The work is commonly associated with the rare mental condition often called "split personality", where within the same body there exists more than one distinct personality. In this case, there are two personalities within Dr. Jekyll, one apparently good and the other evil. Gabriel John Utterson, a lawyer, is on his weekly walk with his cousin, Richard Enfield. During that walk, they reach a door leading into a rather large house, and this motivates Enfield to tell Utterson of an encounter he had seen some months ago while coming home late at night between a man and a young girl. The man, a sinister figure named Edward Hyde, and a young girl, who has run to get a doctor, accidentally bump into one another, but Hyde proceeds to trample her. Enfield chases after Hyde, brings him back to the scene, and, after the doctor assures them that the girl is okay, though frightened, joins with the girl's family in forcing Hyde to pay GBP100 to avoid the scandal they will otherwise spread for his despicable behavior. Hyde leads them to the building in front of which Enfield and Utterson have now paused, where he disappears, and re-emerges with GBP10 in gold and a check for the rest, drawn on the account of a reputable gentleman. (Later revealed to be Dr. Henry Jekyll.) Much to Utterson's surprise, Hyde willingly offers Utterson his address. After one of Jekyll's dinner parties, Utterson stays behind to discuss the matter of Hyde with Jekyll. This causes Jekyll to turn pale, which Utterson notices. Yet Jekyll assures Utterson that everything involving Hyde is in order and that Hyde should be left alone.One night in late October, a servant girl witnesses Hyde beat a man to death with a heavy cane. The victim was MP Sir Danvers Carew, another of Utterson's clients, who was carrying a letter addressed to Utterson when he was killed. The police, who suspect Hyde, contact Utterson. He leads the officers to Hyde's apartment, feeling a sense of foreboding amid the eerie weather. (The morning is dark and wreathed in fog.) When they arrive at the apartment, the murderer has vanished, but they find half of the cane left behind a door. It is revealed to be one which Utterson himself gave to Jekyll. Shortly thereafter, Utterson again visits Jekyll, who now claims to have ended all relations with Hyde. Jekyll shows Utterson a note, allegedly written to Jekyll by Hyde, apologizing for the trouble that he has caused him and saying goodbye. That night, however, Utterson's clerk, Mr. Guest, points out that Hyde's handwriting bears a remarkable similarity to Jekyll's own.In late February, Utterson goes out walking with Enfield, and they see Jekyll at a window of his laboratory. The three men start conversing, but a look of horror suddenly comes over Jekyll's face, and he slams the window and disappears. Soon afterwards, Jekyll's butler, visits Utterson in a state of desperation and explains that Jekyll has secluded himself in his laboratory for several weeks. Utterson and Poole travel to Jekyll's house through empty, windswept, sinister streets. Once there, they find the servants huddled together in fear. They go to see the laboratory where they hear that the voice coming from inside is not the voice of Jekyll and the footsteps are light and not the heavy footsteps of the doctor. After arguing, the two of them resolve to break into Jekyll's laboratory.