Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / Nineteen Other Tales

by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Description

The complexity and range of Robert Louis Stevenson’s short fiction reveals his genius perhaps more than any other medium. Here, leading Stevenson scholar Barry Menikoff arranges and introduces the complete selection of Stevenson’s brilliant stories, including the famed masterpiece Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as “The Beach of Falesá” and Stevenson’s previously uncollected stories. Arthur Conan Doyle has written that “[Stevenson’s] short stories are certain show more to retain their position in English literature. His serious rivals are few indeed.” This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition includes explanatory notes, a Scots’ Glossary, and a unique appendix dedicated to Stevenson’s influence on the Oxford English Dictionary. show less

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Novelist, poet, and essayist Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. A sickly child, Stevenson was an invalid for part of his childhood and remained in ill health throughout his life. He began studying engineering at Edinburgh University but soon switched to law. His true inclination, however, was for writing. For several years show more after completing his studies, Stevenson traveled on the Continent, gathering ideas for his writing. His Inland Voyage (1878) and Travels with a Donkey (1878) describe some of his experiences there. A variety of essays and short stories followed, most of which were published in magazines. It was with the publication of Treasure Island in 1883, however, that Stevenson achieved wide recognition and fame. This was followed by his most successful adventure story, Kidnapped, which appeared in 1886. With stories such as Treasure Island and Kidnapped, Stevenson revived Daniel Defoe's novel of romantic adventure, adding to it psychological analysis. While these stories and others, such as David Balfour and The Master of Ballantrae (1889), are stories of adventure, they are at the same time fine studies of character. The Master of Ballantrae, in particular, is a study of evil character, and this study is taken even further in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). In 1887 Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, went to the United States, first to the health spas of Saranac Lake, New York, and then on to the West Coast. From there they set out for the South Seas in 1889. Except for one trip to Sidney, Australia, Stevenson spent the remainder of his life on the island of Samoa with his devoted wife and stepson. While there he wrote The Wrecker (1892), Island Nights Entertainments (1893), and Catriona (1893), a sequel to Kidnapped. He also worked on St. Ives and The Weir of Hermiston, which many consider to be his masterpiece. He died suddenly of apoplexy, leaving both of these works unfinished. Both were published posthumously; St. Ives was completed by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, and The Weir of Hermiston was published unfinished. Stevenson was buried on Samoa, an island he had come to love very much. Although Stevenson's novels are perhaps more accomplished, his short stories are also vivid and memorable. All show his power of invention, his command of the macabre and the eerie, and the psychological depth of his characterization. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / Nineteen Other Tales
People/Characters
Henry Jekyll; Edward Hyde; Francis Villon
Important places
London, England, UK; Paris, France
Disambiguation notice
This collection contains 20 of Robert Louis Stevenson's stories (see description for details), including but not limited to "The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It should not be combined with collections containing ... (show all)more stories, fewer stories, or different stories. Thank you.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Horror
DDC/MDS
823.8Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1837-1899
LCC
PR5481 .M46Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature19th century , 1770/1800-1890/1900
BISAC

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