The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) may have traveled more than the characters in some of his critically acclaimed and world renowned novels. Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and traveling writer who wrote classics like Kidnapped and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson was so accomplished that he was a celebrity during his lifetime, and he left an influence on great writers who followed him, including Hemingway and Kipling. At the same time, his works are easy enough to read that they can be taught in classrooms across the world to teenagers. One of his most popular books was Treasure Island, which all but created every stereotype now associated with pirates. One of his most famous stories is the one about the affable Dr. Jekyll, who carries with him a dark side that manifests itself as Mr. Hyde. The famous story is part of the English vernacular, with people often referring to their Jekyll and Hyde sides.