Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in English
A London lawyer investigates why his respected friend, Dr Jekyll, has left everything to a brutal stranger named Hyde.
The book is divided into ten short chapters. The first eight follow Utterson's investigation, told mostly in the third person, with Enfield's colloquial account of the opening incident as the first clue. Then two first-person documents arrive, a letter from Dr Lanyon and Jekyll's own long statement, and they explain what the earlier chapters only suggest. Nothing in the first part tells you where it is going, so the reading is slow and tense. The language is formal late Victorian prose, with long balanced sentences, legal and medical terms, and some biblical and classical references.
You will like it if
- you like short Gothic mysteries with a strong central idea
- you enjoy a slow build of dread rather than gore
- you want to find out where the phrase 'Jekyll and Hyde' comes from
- you like books told through letters, accounts and documents
You will not if
- you want action: much of the book is talk and investigation
- you find formal Victorian sentences with legal and medical words heavy going
- you dislike a book with almost no women and very little everyday life
- you already know the twist and expect a surprise
What kind of book“Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” is
Versions of “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” in English: B1
Same book, adapted to a level you can read without stopping
Pick a version. The bar at the foot of the page opens the one you pick.
Vocabulary by level
- A1 62%
- A2 16%
- B1 8%
- B2 7%
- not in dictionary 3%
A sample from “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” in English
One passage, the way each version writes it.
Tap any word — we will show the translation
C1.5183 words
The two men walked on in silence for a while, and then Mr. Utterson said, “Enfield, that’s a good rule of yours.”
“Yes, I think it is,” Enfield replied.
“But for all that,” the lawyer continued, “there is one thing I want to ask, and that is the name of the man who walked over the child.”
“Well,” said Mr. Enfield, “I can’t see what harm it would do. His name was Hyde.”
“Hm,” said Mr. Utterson. “What sort of man is he to look at?”
“He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance, something displeasing, something quite detestable. I never saw a man I disliked so much, and yet I hardly know why. He must be deformed somewhere, and he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t point to any particular part. He’s an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can’t name anything unusual about him. No, sir, I can’t make anything of it, and I can’t describe him. And it’s not a bad memory, for I swear I can see him at this moment.”
B1.8197 words
The two men walked on again for a while in silence. Then Mr. Utterson said, “Enfield, that is a good rule of yours.”
“Yes, I think it is,” said Enfield.
“But even so, I want to ask one thing,” said the lawyer. “I want to ask the name of the man who walked over the child.”
“Well,” said Mr. Enfield, “I cannot see what harm it would do. It was a man with the name of Hyde.”
“Hm,” said Mr. Utterson. “What sort of man is he to look at?”
“He is not easy to describe. Something is wrong with how he looks. It is bad to see, and I hate it. I never saw a man I disliked so much. And yet I almost do not know why. His body must have a deformity (something wrong with the shape of the body) somewhere. He gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I cannot name the place. He is a very strange-looking man, and yet I cannot name anything strange. No, sir. I cannot understand it, and I cannot describe him. And it is not because I forget. I can see him in my mind right now.”
The original language of “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” and what it gives you
How hard the language is C2
The text is only about 25,700 words, with roughly 3,900 different word forms. Nearly eight words in ten (62% + 16%) are in the A1–A2 band, 5% fall beyond the 5,000 most frequent words, and 3% are outside the dictionary. The difficulty is in the sentences: the average is 22.6 words, and many run much longer. Our measured level for the original is C2, which comes from the long balanced sentences and formal vocabulary rather than from rare words.
What this means in practice: Basic vocabulary but long, formal sentences, so it is a short book that still asks for careful reading.
What to be ready for
How to read it and not quit
- Break a long sentence at its semicolons and commas, and find the subject and verb of each part before you read the next one.
- Use word roots to guess Latinate words: many of them come from Latin and resemble words in other languages.
- Watch who is speaking: the book changes from narrator to letters to confession, and the tone changes with each.
- Do not expect much dialogue to explain events; the facts are in the documents at the end.
Contents of “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” · 10 chapters
- Story of the Doorpage 1
- Search for Mr. Hydepage 10
- Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Easepage 21
- The Carew Murder Casepage 23
- Incident of the Letterpage 29
- Remarkable Incident of Dr. Lanyonpage 35
All 10 chaptersShow fewer
- Incident at the Windowpage 40
- The Last Nightpage 42
- The Last Night (continued)page 50
- Dr. Lanyon’s Narrativepage 57
- Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Casepage 67
- Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case (continued)page 79
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The story of “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”
Written in a few days
Stevenson wrote the story at speed in the autumn of 1885 at Bournemouth, reportedly from a dream, and by his family's account rewrote it after destroying the first draft.
Published by Longmans, Green
The book appeared in January 1886 as a one-shilling paperback and sold tens of thousands of copies within months.
Stage version in London
Richard Mansfield's stage adaptation reached London in 1888 and was linked in the public mind with the Whitechapel murders.
Fredric March film
Rouben Mamoulian's film earned Fredric March an Academy Award for Best Actor.
In culture “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”
8 adaptations and mentions, 1886–2007
In the language "Jekyll and Hyde"
Used for anyone with two opposite sides, a mild public self and a ruthless private one, or for sudden swings of mood.
Film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Barrymore)
John Barrymore's silent version is remembered for its transformation scenes done with little make-up.
Film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Mamoulian)
One of the best-known screen versions, famous for its transformation scenes.
Art The Incredible Hulk
Stan Lee named Jekyll and Hyde, along with Frankenstein, as a source for the Hulk's monster-within idea.
Film The Nutty Professor
Jerry Lewis turned the premise into a comedy, remade in 1996 with Eddie Murphy.
Stage Jekyll & Hyde (musical)
Frank Wildhorn's musical opened on Broadway in 1997 and ran for years.
Art The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Alan Moore's comic series included Mr Hyde among its literary heroes.
Series Jekyll
Steven Moffat's BBC series with James Nesbitt gave the story a modern sequel.
Questions and answers about “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” in English
Is Jekyll and Hyde based on a true story?
No, it is fiction. Stevenson said the central scene came to him in a dream, and he then wrote the story around it.
Who is Mr Hyde really?
Hyde is the mystery the whole book is built around, and the answer arrives only in its last two documents. Almost everyone knows the twist, but Stevenson tells it as a case file, so what you gain from reading is how it happened, not who it is.
Where does the phrase 'Jekyll and Hyde' come from?
It comes from this book. In English it describes a person whose character seems to have two completely different sides.
How do you say 'Jekyll'?
Most English speakers say 'JEK-ul', though older sources also give 'JEE-kul'. Either form is understood.
Is the book scary?
It is more tense than frightening. There are two violent scenes, but most of the fear comes from dread and from not knowing what Utterson will find.
Does it matter if I already know the twist?
Not as much as you might think. Stevenson tells the story as a case file, with witnesses, a will, letters and a final statement, so the pleasure is in how the pieces fit. Film versions add a lot, including women characters, that the book mostly lacks.
Which film is closest to the book?
None follows it exactly. The 1931 film with Fredric March is the famous early version, but it adds a romance and shows much more than the book does.
Why is the book told by a lawyer?
Utterson is a dry, loyal man who sees the case from outside, and that keeps the secret hidden until the end. His point of view is why the book reads as a mystery.
What does 'Strange Case' in the title mean?
It promises a case in the legal or medical sense, a file of evidence. The book is built that way, from a lawyer's inquiries, witness accounts, a will, letters and a final statement.
What makes it hard going?
Long, formal sentences and legal and medical words, not rare vocabulary. The first chapters also move slowly, and the answer comes late.
In brief about “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”
17 fields of imprint data and measured text characteristics. All of it checkable.
- Original title
- The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde · “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”
- Author
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- First published
- 1886
- Original language
- English
- Genre
- Gothic & mystery · Classics
- Mood
- Unsettling
- Themes
- Identity · Science · Guilt
- Setting
- London · Late Victorian England, 1880s
- Distinct words
- 3,904
- Words per sentence
- 23 words
- Level of the original
- C2
- Versions
- C2, C1.5, B1.8
- Length of the original
- 12 ch. · 25,670 words
- Reading time
- ~2 h 20 min
- Source text
- Standard Ebooks
- Download
- EPUB
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Book page ≈0.2.0 · Oct 14, 2026