1886 Scarce Third Edition - Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson.
Title: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Publisher: London, Longmans, Green, and Co., 1886. Third Edition issued in the same year as the first (stated).
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 4.5 inches.
Pages: viii, 139 pages + publisher’s catalogue.
Binding: Very good original light orange cloth binding, lettered in black to the upper board (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective, removable mylar cover. Boards remain clean and bright, with a pleasing, even tone. A highly attractive example in original cloth.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing and toning - as shown). Armorial bookplate to front pastedown (Hinstock Hall), along with a contemporary ownership inscription dated 1886 to the half-title and a later ink inscription to the front free endpaper. The text remains crisp and very well preserved.

Estimate: (USD 650 - USD 700).

The book: An early and desirable third edition of Stevenson’s enduring Gothic masterpiece, issued in 1886, the same year as the first edition. This third edition preserves the original format and reflects the immediate and extraordinary success of the work upon publication.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explores the duality of human nature through one of literature’s most haunting and recognizable narratives. Its themes of identity, morality, and hidden selves resonated deeply with Victorian readers and continue to captivate audiences today.

The novel’s origin has become part of its legend: reportedly conceived during a feverish period of illness, Stevenson drafted the story in a matter of days, only to destroy the manuscript and rewrite it again with equal intensity. The result was a work of remarkable psychological depth and narrative power.

Copies in original cloth from the year of publication are increasingly scarce, particularly in such appealing condition and with early provenance.

The author: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, and travel writer, celebrated for works such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and A Child’s Garden of Verses. His writing blends adventure, psychological insight, and lyrical prose, securing his place among the most influential authors of the 19th century.