Welcome back to The Reading Rift. I’m Lydia, a lifelong book addict married to a writer, and I’m joined by Bec, a writer and my sister-in-law. In today’s episode, we dive into the classic gothic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Before we get into the plot, characters, and themes, we kick things off with our new segment, Aggressively Wrong Summaries—where we confidently tell you what a book is about with absolutely zero context. From moral lawyers to musical adaptations, this one sets the tone.

This episode contains spoilers for the entire novella and includes adult conversations and language. You have been warned.

We explore the life of Robert Louis Stevenson: a rebellious Victorian raised under strict religious expectations, a man fascinated by psychology and the duality of human nature, and an author whose illness-driven dreams helped shape this nightmare of a story.

We discuss the historical backdrop of Victorian London, a city of polished respectability on the surface and darkness beneath, and how scientific, cultural, and moral anxieties of the era fed directly into the creation of Jekyll and Hyde.

We then walk through a full plot summary, following Mr. Utterson’s investigation, Hyde’s violent crimes, Jekyll’s unraveling control, and the final revelation of the self-destruction that comes from attempting to separate the darker parts of human nature. In our thematic discussion, we examine how Utterson’s limited viewpoint shapes the story, the way modern audiences miss the original mystery structure, and why adaptations have drastically changed the meaning of the tale. We unpack human duality, addiction, temptation, reputation, masks, and the way Jekyll’s choices reflect the darkest truths about identity and self-deception.

Finally, we wrap up with some big questions:

What happens when we hide the parts of ourselves we fear most?

Is redemption possible without accountability?

Why are we drawn to villains who reflect the shadows we carry?

Stick around for the end, where we announce our upcoming episode: a roundup of the books we have discussed so far on the podcast. It is going to be chaotic in the best way. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you in the next episode.