About Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The story (no spoilers)
The lawyer Mr. Utterson cannot understand why his respectable friend Dr. Jekyll has left everything in his will to Mr. Hyde, a small, violent man whom everyone hates on sight.
Who it's for
B2 readers who want a classic they can finish in a week: short, dark and built like a detective story.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 4 parts · about 2,100 words
- Reading time
- about 18 minutes (~5 min per part)
- Author
- Robert Louis Stevenson
If you liked this, read
- The Hound of the Baskervilles · B1
- Frankenstein · B2
- Dracula · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in English: quick answers
- What English level is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on SeoJae Story?
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 4 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in simple English?
- About 18 minutes of reading in total — roughly 5 minutes per part across 4 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 4 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde free to read here?
- Yes. All 4 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the public domain?
- Yes. Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #43). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.