The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the most enduring tales of horror and duality ever written, but the story behind its creation is as fascinating as the novella itself.

The author, Robert Louis Stevenson, penned the work during a feverish six-day writing spree, fueled, as some suggest, by his use of cocaine to battle chronic illness.

But perhaps even more compelling is the role his wife, Fanny Stevenson, played in shaping the story into the masterpiece we know today.

According to Fanny, the seeds of the story were planted in a nightmare. One night, she was awakened by Robert’s cries as he dreamed. Concerned, she shook him awake, only to be met with a sharp rebuke:

‘Why did you wake me? I was dreaming a fine bogeytale!’

In that dream, Stevenson’s mind conjured the terrifying first transformation of Dr. Jekyll into the sinister Mr. Hyde, setting the tone for what would become his most famous work.

Fanny Stevenson was no ordinary Victorian wife. Ten years older than Robert, she was an American divorcée with a bold, unconventional spirit.

Known for rolling her own cigarettes and handling a pistol with ease, Fanny was a sharp contrast to the genteel women Robert’s conservative family might have envisioned for him.

But for Stevenson, it was love at first sight. His devotion to Fanny was so intense that when his family refused to fund his journey to America to be with her, he saved for three years to join her.

Their partnership proved vital to his creative process. Fanny was Robert’s first and most honest critic. After reading his initial draft of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, she suggested that he rewrite it as an allegory, deepening its themes of duality and moral conflict.

Trusting her instincts, Robert burned the original manuscript, a bold move for any writer, and rewrote the novella from scratch in less than a week. The result was a story that captured the profound struggle between good and evil within every human being.

Stevenson’s dark tale quickly became a sensation, earning a lasting place in literary history. But behind the haunting transformations of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde lies a story of passion, resilience, and the enduring power of partnership.

Without Fanny’s influence, both in life and in art, one can only wonder how different this ‘fine bogey tale’ might have been. PLEASE SHARE OUR STORIES

ALL I ASK IS A TALL SHIP Michael Walsh the Mariner’s Poet. Hauntingly illustrated a captivating chronicle of life penned by a son of the seven seas evoked from worldwide voyages during the 1950s and 1960s. The Bard of the Sea has spun a captivating treasure chest of delightful verse that captures hearts and souls the world over. LINK TO BOOK AMAZON https://tinyurl.com/yrxnv6mm + LULU  https://tinyurl.com/3pkh7wmh