The Novella

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde is classified as a novella. This is a work of prose fiction that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Ranging from 50 to 100 pages, it has between 20,000 and 50,000 words approximately. It became a recognized literary form in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Famous modern writers of the novella include John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell.

ACTIVITY

1. Talk with a partner about why you think Stevenson chose the novella form for The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde and not the short story or novel form.

2. Which famous novellas were written by the authors listed above? Have you read any of these?

Writing about structure

The starting point for success is having an excellent knowledge and understanding of the whole plot. Even though you may not be asked a question about plot specifically, it underpins everything else you will be questioned on. There is no substitute for knowing the text so well that you can adapt and tailor your knowledge and understanding to the question you answer. This doesn't mean retelling the story; instead you should select the information that is relevant to the question.

You will also need to know about structure, showing an understanding of how Stevenson has chosen to shape his novel in order to communicate his ideas to the reader.