How suspense is built in “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” by Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850. He wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886, with that 40,000 copies of the book were sold in the first six months. This was designed to reflect Victorian secrecy and based on good and evil. Stevenson later died in 1894 in Samoa. Stevenson used the contemporary setting of Victorian London to write his gothic horror novel. The gas-lit streets were the perfect setting to follow the true horror stories of Jack the Ripper. It clearly refers to Mr. Hyde as he wanders the streets of London not knowing who he will meet. Elements of gothic horror include irony, movement, time, senses, gruesome language, and zooming. This shows how much suspense is built. I will show how these devices are used in separate paragraphs. Suspense is anxious uncertainty and apprehension that writers use to frighten the reader, distrust them, and cause tension. It can also be about drawing the reader into the story in the first place and getting them to read. Suspense usually occurs at its peak; the story has been building and developing, then something happens that relieves the reader. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde begins with Jekyll. Although he is only mentioned in the book in the second chapter; “Look for Mr. Hyde.” Later in the story, Mr. Utterson (Jekyll's lawyer) investigates Jekyll's will further. He notes that Dr. Jekyll bequeathed all his property in Mr. Hyde's name in the event of the latter's disappearance for more than six consecutive calendar months. Later, Poole (Jekyll's Butler) sees the image of a very dark shadow at the window of Dr. Jekyll's laboratory. He goes to investigate middle of paper...... Enson almost used his image and put it on Hyde. In the book, I think Stevenson created a unique book that finishes all the little details needed to write a good book. I think all the elements of gothic horror are included in the book to make it a fantastic book that will keep people from putting it down because of Stevenson's great accomplishments. Personally, I love the book and I think people today will still enjoy it, but not as much as those in the Victorian era, as they would have received it in monthly installments; this way they can have as much time as they want to read the book, but they will still wonder what happens next. So, in conclusion, I think Stevenson has written a great gothic horror novel using all the devices that should be used in gothic horror. Zoom lens, movement, time, horrific language, meaning and irony.