Top 10 dark and haunted heroes and heroines

H.M. Castor is the author of more than forty books--fiction and non-fiction; VIII, her first novel for teenagers, was published this year.

One of her top ten dark and haunted heroes and heroines, as told to the Guardian:

Dr Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The basic premise of this story is famous, though I won't spell it out here in case you don't know it (lucky you – reading the book will be an even more exciting!). The story's short, and a gem: a dark and prowling tale of foggy London streets, mysterious horrible crimes and dangerous scientific experiments. Dr Jekyll is a respected pillar of the community, but he seems to be in thrall to an altogether less pleasant man named Mr Hyde. What dark secret lies behind their connection?

Read about another entry on the list.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde also appears on John Mullan's list of ten of the best butlers in literature and among Yann Martel's six favorite books. It is one of Ali Shaw's top ten transformation stories and Nicholas Frankel's five best pieces of decadent writing from the nineteenth century.

--Marshal Zeringue