Frankenstein

Written by Mary Shelley

Narrated by Robert Rance

Dr. Victor Frankenstein dreamt of achieving great things through science – even create life. But it all went horribly wrong and he turned away from the monster he had created.

Now his creation is filled with hatred and roaming the countryside. The horrific tale is captured in this striking graphic novel adaptation of Mary Shelley's frightening novel.

A creator biography and glossary help reluctant readers take the first step on the road to classic literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abdo Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781629689371

Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was an English novelist. Born the daughter of William Godwin, a novelist and anarchist philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a political philosopher and pioneering feminist, Shelley was raised and educated by Godwin following the death of Wollstonecraft shortly after her birth. In 1814, she began her relationship with Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom she would later marry following the death of his first wife, Harriet. In 1816, the Shelleys, joined by Mary’s stepsister Claire Clairmont, physician and writer John William Polidori, and poet Lord Byron, vacationed at the Villa Diodati near Geneva, Switzerland. They spent the unusually rainy summer writing and sharing stories and poems, and the event is now seen as a landmark moment in Romanticism. During their stay, Shelley composed her novel Frankenstein (1818), Byron continued his work on Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812-1818), and Polidori wrote “The Vampyre” (1819), now recognized as the first modern vampire story to be published in English. In 1818, the Shelleys traveled to Italy, where their two young children died and Mary gave birth to Percy Florence Shelley, the only one of her children to survive into adulthood. Following Percy Bysshe Shelley’s drowning death in 1822, Mary returned to England to raise her son and establish herself as a professional writer. Over the next several decades, she wrote the historical novel Valperga (1923), the dystopian novel The Last Man (1826), and numerous other works of fiction and nonfiction. Recognized as one of the core figures of English Romanticism, Shelley is remembered as a woman whose tragic life and determined individualism enabled her to produce essential works of literature which continue to inform, shape, and inspire the horror and science fiction genres to this day.

Reviews for Frankenstein

[pixelette · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The storyline of this was very surprising! From all the pop culture references to the story, I thought that it was going to be completely different. I also found it quite absorbing. A great read, especially lovely that you can pick it up for free and pop it on your e-reader and then enjoy the whole thing instantly. Magic!

[matthew.ducmanas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written with just as much melodrama as you'll see in every film adaptation, Shelly's novel is nonetheless still quite powerful. Frankenstein still allows parallels to be drawn with our times despite being originally published nearly 200 years ago. For all its symbolism it remains a very human story.

[tankexmortis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Horribly mistreated by critics and analysts who won't allow the work to stand on it's own and insist on dissecting it until it's beauty can no longer be seen. Beautifully written, certainly a classic, and among my favorite books. But I wish people would stop trying to chop it up.

[truncoxx · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be a little boring and extremely predictable. This is obviously because of our culture and knowledge of Frankenstein and not the books fault whatsoever. Considering it was the first true story of Frankenstein, I consider it a good classic. I also love that it came from a woman as a competition amongst a few of her friends. The story is exactly what you expect it to be, very sad and long and a little weird.

[futuremrsjoshgroban · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful writing, hated the story.

[msaucier818 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was not what I expected at all. I have seen various television and movie productions of Frankenstein, and none of them are accurate to the story at all outside of the creation of a "monster" out of dead human parts. The course of the story was very unexpected, and there is not nearly as much sympathy for the monster as I would have expected going into the book. The intellectual side of me very much enjoyed this book as it brings up many good philosophical questions about the meaning of life. It also even has a hint of science fiction in the sense that it looks the question of how would a creature such as this develop into an intelligent being.

I am glad I read this and am surprised that it took me so long to get to it. Recommended for all.

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I first read Frankenstein as a teenager I found it incredibly boring. But, thankfully I decided to re-read it after having found this edition and could not put it down. Great story, in a way timeless. I will seek out the "uncensored" 1818 version and compare. Fully worth the time it took to read.

[jamesmscott-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A classic with a long legacy, and absolutely worth reading. Themes of loneliness and exile stand out to me. The backstory - Mary Shelley's age at writing, her incredibly smart parentage, the Lord Byron connection - is almost as tantalizing as the story. I will never imagine Frankenstein's unnamed "fiend, abhorred devil!" as the green, bolted machine portrayed in film. The true monster was more hideous, and much more pitiable.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While the story was great, I don't think the epistolary format did it any favors.

[katy89williams · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how on earth this book could be considered boring. I had to read it in school and I finished it before the rest of my class and then I went and bought my own copy. She clearly shows the character's pain that he felt with playing God. It tore him apart the fact that he created this poor creature and he didn't consider how it would survive, if it needed companionship, and especially how society would accept him. Frankenstein's ambition for knowledge ruined his life when he created the monster, and he was made to suffer when he lost his cousin. For me, these elements cannot be considered boring or a let down.

[umamh12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Knowing the real story of the writer, Mary Shelley, you can relate to the dilemma of whether to bring back a loved one back from the dead or not. The consequences of knowing it may not be someone you recognize.

[lreinardy08 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good story really about the cruelty of man. The horror story about the big bad monster isn't really what I consider this book. The creation of Frankenstein is a horrid sight that he regretted instantly, but could have been a perfectly happy, respectable "human being" had he been given the chance. The pain and destruction that man causes is far more overwhelming than that of Frankenstein's creation, and it is easily seen in the book. A good read, gets slow at times, especially the end... but a pretty good read non-the-less.

[ra_scrittore · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Those of you who have preconceived notions about this story because you've seen the Hollywood film versions, read this book. You'll be pleasantly surprised. I guarantee it. This is nothing like the film and so much better. Shelley, in her brilliance, offers the hideous creature as the one to pity here. Not Frankenstein, not the townspeople, but the creature. A sad victim of his creator's selfish ambitions and the prejudices of a naive populace. In a way, a neglected and abused child, driven to acts of violence and rage as the only release from the agonizing rejection and isolation. His only real crime was his consuming need for acceptance...a friend...to love and be loved. This book was so ahead of its time when it was written. I highly recommend it. One of my favorites.

[atoponce-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is fantastic. Shelley brings the emotions of betrayal, grief, joy, love, hatred, loneliness, companionship, and so much more to center stage. It's less of a horror, and more of a tragedy. She draws parallels of God and Adam, man and creation, Satan and abandonment. For a book that is over 200 years old, it is very much relevant today.

[gagirl101 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I really did not like this book.I thought that it was just way too depressing and blown out of proportion and I hated the style of writing, with the story within a story within a story deal. I just didn't think it was all that great. I think that there were other ways that that could've been done. Mary Shelley must not have had a happy life to write a story like this.

[rontyler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why did I wait so long to read this? An excellent novel and highly recommended. Wonderful.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought I had read this years ago, probably as a teenager. If so, I had apparently lost all memory of it, as my memories appear to have been of the events as depicted in the old flickering black and white films. The book itself is wonderful, the narrative lines complex, the prose dark and brooding. Lots of very modern themes here--fear of what technology can bring, the need for responsible science, prejudice and fear of the unknown. But also very character driven--even though Frankenstein's "monster" does horrific things, we sympathize with his plight. Highly recommended.4 1/2 stars

[soniaandree_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The critical edition includes the 1818 edition of Frankenstein, plus annotations and critical articles (primary sources and secondary sources). In general, it is aimed at undergraduate students of English and Literature. Also, it is highly useful for writing essais and for writing thematic index cards.

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting, well written, and entertaining story. The story has some fatal flaws that render it less than it could have been. It is just unreasonable that Victor would not forsee the creature's desire to kill his wife. There is no attempt to explain how the creature obtains giant stature. The creature's explanation of his increase in knowledge is too fast and illogical. Alternatively, a brain from a dead person would perhaps retain some knowledge from it's prior life. This appears not to be the case. I also find it unlikely that the creature would commit suicide based on the described personality traits.

[hodosano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best-ever illustrated version of Frankenstein.

[bibleblaster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not the story you'd expect from the late-night "creature features. With the power of myth, Shelley tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein, the life he creates, and the lives he destroys. Makes me wonder about her other novels and what themes she tackled...Seeming only to gain in relevancy to the human condition with each passing year, this story will be with us for a long time.

[russell7alynn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you haven't read this book, you should! Movies about the Frankenstein monster don't do him justice. When you read this book you will definitely understand a lot of the monster's actions and sympathize with him.

[bookworm546 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

a good book tended to drag on a bit in some places very opposite from the movie perception of frakenstein

[farrhon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Terrific fresh a marvel

[griffin_reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There is a lot of commentary that can be had about the situation Frankenstein was put into and what the meaning of life is. I personally felt that what came out of the story and what can come from it was better than the delivery.

[jonbrammer-788089 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Shelley's greatest work is deeply influenced by the ideas of her age, and its conception was imbued with the companionship of Percy Shelley and Lord Byron in the appropriately Romantic environs of the Swiss Alps. In Harold Bloom's postscript, he identifies Frankenstein's demonic creation as the only true character in the novel; the creature is a Romantic wanderer, cursed by his sensitivity to music, natural beauty, and human emotions to live in isolated despair. He is too human; while Victor is defined by his unthinking ambition and his desire for creation (much like the abstracted God figure in Milton), the soul of the poet belongs to the being he brings to life and then shuns. Bloom also discusses Frankenstein in terms of the double or doppelganger, a motif in much of 19th Century Romantic and Gothic literature. The reflection or doubling of the scientist (or natural philosopher) and the poet is really one of the central problems that arises from the Romantic response to the Enlightenment. Where does our creative soul fit into this new world of rational understanding? Can our humanity be analyzed and defined away by Darwin and Freud?

[romonko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In all my life, I have never had the urge to read Mary Shelley's masterpiece until I received a copy as a gift recently. I have read a lot of classics in my life, but I have never been a fan of the "horror" genre. Well, this book was a surprise--wonderful language, well-drawn characters, a deep study into the human psyche with just the right amount of tension. After finishing the book I couldn't help but think that Hollywood did us no favours with their numerous adaptations of this story. It certainly formulated a preconceived notion in my head, and made me decide to give the book a pass. According to my research, Mary Shelley created this story on a rainy afternoon in 1816 while she was in Geneva with her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend, Lord Byron. How is that for a pedigree? This book is a horror story, but it is so much more. It is study in human nature, and an examination of the dangers and occurrences that can occur when a person's ambitions and preconceived notions, ruled by an imagination that has been allowed to go its own way from childhood. It examines social and human morals, especially as they were in the early 19th century. It is also a tragedy as we watch a man descent into obsession and insanity. There is a reason why this book has stood the test of time, and why it has survived numerous reincarnations as a film and television series. The underlying message is still valid today. Unbridled obsession, tragedy, romance, grief and narcissism are all emotions that we still see everywhere today. The difference today is that all these emotions and actions are out in the open and are discussed freely on television, in the news media and on social media. I think the real horror behind this "horror" story is that it forces the reader to examine their own motivations and aspirations, and maybe begin to understand how these can be interpreted. perceived and judged by others. I am sure we all know of people in the world today and in history who definitely have a "God" complex, and we can see the harm that it has caused and still continues to cause in our world. .

[james_knupp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The novel that (in the minds of many) started the genre of science fiction. This original portrayal of Frankenstein's monster is much more interesting than our modern depiction of the slow, unintelligent beast. The story does hold up really well despite being 200 years old, but if you're not already a fan of 19th century prose, it's not the easiest read.

[martialalex92 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Things I learned

1. Nothing like the Mel Brooks movie
2. Viktor Frankenstein was a weepy little bitch
3. Interesting when viewed as one of the first horror novels, yet the monster was more human than expected

[lpg3d · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I went into this book expecting villagers with pitchforks and torches. It's not like that at all. To me, it's a very philosophical book about what it means to be human. In some ways, the monster was more human than Victor Frankenstein.

I highly recommend this Barnes and Noble edition since the end notes add immeasurably to the enjoyment of reading this book. The forward by Mary Shelley is also very worthwhile.