Gris Grimly's Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley and Gris Grimly

Gris Grimly's Frankenstein is a twisted, fresh, and utterly original full-length, full-color graphic-novel adaptation of Mary Shelley's original text, brought to life by acclaimed illustrator Gris Grimly.

"Grimly enlivens the prose while retaining its power to both frighten and engage sympathy for the monster-creator Victor Frankenstein. This is a richly morose nightmare of a book, a primer for young readers on the pleasures and dangers of decadent languidness."—New York Times Book Review

The first fully illustrated version to use the original 1818 text, this handsome volume is destined to capture the imagination of those new to the story as well as those who know it well.

New York Times bestselling illustrator Gris Grimly has long considered Frankenstein to be one of his chief inspirations. From the bones and flesh of the original, he has cut and stitched Mary Shelley's text to his own artwork, creating something entirely new: a stunningly original remix, both classic and contemporary, sinister and seductive, heart-stopping and heartbreaking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062239228

Mary Shelley

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born in 1797, the daughter of two of the leading radical writers of the age. Her mother died just days after her birth and she was educated at home by her father and encouraged in literary pursuits. She eloped with and subsequently married the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, but their life together was full of hardship. The couple were ruined by disapproving parents and Mary lost three of her four children. Although its subject matter was extremely dark, her first novel Frankenstein (1818) was an instant sensation. Subsequent works such as Mathilda (1819), Valperga (1823) and The Last Man (1826) were less successful but are now finally receiving the critical acclaim that they deserve.

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Reviews for Gris Grimly's Frankenstein

[books9n9pickles · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Just a quick review, since I read this (at least twice) a while ago. I'm rereading/skimming because I'm on a Frankenstein kick...again.

The illustrations are excellent and engaging, but there's nothing particularly new added to Shelly's text. The illustrations tend to favor the old black and white movies rather than being completely original, which is a bit disappointing, and Clerval looks more like an untrustworthy care salesman than a carefree friend. Starting with a grungy look doesn't leave much room for Victor to degrade.

But it still does. The key is to watch the details...for example, the haircuts of Victor and Elizabeth reflect their states of mind: the less hair, the madder (it seems after three readings--I haven't actually gone through and studied all the hair styles to see if this pattern holds true throughout).

The world is a delightful steampunky creation, though we do not, unfortunately, see many details of the of the world around the characters (each deliciously odd vehicle comes as a bit of a shock) or any improvements to the usual lack of diversity. Guess I was hoping for more interpretation rather than straight-up illustration, but we only get it in the places where this version deviates from the book, and again these tend to follow previous adaptations: Agatha and Felix are husband and wife instead of brother and sister, the creation burns down the farmer family's home (as if he doesn't have enough crimes on his list already!).

The creature himself is brilliantly designed: properly looming, a little lopsided, with bits of the machine that brought him to life still sticking out of him. I love the concept of the external bones on both the male and the female creature--even if the female creature showed a sadly typical lack of creativity when it comes to designing women. Yes, you could interpret the similarity as a sign that Victor is pining for his love, but the evidence of that love is little more plain than in the original (illustrations of time spent together do make a difference, but no more so than siblings might), so I'm not buying it.

A highlight of the book for me, as in the original, is the creature's story. Through visual media we literally get a new point of view. The illustrations are charming and simple, slightly more cartoonish and more reminiscent of a graphic novel--largely because much of the text has been omitted in favor of showing us the creature's experience as he felt it. Before he learned language, there are no real signs of it. Only after he learns that the sounds people make have meaning do the speech bubbles appear, and then words come gradually, and only the ones that mean something to him. It's a beautiful sequence that I've gone over more than any other part of the book--partly, I'll admit, because the lack of text sometimes leads me to fly through without properly appreciating the art.

In sum: a beautiful book, no substitute for the original, with great world (when you can get it) and creature design, but not quite as interpretive as I had hoped. Yes, yes, the note on the front says "Assembled from the original text by Mary Shelley," but Victor on the cover looks so rockin' I was hoping he'd have grown a bit of a backbone.

[carlahaunted · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enchanting

Splendid, evocative, in turn amusing and horrific, a world unto its own--I lived there, immersed, while I read. Thank you, Grim, for the transcendence.

(And I love the nod to Bride of Frankenstein in Elizabeth's streak of white hair)

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting graphic, slightly abridged adaptation. Grimly's surreal, Edward Gorey-like illustrations are impressive and but don't seem particularly well-suited to Mary Shelley's tale.

[arquay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just in case anyone thought that earlier depictions of the tale for Dr. Frankenstein and his monster were too cheerful, Gris Grimly has provided a pitch-black and enormously creepy solution. His graphic novel interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic--using the original text--should be a hit with any teenager exploring their hipster-goth-steampunk side or anyone who loves classic science fiction or a good creature feature.For those unfamiliar with the story, here is what to expect: Dr. Frankenstein is a brilliant, albeit twisted, young man with an idea for the ultimate science experiment: create a living creature. With the help of a jolt of electricity, the doctor is successful and his frightful creation is brought to life. In turn, the Monster creates mayhem, although he claims he is just misunderstood. Although Frankenstein quickly wishes to be rid of the Monster, they are forever linked and must battle each other to the bitterest and coldest of ends.A warning: while this may be a graphic novel, as mentioned above it does include the original text, which is not easy reading. However, the text breathes such wonderful life and depth into the minds and obsessions of the characters within that the reader won’t want to miss a word. Gris Grimly’s art blends so seamlessly with Mary Shelley’s writing that one might think they were meant for each other.