Frankenstein [Paperback]

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley is a fascinating book. I was prejudiced by the film adaptations of this novel. To start with I had no idea that Frankenstein is actually Victor Frankenstein, the creator of a monster. The monster that was created is not called Frankenstein; it is his creator's name.

The monster is the creation of Victor Frankenstein and the monster is lithe, strong, fast and intelligent; this again differs greatly from any film version of the book.

In reading the book I sympathized with the monster that is spurned by his master and by all who gaze upon his repugnant form. The monster flees from society and lives in a hovel, while secretly observing a family which consists of a blind father, a daughter and a son. In observing the family the monster learns their language and learns about love and acceptance and thus learns about the wretchedness of his own existence; how he longs to be part of the family. He attempts to join the family, but one glance at his hideous frame and the family rejects him with great horror.

The monster then seeks out his maker and is rejected once again and this turns his soul to malevolence and revenge.

Victor Frankenstein loses his brother, friend and wife to the monsters murdering hands and indirectly the monster is responsible for the death of Victor's father and a friend of Victor's family. Victor pursues his creation to the ends of earth to rid mankind of the fiend. The story ends up in the North Pole and the ending is tragic. Victor loses his life in his journey and once his creator is dead the monster decides there is no reason for his own existence.

"Frankenstein" is a fabulous read, a read that has you sympathizing with the monster. His creator rejected him when all he wanted was acceptance. Mankind rejected him due to his hideous appearance. He was kind and giving, but turned to hatred and evil due to society's rejection of his physical being. "Frankenstein" is a thought provoking read.

This great story is a delight to read and it also made me realise how greatly this work influenced the modern multimedia, its interesting!

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(Note: this review is for publisher Simon & Schuster's "enriched classic" edition of this book)

"Published [anonymously] in 1818, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's "Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus" is a model for Gothic fiction, science fiction, and all the horror novels that followed it. Weaving the Gothic elements of the supernatural, terror, anguish, and love with the Romantic values of nature and individualism, Shelley delivers a chilling tale about unchecked ambition and the consequences of disturbing the order of nature. Generations of scientists, ethicists, psychologists, feminists, and artists have been inspired and riveted by Mary Shelley's dark story."

The above comes from the supplementary (or "enriched") materials found in this book that contains the "complete and unabridged" enduring classic novel by Mary Shelley (1797 to 1851).

The structure of this book has front supplementary material (a superb introduction, chronology of Shelley's life and works, and an important historical context of the novel) and back supplementary material (very important notes or glossary, interpretive notes which includes an overview of key themes in the novel, excerpts from critics of the novel, discussion questions, and a suggested book and film list). Sandwiched between this front and back supplementary material is the unforgettable novel itself.

This is not mentioned in the table of contents but the novel in this book is flanked by a preface (written by Shelley's husband who drowned in 1822) and an introduction to the edited third edition of this novel (written by Shelley herself in 1831).

Thus, the structure of this book with no detail is as follows:

Front supplementary material, preface, the novel proper, introduction, back supplementary material.

On the back cover of this book it has the phrase "enduring literature illuminated by practical scholarship." You'll have to read the novel to find out exactly why it has endured since 1818. What I can say is that the novel is "a timeless, terrifying tale of one man's obsession to create life--and the monster that became his legacy." (By the way, the Frankenstein movies that you may have seen bear little resemblance to the actual novel.) It is the concise supplementary material that is the practical scholarship which illuminates this novel.

This book is part of the "Enriched Classics" series which has good, helpful supplementary material. This series includes such titles as "Wuthering Heights," "Great Expectations," and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Finally, there were only two things that irritated me with respect to this particular book:

(1) On the cover page it states that the "supplemental material [is] written by Margaret Brantley." Who's Margaret Brantley? We're never told.

(2) We're not explicitly told the edition of the novel that's in this book. (Through doing my own research, it seems it is the original 1818 edition.)

In conclusion, this is truly a great work of literature that, as a bonus, is enhanced with helpful notes and insightful commentary. I guarantee that after reading this book, you will know the REAL story of "Frankenstein!"

(published 2009; supplementary materials published 2004; novel first published 1818; introduction; chronology of Mary Shelly's life and work; historical context of the novel; preface; the novel "Frankenstein;" Mary Shelley on her novel; notes; interpretive notes; critical excepts; questions for discussion; suggestions for the interested reader; 350 pages)

(novel "Frankenstein" in 4 letters and 3 parts or 23 chapters; 270 pages)

<<Stephen PLETKO, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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