Paperback, 273 pages
English language
Published Dec. 31, 2002 by J.M. Dent & Sons, E.P. Dutton.
Obsessed with creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life with electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear. Mary Shelley's chilling Gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living with her lover Percy Shelley near Byron's villa on Lake Geneva. It would become the world's most famous work of horror fiction, and remains a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity.
Based on the third edition of 1831, this volume contains all the revisions Mary Shelley made to her story, as well as her 1831 introduction and Percy Bysshe Shelley's preface to the first edition. This revised edition includes as appendices a select collation of the texts of 1818 and 1831 together with 'A Fragment' by Lord Byron …
Obsessed with creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life with electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear. Mary Shelley's chilling Gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living with her lover Percy Shelley near Byron's villa on Lake Geneva. It would become the world's most famous work of horror fiction, and remains a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity.
Based on the third edition of 1831, this volume contains all the revisions Mary Shelley made to her story, as well as her 1831 introduction and Percy Bysshe Shelley's preface to the first edition. This revised edition includes as appendices a select collation of the texts of 1818 and 1831 together with 'A Fragment' by Lord Byron and Dr John Polidori's 'The Vampyre: A Tale'.
It's a little slower at the start than I would like, and dense, but so good once it gets going...
Cette lecture me laisse un sentiment mitigé. Je suis quelque peu déçu. Je n'ai rien à reprocher à l'écriture et à la forme narrative (épistolaire avec des récits imbriqués). Au contraire même. Ce qui concerne la partie « science-fiction » de l'œuvre est assez courte au final, parce qu'une fois le « monstre » créé, l'œuvre devient un récit quasi classique qui pourrait se résumer à la lutte entre un homme et ses propres démons. Pour ce qui est du récit lui-même, j'ai trouvé qu'il se résume aux lamentations du personnage principal, Frankenstein, et secondairement de sa création (le récit de ce dernier est assez succinct). Frankenstein ne se remet jamais vraiment en question et ne fait que se plaindre de son sort. Je m'excuse pour l'usage de ces expressions (sujettes à polémique), mais certains pourraient y voir de la « victimisation » ou de la « course victimaire ».
Reading the original after only knowing various adaptations is striking. A well-presented tale of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the chain of moral failures.
this is my favourite novel. it's a master in ethics and drama. a must-read for anyone
Mi primera experiencia con un audiolibro y me ha parecido maravilloso. Tanto la modalidad de lectura como la obra en sí. Es increíble como el cine ha llegado a tergiversar de tal forma una novela tan maravillosa, que nos hace sentir y reflexionar a cada paso de la trama.
Mary Shelley tenía un genio sorprendente, tanto para orquestar semejante relato, como para cuestionar aspectos importantes de la ciencia y la ética del momento y que probablemente, se sigan planteando dudas e inquietudes en el presente.
Tiene acaso el científico el derecho de dar vida a un ser por el simple hecho de poder hacerlo, qué responsabilidades le implican con tal decisión. Es acaso su creación merecedora de la vida que le fue otorgada y de las experiencias a qué fue sometido. Quién debe asumir las consecuencias. Creo que hoy es fácil ponerse en el lugar del “monstruo” y cuestionar al …
Mi primera experiencia con un audiolibro y me ha parecido maravilloso. Tanto la modalidad de lectura como la obra en sí. Es increíble como el cine ha llegado a tergiversar de tal forma una novela tan maravillosa, que nos hace sentir y reflexionar a cada paso de la trama.
Mary Shelley tenía un genio sorprendente, tanto para orquestar semejante relato, como para cuestionar aspectos importantes de la ciencia y la ética del momento y que probablemente, se sigan planteando dudas e inquietudes en el presente.
Tiene acaso el científico el derecho de dar vida a un ser por el simple hecho de poder hacerlo, qué responsabilidades le implican con tal decisión. Es acaso su creación merecedora de la vida que le fue otorgada y de las experiencias a qué fue sometido. Quién debe asumir las consecuencias. Creo que hoy es fácil ponerse en el lugar del “monstruo” y cuestionar al “científico”. Sin embargo, tantos también cometen sus crímenes escudados en verse obligados a ello. Son ponencias difíciles de comprender.
Un clásico que no se puede dejar de lado, olvidemos todo lo que se haya escuchado en el cine, se debe leer y punto.
Glad I finally got around to reading it.
Ein Klassiker, den man meiner Meinung nach nicht gelesen haben muss, wenn man ausschließlich zum Vergnügen liest.
listened to it for Halloween :)
Mary Shelley really did a commendable job on this book especially considering her age and the society she was placed in. However, this book didn't stant out to me as much as I hoped it would.
This was an amazing book, and the writing was very poetic. The banter between Frankenstein and his monster was awesome. The book was a little slow at first, but quickly picked up. Also, I the monster was very different than I expected; and I sympathized more with him than his creator (even though his crimes were horrific).
Dan Stevens' reading of the audiobook is terrific.
A stunning engagement with the idea of humanity and humanism.
I read this when I was a teen and found it dull and tough to read. Now though, I'm all growed up and my vocabulary has increased to just over 40 words (including, luckily, countenance) I enjoyed this more second time around.
There are two annoying things though with the book. 1. The lack of science, it was like "oh I think I'll make a person, bish, bash, bosh, tadaaaaaaa!!!!!" and then "I don't really like it". 2. Frankenstein is such a pathetic excuse for a man, so much drama each time somebody dies. Was this written by a girl or something?
In conclusion I enjoyed this, the chase and the constant search for revenge made for a gripping read.
Let me just say this, before I get into what might be considered spoilers (but I think they are just basic plot points) that this is not all that good. Shelley dwells on landscapes and ever repeating inner monologues of how bad the narrator (who is changing a few times) feels. They all feel bad. constantly. So bad that they get sick for month. Constantly. It's a drag. Also: Landscapes. Pages and pages of landscapes. Just... you know. Cause.
The Story doesn't start with Franskenstein but with an explorer writing to his sister in England. He is going on an exploring trip with a ship to the north pole. There he meets Frankenstein, who tells him the story of his life (because apparently he has time for that). Now the Narrator is Frankenstein who does what he does (no spoilers so no details, but I think its save to say …
Let me just say this, before I get into what might be considered spoilers (but I think they are just basic plot points) that this is not all that good. Shelley dwells on landscapes and ever repeating inner monologues of how bad the narrator (who is changing a few times) feels. They all feel bad. constantly. So bad that they get sick for month. Constantly. It's a drag. Also: Landscapes. Pages and pages of landscapes. Just... you know. Cause.
The Story doesn't start with Franskenstein but with an explorer writing to his sister in England. He is going on an exploring trip with a ship to the north pole. There he meets Frankenstein, who tells him the story of his life (because apparently he has time for that). Now the Narrator is Frankenstein who does what he does (no spoilers so no details, but I think its save to say he creates a monster... that should not be considered a spoiler). At some point the monster gets to tell the story of its life, switching the narrator to the monster who encounters people, who's entire life story he relates to his creator who relates them to the explorer who writes them to his sister which is what we read.
Whenever Shelley finds another way to wring life out of a story as dead as the matter from which the monster is created it just gets more boring.
Why 2 Stars then: Because a) clearly this book is incredibly influential to a huge genre of books and deserves at least a star for this. Later books on the subject of creating life/playing god/the responsibility of science to morality may be better, more structured, less prolonged by completely useless stories of french refugees but this is one of the first. b) the basic story, striping away all the surrounding rubbish and the landscapes, is good.
I think everyone has had some exposure to the general idea of what this book is about. I certainly had, and was not altogether excited by the prospect of reading it. I got a free copy, and decided to dive in anyway. I'm so glad that I did. The story was much deeper than I'd ever thought it was based on the modern re-imaginings that we've probably all seen in various media. The monster was not just some groaning & slow-moving zombie, but rather a thoughtful and tormented being. He not only is able to speak, but can be quite eloquent and persuasive when he is so inclined. Frankenstein himself is similarly not the maniacal mad scientist that he is often portrayed to be.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone. I am very glad to have read it, despite my initial hesitance.
