Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus

Format:

Book

Title:

Frankenstein, or, The modern Prometheus

Other title(s):

Frankenstein

Modern Prometheus

Uniform Title:

Frankenstein

Author:

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851.

ISBN:

9780141439471

Edition:

Rev. ed.

Publication Information:

London ; New York : Penguin Books, 2003.

Physical Description:

lxiii, 273 pages ; 20 cm

Series title(s):

Penguin classics.

Contents:

Chronology -- Introduction -- Further reading -- Note on the text -- Frankenstein -- Appendix I: Select collation of the texts of 1831 and 1818 -- Appendix II: "A Fragment" by Lord Byron -- Appendix III: "The Vampyre: A Tale" by Dr. John William Polidori.

Summary:

Presents the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his obsessive experiment that leads to the creation of a monstrous and deadly creature.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader MG 6.1 3.0 Quiz:30533.

Personal Subject:

Frankenstein, Victor (Fictitious character)-Fiction.

Frankenstein's Monster (Fictitious character)-Fiction.

Frankenstein, Victor (Fictitious character)

Frankenstein's Monster (Fictitious character)

Subject(s):

Scientists -- Fiction.

Monsters -- Fiction.

Geneva (Switzerland) -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Geneva (Switzerland) -- Fiction.

Switzerland -- Geneva

Genre:

Added Author:

Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824. Fragment.

Polidori, John William, 1795-1821. Vampyre.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Newberg Public Library	FICTION SHELLEY	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The world's most famous work of horror fiction: a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read

Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror. Based on the third edition of 1831, this Penguin Classics edition, with an introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle, 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. It also 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."

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Author Notes

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born in England on August 30, 1797. Her parents were two celebrated liberal thinkers, William Godwin, a social philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a women's rights advocate. Eleven days after Mary's birth, her mother died of puerperal fever. Four motherless years later, Godwin married Mary Jane Clairmont, bringing her and her two children into the same household with Mary and her half-sister, Fanny. Mary's idolization of her father, his detached and rational treatment of their bond, and her step-mother's preference for her own children created a tense and awkward home. Mary's education and free-thinking were encouraged, so it should not surprise us today that at the age of sixteen she ran off with the brilliant, nineteen-year old and unhappily married Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Shelley became her ideal, but their life together was a difficult one. Traumas plagued them: Shelley's wife and Mary's half-sister both committed suicide; Mary and Shelley wed shortly after he was widowed but social disapproval forced them from England; three of their children died in infancy or childhood; and while Shelley was an aristocrat and a genius, he was also moody and had little money.

Mary conceived of her magnum opus, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, when she was only nineteen when Lord Byron suggested they tell ghost stories at a house party. The resulting book took over two years to write and can be seen as the brilliant creation of a powerful but tormented mind. The story of Frankenstein has endured nearly two centuries and countless variations because of its timeless exploration of the tension between our quest for knowledge and our thirst for good.

Shelley drowned when Mary was only 24, leaving her with an infant and debts. She died from a brain tumor on February 1, 1851 at the age of 54. (Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Gr 7 Up-While remaining true to the spirit of Shelley's famous work, this adaptation allows readers to have it their way, savoring this horror classic with either the "Original Text," or the "Quick Text," a simplified abridgement. More than a straightforward retelling, this edition invites readers to explore important social issues such as alienation, the consequences and ethics of scientific studies, as well as the nature of creation and destruction. Rich and lustrous artwork remains the same in both versions. Bucolic mountainsides and charming villages are rendered in a classical European painting style. In stark contrast, horrific elements are depicted with grotesque angular figures in monochromatic tones. Excellent lettering enhances the narrative without distracting from the images. An especially nice feature is the use of boldface to highlight key words and phrases. A table of contents, based on the original three-volume edition, helps readers follow the story's progression. Back matter includes a biography of Shelley, a description of the novel's origin and history, and a clear description of comic-page creation for this remarkable edition. Reluctant readers who start with the "Quick Text" will probably be enticed to try the "Original Text" and continue to explore this exquisite rendition of a gothic classic.-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Copious notes about Shelley and about people, places, and things mentioned in the story fill the margins of this edition of the classic tale. Some of the information may help readers better understand the novel, but most of the annotations are superfluous and distracting. The volume is heavily illustrated with reproductions and original watercolors. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.