Frankenstein: The 1818 Text

Books | Fiction / Classics

3.8

(1.5K)

Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s classic novel, presented in its original 1818 text, with an introduction from National Book Critics Circle award-winner Charlotte Gordon Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read The original 1818 text of Frankenstein preserves the hard-hitting and politically-charged aspects of Shelley’s original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. This edition also emphasizes Shelley’s relationship with her mother—trailblazing feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman—and demonstrates her commitment to carrying forward her mother’s ideals, placing her in the context of a feminist legacy rather than the sole female in the company of male poets, including Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. This edition includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by National Book Critics Circle award-winner and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon, and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson. Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing 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.

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Author

Mary Shelley

Pages

288

Publisher

Penguin

Published Date

2018-01-16

ISBN

0143131842 9780143131847

Community ReviewsSee all

"The low rating is really my fault its difficult for me to read or listen to old British dialect. Words are exaggerated to the point where I day dream while I'm listening to the audiobook. The story underneath though is great. Movies have merely taken a shadow of the book and dressed it up into vastly different story but I enjoyed learning the truth behind the legend. Still angry with Frankenstein though he is a complete jerk in this book. He makes a one of a kind human being and forsakes him then just like everyone else sees his face and thinks instantly your a murderer and a devil. I feel that the Monster was the only decent person in the book."

Ashley

"Raw emotions coming through this edition (1831 ed. is much more toned down)!"

Shantalle 🥰

"It's basically the best prose I've ever read. It'll be difficult for anything to surpass how lovely and horrifying this book is."

Phoebe Jones

"Yay, so happy to hear that! This is my all time favorite book, and I hope it does the same for you!"

R V

Riley Vehec

"The first part of the book was amazing and very interesting but I felt like it kind of got boring at the end. Either way it was still interesting and glad my school made me read it."

Estefani Hesiquio

"I absolutely despise Victor Frankenstein and I feel he deserved all of his torture. While I feel bad for the innocent people who were killed, the agony it caused Frankenstein was justly deserved. I feel so terrible for his creation and I genuinely wish that it had found love and friendship. This was an incredibly exciting read and definitely a favorite!"

Rook

"I first read this book a couple years ago and just finished it again recently. It is such a great book! It's full of deep emotion, most of which is depressing, and I was able to empathize with the monster who just wanted to be loved and turned hateful only after people treated him like a monster. It's a book I'll definitely read again. "

marissa ewing

"The more I study this book inside and out, the more I realize this is probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read for school. Not only is the story recognizable, but it was actually fun to read. The characters are interesting even if they are mentioned and developed briefly. #HenryClerval4Life The themes are there and thriving, though I wouldn’t have seen them without the countless times I’ve had to analyze it in class. These themes are relatable and still relevant to this day. The only problem I have is the wordy-ness. You could cut down the book to nearly half the length and still keep the details, but I chalk that up to the time period it was written. Props to Shelley for writing this when she was 17. Moving my rating from 3 to 4 ⭐️"

emma

"A gripping tale and warning still relevant today."