Frankenstein Paperback – July 7, 2020

Amazon groups reviews for the same story even when they are from different editions and in the case of Frankenstein the worst is that there are two similar but not identical versions. The first is the 1818 uncensored edition by e-artnow; the other is the AmazonClassics Edition, it doesn't say which version it is but after reading it is clear to me that it's the posterior 1823 edition. The 1818 edition is a bit more journalistic in the sense to show you the events and let you think your own conclusions, the 1823 edition is a bit more explicit in the moral judgment of the wretched Victor Frankenstein. But these differences are quite subtle... in my opinion it had been better if we just had the 1818 story, it's perfect. Both editions has X-Ray, about the differences I can say:* AmazonClassics Edition (2 stars):In the positive side the formatting is modern and professional, you can easily see that you are reading a letter for example; the typography is clean allowing you to read with more comfort. In the negative side is evil the lengths that AmazonClassics attempt to hide dates, there is no year of publication, which is a sin considering there are the two different versions from different years; the malign editor even hides the date that is in the preface, sobbing his hands in the excitement to draw the readers into the pit of despair.* e-artnow edition (3 stars):In the positive side it contains the pure text, it's a normal formatting, not excellent as the AmazonClassics but works, but it's more useful as it informs you about the edition used. I read it fast along the AmazonClassic so I didn't find errors but could not guarantee their non existence. In the negative side... I have no important observations, I don't like the cover, the cinema version doesn't correspond to the book.In conclusion although the AmazonClassics edition is comfortable sadly it seems there is an attempt to hide the mentioned years. I cannot recommend it. The e-artnow edition is good enough, less comfortable to read but still has X-Ray and the mentioned years as the author intended them are present.Taking aside the editorial aspect I loved a lot to read Frankenstein. Mary Shelley made, barely 20 years old, an awe-inspiring horror novel. In my opinion far more impacting than Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," with which it shares some characteristics. The creature, the creation of Victor Frankenstein, is human, he does terrible actions because he suffers, he has been abandoned by the man that donned life to him. Victor Frankenstein is the monster. Surrounded by persons that love him, even the creature could love him, he betrays them without compassion. He suffers but never for others but by the guilt of his lies being unleashed. Is crystalline that he only love physical beauty, Shelley is quite talented to make you feel like the witness of the mental struggle and physical stress of a dark hearted man.If there is something that reveal both the youth of Mary Shelly and her culture devoid of life experience is the fact that her characters triumph or fail through the study of books rather than from work, knowledge and reality. I felt Europe quite small too, it seemed like either the each of the characters bought the seven-league boots or that Europe is as big as a thematic park. But these are minor details for a classic whose reading at least once could enrich you.

Readers will be surprised to read this nineteenth century "horror story," because the English woman Mary W. Shelley (1797-1851) did not write this book as it is shown in the many motion pictures that were made of it. She published this gothic tale, which many scholars see as the earliest version of a science fiction novel when she was only 21. Scholars think that she wrote it as an attack against the emerging industrial revolution, but perhaps, as we will see, it is more than that. The story is written in the delightful style of its time, like the mystery tale of the Englishman Wilke Collins, which was serialized in 1859-1860 and published in 1860, The Woman in White, which some scholars say is the first detective story, while others give the honor to Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).Mary Shelley became the wife of the famous poet Percy Shelley after writing her novel. She subtitled it The Modern Prometheus. According to some but not all Greek myths, Prometheus was a giant who created people and latter brought them fire. It appears that the Prometheus in the tale is the creator Frankenstein, who was not a giant in height, but in intellect. Most people consider Prometheus a hero, but not Shelley. She thought of fire as being bad because it caused people to kill and eat animals and gave people more implements with which to wage war and murder people. Frankenstein tells the story to a man who saved him while he is pursuing the man he created. He warns the man not to pursue scientific goals that will harm humanity. The Shelley story is about an educated man of science who was born in Switzerland and educated in a German university, who is interested in helping people. Everyone who meets him likes him. He comes from an educated amicable family who love him, and he loves them. He searches for an answer to what is life. He wonders if he can create life, and succeeds in doing so. He creates an eight-foot man, who is never named in the novel. He is repulsed by the man he creates and thinks of him as a monster as soon as the man is alive. All people who later see his creation are also repulsed and this causes the man to hide and live alone and it accounts for the profound loneliness that the man feels. His creator becomes depressed at what he has done, rushes away from his lab, and is sick in bed for four months. He is Frankenstein. The unnamed man he created leaves. Frankenstein returns home from Germany and discovers that someone killed his younger brother. He is convinced that the man he created did it, and pursues him to kill him. He meets his creation and is unable to harm him because the man is larger and stronger than he. His creation tells Frankenstein that he killed his brother by mistake. The boy saw him, was disgusted at seeing him, and started shouting. All he did was place his hand over the boy's mouth. He tells how he has been traveling about for more than a year, found that every human despises him, and has become very lonely. He begs Frankenstein to make him a female companion because he, like the biblical Adam, can't live alone. Frankenstein agrees. However, when he finishes making the female he becomes frightened that two monsters, as he thinks of them, could harm mankind. So he destroys the female. The man he created is enraged and vows vengeance against Frankenstein for destroying his life. What happens to Frankenstein and the man he created, I will leave for readers to read and enjoy. Will the creation carry out his threat? If yes, how? Which of the two will outlive the other? What will the survivor do? Is it right to call Frankenstein's creation a monster because of the way he looks? Readers may also want to ask themselves: is Mary Shelly's pessimistic approach to scientific advances justified? Perhaps there is another interpretation of the story. It may be an examination with comments upon the creation of man. The first biblical creation Adam is unnamed, like Frankenstein's creation. Although most people think his name is Adam, the Hebrew word adam actually means "human." There is an ancient Jewish legend that when God decided to create this adam, the angels objected that people were not sufficiently good. This parallels the rejection of Frankenstein's creation by society. Like Frankenstein's creation, the adam was also lonely and wants a companion. Today, many people, like Frankenstein's creation feel alienated and lonely, and live a life without meaning. This is something to think about.

“Frankenstein has done more than any other story to define the anxieties of modern life. But it’s what it tells us about compassion that we need now more than ever.”, by Rebecca Lawrence (BBC Culture - June 13, 2018)If you think that because you have watched the movie adaptations you can skip this book, then you don’t know what you are missing.The movie obscured Shelley’s intentions.This is not a horror book.It’s a drama at its finest.The writing is fascinating!And if you add the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens you will be transported to the era and be totally involved in the emotional rollercoaster.The writing is complex and vivid and expresses the anguish of both monster and creator.I thought the story was exceptionally well told and the writing definitely brought it to life.What I enjoyed the most is that we have the monster’s perspective.What an incredible imagination!The author was 18 years old and this book was written in 1818, so take that into consideration.What a great read!

Es una edición bonita, de buena calidad

Coming from one of the most authentic authoress of the British Romantic Age, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein delves into the repercussions of thirst for knowledge. The plot starts with an epistle of Walton to his sister describing his sea voyage and the story of rescued man called Victor Frankenstein whose knowledge of Natural Philosophy and chemistry makes him a creator of a "Daemon". He relates his story of making this creature who turned his life upside-down. As unbiased as it is, Mary Shelley also gets into the mind and experience of the creature. Though of eight feet, the creature is a new born child who was abandoned without any speech and knowledge of the world. The creature suffers in the hands of the country people, even from the people he has called "my protectors". When disregarded and ill treated by the people he loved, he follows his creator to make a deal with him. But when Frankenstein, out of human instinct, didn't abide to his demand, the creature goes mad with rage and starts killing the people Frankenstein loves. Towards the end when Frankenstein dies in Walton's ship, the creature, having no more purpose of life, goes away.From a reader's perspective, both the characters were well written and well developed. No one can be blamed for their endeavors. They have done what they thought would be the right thing to do. I have my sympathy for Victor Frankenstein but my heart cried for the creature. He has suffering having no fault of his own. The creature was more humane than humans. He has sympathy for everyone even though he has killed people out of sheer rage.The theme of Alienation is so powerfully depicted through the experience of the creature. Even though written 150 years before the concept of existentialism and absurdism were developed, this novel is concerned with mid-20th Century world. Involuntarily, Mary Shelley has prophesied the future of the succeeding generation.Undoubtedly this book has won over hearts all over the world and maintained its value and intensity for three centuries and will keep doing it for the centuries to come.

The media could not be loaded.  Je suis contente d’avoir trouvé une belle édition anglaise de ce livre ! La couverture est souple et non protégée quand je l’ai reçu dans mon carton avec d’autres livres (qui eux étaient plastifiés), donc j’ai une petite marque sur la couverture.Je pensais que les pages étaient argentées sur le côté pour rester dans le thème de la couverture mais non. Cela dit, il est très beau et chaque première lettre de chapitre a une police délicate que j’aime beaucoup 😊Pour les curieux, j’ai fais une vidéo et pris quelques photos ! Hâte de lire cette édition et de me replonger dans l’univers 🖤❤️

Ich kann nur empfehlen auch mal das Original dieser legendären Geschichte zu lesen.Wie viele andere kenne ich hunderte Iterationen dieser Geschichte in anderen Serien und Filmen, aber ich muss sagen, das Original war sehr anders, als ich erwartet habe.Zusätzlich hat es mich dazu motiviert mich mit Mary Shelley und ihrem sehr spannendem Leben zu beschäftigen.