Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus: The 1818 Text (Oxford World's Classics)

The 1818 version is more raw and biting... far superior version

The original version of Frankenstein (or, The Modern Prometheus) was published anonymously in 1818. However, the version of Frankenstein that most people have read is the 1831 edition, which has significant changes from the original 1818 text. This book gives the readers a chance to experience the original text, which is less refined and a bit darker then the revised text. It also provides a wonderful introduction and notes discussing Mary Shelley's life, the context in which this story was written, and the differences between the original text and the 1831 edition. These notes and introduction are by Marilyn Butler, who was a Professor of English Literature at Cambridge.The story is well known, although certainly the book is nothing like most of the movies that use its name. While clearly one can find many issues from Mary Shelley's life and times that are addressed in this book, what makes it stand the test of time is how it can be made to relate to modern day issues as well. One theme, science creates a "monster" which it cannot control and which ultimately destroys the lives of those that created it, can be found today in areas such as genetics, nuclear physics, etc., and will undoubtedly be with us in the future as well. Other themes from the story carry forward from 1818 to today as well, which undoubtedly why this story is a classic and will always endure.

Got an used book with a 2.65 USD price tag

Shelly ignites themes present in Genesis that juxtapose craft and concupiscence pitted against original justice and divine grace. Man in the throes of temptation and decision: to “be” in the image of God in the realm of divine grace and Paradise, or to “be” in the image of the world, the flesh and evil. Man content with the personal and undefiled relationship with God, or the pursuit of the lesser becoming the greater placed in the hands of the alchemist’s “elixir” that transforms man fallen into man eternal man, made in the image of man. Popular literary criticism and presupposed thematic conflicts take a back seat to the real crux of the underlying role of man in search of eternal “being.”

Condition of book is not very good, acceptable is much closer to its true condition, pages are creased, and edges worn, plus it has an odd smell to it.

The physical book itself was in excellent condition and arrived quickly. The story is an amazing read. I can't believe I hadn't ready it before. Fortunately I had never really seen any Frankenstein movies either. However, even if I had, the story would not have been ruined (apparently Hollywood took a very lose adaptation here).I'd highly recommend this read and adding this book to your collection

Got where it needed to be quickly.

The book is incredible when connecting the history of the author and the influences she has used form the enlightenment authors she was surrounded by including her father Goodwin. The book is actually rather complex and involves many enlightenment views raising questions on ethics and what ought to be done. Very great read.

A review of a classic on Kindle should really have two things to say: something about the text itself, and something about how it has been presented on Kindle.Let's talk about the text, or the story if you will. Everyone knows about Frankenstein - or at least they think they do. No doubt, some know-it-all will tell you that Frankenstein ISN'T the name of the monster, but of the scientist that created him. Well, maybe... but the monster is never given a name of his own, so why not take the family name of his "father"? So, Frankenstein IS the monster after all... in fact, you could argue Victor is more monstrous than his creation. Obvious? Maybe, but perhaps not to everyone. You see, not everyone who thinks they know about Frankenstein actually knows as much as they think they do. Captain Walton? Who he? My only reason for going on this little de-familiarising ramble is this: Today, this novel is as powerful as ever. Simply as a horror story, it is pretty gripping, but the depth and subtlety of the themes are extraordinary. If you only ever read one classic, make this the one.So, how does this particular version of the novel work on Kindle? Oxford have done brilliant job. The cover image is the same as the paperback, and all the extras that come with the DTB are here too, including the genuinely fascinating introduction. The text has been properly formatted for Kindle, there is a hyperlinked TOC, and it is a joy to use.Excellent.

FrankensteinMary Shelley, 1818Here's another classic story I'm reading for the first time! Frankenstein the novel, as I suspected, is almost nothing like the various incarnations of Frankenstein I've run across over the years. I've seen so many versions of the monster in childrens' shows, comedy specials, skits, and other forms of media, but none of the pop-culture depictions of the monster seem to accurately represent the sadness and abundant emotion of the book.I shouldn't be surprised at it anymore, but it seems like all British or American literature from the 19th century has to be set inside a frame story--the narrative has to be told to somebody who told somebody who is telling the reading audience about it, or something equally layered. Frankenstein is actually not told by Victor Frankenstein or by his created monster, but by a third party whose main purpose seems to be praising Victor Frankenstein's character to the high heavens.The story starts out with some guy, Captain Robert Walton, writing to his sister about the weather in St. Petersburg. He's a sea captain and he is preparing for a big voyage to the Arctic, where he hopes something amazing and purposeful awaits him. As his letters continue, it becomes clear that Walton is seriously poetic and he really wants a like-minded best friend because pouring out his heart in well-composed letters to his sister is just not doing justice to the depth of his feelings. But Walton's loneliness doesn't last for too long because his crew soon discovers a dying man floating on a big piece of ice. As the man, Victor, is nursed back to health, he admits to Walton that he has been in the Arctic chasing another person, or rather a "demon" as he calls him. Then Victor begins to share his long, tragic story with the captain.Victor's thirst for knowledge led him to serious questions about the nature of life and souls. He was a brainiac who devoted himself to the intense study of various educational disciplines, including a few areas of spiritualism and quackery. Time passed and Victor learned how to give life to inanimate biological objects. He cobbled together an eight-fool-tall body, ran an electric current and some other stuff through it, and brought the ugly creature to liiiiiife. But no sooner does his pet project come to life, than Victor runs away from it in disgust. Strangely, it's at this point that I, as a reader, go from feeling a certain fondness for Victor and his obsessive studying to feeling outright revulsion for him because he refuses to take responsibility for something he made.And I do feel very sorry for the monster, which I did not expect to happen. The monster does some cruel, vile things, but he had no real guidance. He didn't ask to be created and abandoned, and it isn't his fault that his own creator views him with absolute horror. Victor created a life that could have had some value if he had chosen to assign said value to it, but instead he leaves the creature alone in hopes that it will run away and just not be his problem anymore! But it becomes his problem once again when the creature kills his younger brother and frames a servant for the crime.At one of the climaxes of the story, the creature confronts Victor and talks to him for the first time. The creature has been through a lot of painful encounters with human beings, most of which began with him trying to do something kind and ended with him doing something destructive. He wants Victor to make him a companion so he can live happily ever after with her in the wilderness, but his plans for a monster wedding don't ever come to fruition because Victor sabotages the effort. Victor and his monster proceed in a gruesome game of one-upsmanship where each tries to hurt the other horribly, and they both succeed. When this very short book is over, the body-count is about as high as your typical Shakespearean tragedy: everyone we care about (and some people we don't) has died.What's the moral of the story, then, if you're looking for one? Perhaps that seeking after too much knowledge or pursuing science for science's sake is a bad idea. Jurassic Park has also taught us that. Another moral or lesson I see in Frankenstein is the importance of compassion and empathy--if Victor had cared for his creation as he ought to, the many, many deaths could have been averted. That's why the story is tragic; a little less obsession and selfishness from our protagonist would have changed everything. Grade: BFavorite quotes:-"Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity or ruin." (pg 16)Victor-"But now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. " (pg 26)Monster-"I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy" (pg 80)

I was very surprised with this one. Mainly because I had no idea what to expect. I ended up really enjoying it and found it hard to put down. I loved the writing style and the Gothic genre. The way it was told, letters within letters, stories within stories, was so well crafted. I found myself really caring for the characters, mainly the monster. The development of the monster was so interesting and touching that I couldn't not care.I recommend it to those who like a bit of dark. But it's not scary, although it's classed as a horror. It's more like a thriller, to me. It's moving and suspenseful. And at times Romantic.

I chose this version - there is another version that the author herself abridged as a result of public demand - because I wanted to read the full unabridged version. I was not disappointed. The prose is amazing and the story outstanding. I thought I knew the story from all of the media coverage of this classic but reading the book showed me (once again) that that wasn't the case.Highly recommended

I bought this for my course, and have found studying Frankenstein immensely interesting. There are so many different interpretations to the novel that you can pretty much get out of it what you want. Whether that be analysis of gender, politics, family, science, or simply to enjoy a supernatural 19th Century tale; it has all of these. The introduction has been very helpful too, so I would recommend this edition to anyone studying the text.