Frankenstein: or `The Modern Prometheus': The 1818 Text

by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Marilyn Butler (Editor)

Frankenstein was Mary Shelley's immensely powerful contribution to the ghost stories which she, Percy Shelley, and Byron wrote one wet summer in Switzerland. Its protagonist is a young student of natural philosophy, who learns the secret of imparting life to a creature constructed from relics of the dead, with horrific consequences.

Frankenstein confronts some of the most feared innovations of evolutionism: topics such as degeneracy, hereditary disease, and mankind's status as a species of animal. The text used here is from the 1818 edition, which is a mocking exposé of leaders and achievers who leave desolation in their wake, showing mankind its choice - to live cooperatively or to die of selfishness. It is also a black comedy, and harder and wittier than the 1831 version with which we are more familiar.

Drawing on new research, Marilyn Butler examines the novel in the context of the radical sciences, which were developing among much controversy in the years following the Napoleonic Wars, and shows how Frankenstein's experiment relates to a contemporary debate between the champions of materialist science and of received religion.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

• ISBN10: 0199537151
• ISBN13: 9780199537150
• Publish Date: 14 August 2008 (first published 1 January 1818)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 February 2020
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Oxford University Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

“The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.”

I have a lot of mixed feelings for this book. I really did want to like it, but through the majority of the book I just wanted it to be over.

Something I was very surprised to learn was that Frankenstein was not the Monster's name, but infact the creator of the monster. Something else I was surprised by was that it wasn't scary at all and in fact the majority of the story was quite dull and not very interesting.

It did make me feel a lot of emotions, mainly annoyance. Except when "the monster" was telling his side of the story and telling what had happened to him and why he had become the way he was. It was sad and made you want people to be more understanding towards him and to give him a chance to show that he just wanted a companion to spend life with.

I never felt any sympathy towards Frankenstein. Throughout the whole story I felt that he was always oh poor me and oh what have I done. He would always want to take action and protect the people he loved, but he never did it the right way or told anyone what was making him so upset. When I feel like the whole thing could have had a much different outcome if he just would have told people what he had done and that he needed help in getting rid of what he had created or making it so it wasn't so hated. Plus what did he expect to happen to "the monster" when it left his house.

Overall though I was very disappointed with this book and won't be rereading it. At least not for a very very long time.

See more reviews like this on my blog

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

Victor Frankenstein is a student of science, obsessed with discovering the cause of life. One night he bestowed animation upon a lifeless matter and created a monster. He recoils from his hideous creation and the monster is cast out and left tormented by isolation and loneliness. Evil is unleashed and a campaign for vengeance against Frankenstein has begun.

Most people are aware of my passion for Frankenstein, I may not read it every year but I do come close. Picking up this book is like coming home, the joy that sweeps over me as I emerse myself into the text is indescribable. Have you ever had that feeling where a book can bring you so much joy, I even have to buy different versions of this novel just to have on my self. I have some rather handsome editions; a leather-bound copy, an annotated edition and a nice illustrated hardcover released by Dark Horse Comics.

So imagine my shock to discover that the audiobook I was listening to was a little different to the novel I was accustomed to. With a little research I discovered Dan Stevens (the narrator, yes the one from Downton Abbey) was reading from the 1818 edition. Not the heavily revised 1931 version, which is most commonly printed. I didn’t even know there were two different versions; this was an exciting day for me. Not only can I continually read Frankenstein and gain immense pleasure from it, but I can also switch between two different versions of the story.

I was familiarising myself with the text of Frankenstein for a university course, so I had decided to look at the book a little differently. For an older review, one I still think is pretty good click here. I knew a little more about Mary Shelley this time, so I was looking at Frankenstein with some context. Before Shelley wrote Frankenstein she had given birth to a daughter, two months premature. This daughter only lived a few weeks, a year later she gave birth to William Shelley. After the birth of her son she suffered from postpartum depression.

The birth of William happened a few months before the story of Frankenstein was conceived, so it wasn’t too surprising to see William’s name in the novel. William was Victor Frankenstein’s youngest brother, who was strangled to death by the monster. So I have two lines of thought here, one being that Mary Shelley’s depression manifested an urge to strangle William, the second is a little more complex.

I want to skip over the whole parody of creationism within Frankenstein, which would have to be an entirely different blog post (maybe when I read it next time). Life was created (without the need of a female) and then rejected. He has no loving mother; he is born fully grown but still has the intelligence of an infant, he was rejected before he could learn about the world. Again I’m left with two thoughts, is this about growing up without a mother or was this rejection of her child? I’m not really good at forming arguments (something I need to learn) but I wanted to leave you with those thoughts, and one other. In a journal entry in 1915 Mary Shelley wrote about the death of her first child, and being tormented by the idea of it coming back to life.

You know that “never meet your idols” phrase? I never really understood it; sure Mary Shelley wasn’t a ‘nice’ person but who is? She was tormented and complex and from that sprung forth a novel with so many layers that you could write a book on it. This was what made her my literary idol, not being a good person. I know I will keep reading this novel and try to write a review on each different perspective I find. Who knows it could make up and interesting collection of posts. Look for my next Frankenstein post (possible next year), not sure what it would be about; Creationism, Paradise Lost, Feminism, Slavery, Revolution, or something else. If you haven’t experienced the joys of a book so complex and layered, don’t you think it’s time you did so?

This review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2013/12/27/book-review-frankenstein-1818-edition/

[jamiereadthis]

This came two-for-one with Dracula, and after Dracula, couldn't hold a candle. Probably all because of this: with the former, I was familiar with the story and was completely surprised, whereas with Frankenstein, I was familiar with the story and read exactly that. Still, it's a heck of a story, and one good to finally read for myself.

[remo]

Después de haber visto infinidad de series y referencias al personaje de Frankenstein, incluida la version de la familia Adams, encontrarme con el monstruo de Frankenstein, tan humano, tan incomprendido, fue una sorpresa que no esperaba. Piara empezar, no hay escena del pararrayos; la autora no describe el proceso mediante el cual eel doctor Frankenstein insufla vida a su creación, o a su "monstruo", según se autodescribe la criatura.
La historia la cuenta el capitán Walton, que escribe a su hermana acerca de una expedición reciente al Polo Norte, y donde dice que se ha encontrado al doctor Frankenstein. de ahí va recontando la historia.
La parte en la que el doctor decide "matar" a la compañera que le había pedido el monstruo antes de haberla terminado, y la venganza del monstruo previamente avisada debería ser un icono de la cultura universal, sobre la sensación de soledad y el deseo de venganza a la vez.
Me gustó mucho, un tanto Romántica (al estilo Espronceda, no al estilo Hollywood) pero poderosa y con un mensaje universal y bien contado.