Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism (A Norton Critical Edition) Book

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by: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Paul J. Hunter, Mary Shelly, J. Paul Hunter

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - Not the horror story we all know and love so well. Mary Shelley's early 1818 text of Frankenstein is free of the revisions she made when she became an older woman, wearier of the world. This novel is not the horror story Hollywood has told us in Boris Karloff's portrayal of the Frankenstein monster, Kenneth Brannaugh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (a disturbing departure from the text) and the satire Young Frankenstein. The horrors Shelley comments on in the book include the dangers of man playing God and then not taking responsibility for his creation by abandoning it. Rating: - Not What You Think! If you think you know Frankenstein because you have seen the classic 1930's Hollywood movie, then you really don't know Frankenstein. The short novel upon which the movie is loosely based (so loosely as to be almost a different story)is a morality tale on the creation of life and the obligations of the creator and the created. Mary Shelley was only twenty when she wrote the novel, begun when a house party attended by the poet Byron and Shelley's husband, the poet Percy Shelley decided to swap "ghost" stories one evening. Only Mary Shelley completed her story and this is the 1818 text presented in this book. One main objection I have about this book (and the only reason that kept it from getting 5 stars) is basically the plot itself. If you think that a tight plausible plot is needed, then this is not the book for you. There are too many holes and too many times I found myself asking, Why would the character do this? But if you read for language and philosophical thought, then Frankenstein is a perfect short read. The monster is very erudite and able to express his emotions perfectly. Why was he created and how can he endure if all he receives is the scorn and hatred of those around him? What is the obligation of the creator-to please his creation or keep him from doing harm to others? This is the true core of the story and the contrasting feelings between Victor Frankenstein, the creator and the monster fill the pages. While not a difficult read, it is one that is totally unexpected if you have no prior knowledge of the novel's difference with the movie. While the movie is rightfully a classic, the book delves more into the spiritual and emotional realms of creation and its affect on all. I would highly recommend this book for those who are intrigued by the beauty of language and thought. J Rating: - Amazing! Two things are amazing. This book and the reviewer who says "Despite many strengths, Frankenstein has fatal flaws". I find it grotesque when "critics" pick apart a masterpiece, a work that the critic themselves couldn't create in their wildest dreams. A work that they couldn't match with anything in their boring lives. Yes, you can find something "wrong" in any work of art or science. But when something is so amazing as is this book (one of the greatest of all time, including the future), one should temper their criticism with praise. Point out all the good points , the amazing points, and the "flaws" will disappear as unimportant. Critics are so pitiful.

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism (A Norton Critical Edition) Book

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