[(In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity and Nineteenth-century Writing)] [Author: Chris Baldick] published on

by Chris Baldick

This book surveys the early history of one of our most important modern the story of Frankenstein and the monster he created from dismembered corpses, as it appeared in fictional and other writings before its translation to the cinema screen. It examines the range of meanings which Mary Shelley's Frankenstein offers in the light of the political images of `monstrosity' generated by the French Revolution. Later chapters trace the myth's analogues and protean transformations in subsequent writings, from the tales of Hoffmann and Hawthorne to the novels of Dickens, Melville, Conrad, and Lawrence, taking in the historical and political writings of Carlyle and Marx as well as the science fiction of Stevenson and Wells. The author shows that while the myth did come to be applied metaphorically to technological development, its most powerful associations have centred on relationships between people, in the family, in work, and in politics.

Genres: Nonfiction, Victor Frankenstein, Horror, Literary Criticism, Gothic

Paperback

First published February 11, 1988

Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Frankenstein as a teen. It was such a sad story that it took decades before I could come back to it. I’ve read it a few times now. I’ve also read quite a few books about the character of the monster and his creation. In Frankenstein’s Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-century Writing by Chris Baldick is an exceptionally well done treatment. A literary critic, Baldick traces the influence of Mary Shelley’s novel through a variety of pieces of the 1800s. Some of them unexpected. It is a masterful treatment.

Any number of authors, including Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, D. H. Lawrence, and Bram Stoker were clearly influenced by it. So was Karl Marx. The monster, it seems, fits any number of needs. It stands in for other realities, such as capitalism, or industrialism, or imperialism. Baldick deftly shows these connections, sometimes, as I noted in my blog post (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World) on it, finding isolated words and motifs. The connections are surely there.

Literary criticism can be chancy. I’ve read many examples that have put me off from the books they claim to analyze. Baldick has the opposite effect. This little book made me want to go out and read all the books and stories he cited. The problem, of course, is time. There are so many things written and new books and stories are published daily. Going back to the classics is never a bad idea, and this is one of those books that will put you in the mood to do just that.

[Tânia · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-Century Writing takes a look at the influence that the novel Frankenstein had in other literary narratives. If you love Frankenstein, you should read this book without a doubt.

[Nicole Aceto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for understanding Frankenstein's role in popular myth

[Anne Oftedahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Additional reading for an assignment in my Rewriting and Adapting class

[EvaLovesYA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also posted on Eva Lucias blog

After reading Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, I decided to research the monster myth, both in classic literature and in contemporary.

Why are we drawn towards horror fiction, and especially towards Frankenstein’s monster? Does it reflect something in us which we cannot control? Does it symbolize the ugly side of the human being? Naturally, one could argue that this view on mankind could fit perfectly with Freud’s (much later) theory of the ‘uncanny’; the idea that the attraction towards horror came from the thoughts of the primitive id that was suppressed by the civilized ego. Obviously, Frankenstein is a story that brings out elements from Gothic and horror fiction attract and thrill us readers because we keep turning the pages and allow ourselves to dwell in an atmosphere of suspense and horror, while we enjoy feeling the flow of adrenaline through our veins.

First of all, I wanted to learn more about the literary history of Frankenstein, and the historical context which influenced Mary Shelley and her writing. Furthermore, I was interested in placing Mary Shelley as an author in the literary tradition at the beginning of the 1900th Century. In “Frankenstein’s Shadow – Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-century Writing “by Chris Baldick presents information about the monster myth and the literary period in which Frankenstein was written. Especially chapter 3 inspired me to further reading and knowledge.

If you are interested in the monster myth and want to know more, this source is also relevant:
Mary Shelley – Frankenstein’s Creator” by Joan Kane Nichols.

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