Frankenstein (Raintree Short Classics Series) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly

by Diana Stewart

Frankenstein, loved by many decades of readers and praised by such eminent literary critics as Harold Bloom, seems hardly to need a recommendation. If you haven't read it recently, though, you may not remember the sweeping force of the prose, the grotesque, surreal imagery, and the multilayered doppelgänger themes of Mary Shelley's masterpiece. As fantasy writer Jane Yolen writes of this (the reviewer's favorite) edition, "The strong black and whites of the main text [illustrations] are dark and brooding, with unremitting shadows and stark contrasts. But the central conversation with the monster--who owes nothing to the overused movie image … but is rather the novel's charnel-house composite--is where [Barry] Moser's illustrations show their greatest power ... The viewer can all but smell the powerful stench of the monster's breath as its words spill out across the page. Strong book-making for one of the world's strongest and most remarkable books." Includes an illuminating afterword by Joyce Carol Oates.

Genres: Classics, Paranormal, Science Fiction

Paperback

First published June 28, 1991

About the author

Adaptations of classic works of literature.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. You don't know anything about Frankenstein if you haven't read this book. I guess you might be surprised that it was a woman who created the Frankenstein monster, but if you read the original, you'll understand that there is so much more to the story than society would portray through spinoffs and cartoons...

[Draco3seven Crawdady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember much... the parts that I do were good... and the parts that I don't make me... not make sens of the story... So I would say 5 stars but memory not clear... maybe because I use-to smoke a lot ganja???

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

after all the movies and hearsay about frankenstein, this classic came as a delightful surprise!! all lovers of literature should read it to become acquainted with the original work and clear up many misconceptions of the poor fellow. a good october read.

[Jason neese · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wish i liked it more than i did.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously a classic, but I found it interesting there is very little diolog in her writing...almost all prose.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no desire to read this -thanks to Hollywood. I finally gave in and I have no regrets. This is a classic for a reason.