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Frankenstein: The Graphic Novel
This is the full story in quick modern English for a fast-paced read! True to the original novel (rather than the square-headed Boris Karloff image from the films!) Declan's naturally gothic artistic style is a perfect match for this epic tale. "Frankenstein" is such a well known title, yet the films strayed so far beyond the original novel that many people today don't realise how this classic horror tale deals with such timeless subjects as alienation, empathy and understanding beyond appearance. This is another great story, beautifully crafted into a superb graphic novel.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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964 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
September 26, 2020
Adapted text + audio CD. Project Learning English by myself. I never read the original text, so I don't know if this graphic novel is true to Mary Shelley's plot. Overall, it was an OK read, but I liked the audio and the colorful drawings very much.
January 23, 2016
I really liked this graphic novel, but I am sad to say this is the only Frankenstein book I have ever read!!! I need to get the mass market paperback! I have seen a million movies but never read a book until this graphic novel.
The graphics are good, but I hate how Victor just leaves the poor monster. He doesn't try to help him or anything, he just makes him and then freaks out.
Victor is telling his story to some men that saved him from the frozen sea, where he was chasing a beast. He told them the whole story.
You would think after the beast killed one of Victor's family members because of how Victor just ran away and left him, he would become friends with the beast. Even after the beast tried to be friends and told him what he wanted so he wouldn't be lonely.
Did Victor do this.. well no.. not in this book.. duh.. what are you think is going to happen when you keep being cruel to creatures...
I felt sorry for poor ole beast/man/would be a cool friend/Frankenstein... I mean he was in son if you look at it that way.
The graphics are good, but I hate how Victor just leaves the poor monster. He doesn't try to help him or anything, he just makes him and then freaks out.
Victor is telling his story to some men that saved him from the frozen sea, where he was chasing a beast. He told them the whole story.
You would think after the beast killed one of Victor's family members because of how Victor just ran away and left him, he would become friends with the beast. Even after the beast tried to be friends and told him what he wanted so he wouldn't be lonely.
Did Victor do this.. well no.. not in this book.. duh.. what are you think is going to happen when you keep being cruel to creatures...
I felt sorry for poor ole beast/man/would be a cool friend/Frankenstein... I mean he was in son if you look at it that way.
December 18, 2015
..........FRANKENSTEIN..........
Gosh, I feel like a kid! Love the cover.....Love the feel and size of the book.....Love the beautifully colored illustrations.....Love that I own it....can display it....can read it again and again.....but most of all.....Love that the story is true to the classic first published in 1818 when Mary Shelley was only twenty years of age! It's also good to know the movie versions I've seen over the years deviate a long way from this original gothic tale.
While the story was a great read, it was interesting to find out about Mary Shelley's personal life too and how she actually came to write this timeless novel.
As I read more graphic novels, I now understand why so many of my adult GR friends are enjoying these fun works of fiction!
September 23, 2023
3.5★
This was very nice to read and really explained the story in a very short way. Now I do want to read the actual novel!
This was very nice to read and really explained the story in a very short way. Now I do want to read the actual novel!
December 16, 2023
Ah, I just love this story. Graphics were okay & I wish I had the original text version rather than the quick text, but it's still a great read.
May 29, 2021
Çizgi romandan ziyade hikayenin bitimindeki yazarın hayatını anlatan üç sayfa daha çok etkiledi beni, Türk dizisi gibiydi ne ararsanız var...
June 30, 2018
I recently tried the original story but couldn’t finish because I wasn’t into the writing style and the audiobook was glitchy but after reading this... I will probably re-add the original to my reading list because this was good!
What’s it about?
In case you’ve been living under a rock or in a coma since the 19th century, Frankenstein is the story of a doctor (Victor Frankenstein) who ends up creating a new life form using a corpse... It goes horribly wrong.
Pros:
The story is very interesting and never made me bored.
The art is fantastic! It really brings this book to life!
The horror aspect of the book is really well done through both the story and illustrations!
This book has some fast paced action scenes that are very well done. That doesn’t mean it’s an action book or anything, it is a bit more slow paced (it suits the story well though) but it has those good, exciting scenes!
This book is extremely suspenseful!
Cons:
The characters are not interesting. Victor goes from bland to a**hole. Victor’s wife who we are meant to care about is barely in the book. Frankenstein’s monster was interesting but when he starts his whole
I didn’t care for the narrative.
Overall:
This is a good book that I think most horror fans will enjoy but is not a masterpiece or anything in my opinion. I would recommend this to horror fans or fans of the classic tale in general (this is meant to be one of the most accurate retellings of the story in the comic book format. Can’t tell you if that’s 100% accurate though).
4/5
What’s it about?
In case you’ve been living under a rock or in a coma since the 19th century, Frankenstein is the story of a doctor (Victor Frankenstein) who ends up creating a new life form using a corpse... It goes horribly wrong.
Pros:
The story is very interesting and never made me bored.
The art is fantastic! It really brings this book to life!
The horror aspect of the book is really well done through both the story and illustrations!
This book has some fast paced action scenes that are very well done. That doesn’t mean it’s an action book or anything, it is a bit more slow paced (it suits the story well though) but it has those good, exciting scenes!
This book is extremely suspenseful!
Cons:
The characters are not interesting. Victor goes from bland to a**hole. Victor’s wife who we are meant to care about is barely in the book. Frankenstein’s monster was interesting but when he starts his whole
I didn’t care for the narrative.
Overall:
This is a good book that I think most horror fans will enjoy but is not a masterpiece or anything in my opinion. I would recommend this to horror fans or fans of the classic tale in general (this is meant to be one of the most accurate retellings of the story in the comic book format. Can’t tell you if that’s 100% accurate though).
4/5
April 19, 2011
I have quickly become a fan of Classic Comics, original text versions of classic literature. Last month I read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and now this month, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which was as equally thought provoking as it was heart wrenching.
Prior to reading the Frankenstein graphic novel, I admittedly knew very little of this classic literary work other than it was a story about a man who created a monster who gets loose in the world and frightens, torments and even murders innocent people. I did not know the characters, the plot or the thought provoking themes of the story including the moral implications of scientific and medicinal advancements and the responsibilities that lie therein. Nor did I have any inkling as to how very sad and tragic this story is. Before, I merely thought it a horror story.
This graphic novel version of Frankenstein also includes a brief, yet informative biography of Mary Shelley and an account of the immediate and long term success of Frankenstein from when it was first published in 1818 when the author was merely 21 years old to the present day. Nearly two hundred years later, Frankenstein is still widely known all over the world and has been adapted into countless retellings and productions on stage, in radio and film.
Frankenstein is an exceptionally insightful and expressive story. I highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone. You might just be surprised at how little you truly know about Victor Frankenstein and his creation.
Prior to reading the Frankenstein graphic novel, I admittedly knew very little of this classic literary work other than it was a story about a man who created a monster who gets loose in the world and frightens, torments and even murders innocent people. I did not know the characters, the plot or the thought provoking themes of the story including the moral implications of scientific and medicinal advancements and the responsibilities that lie therein. Nor did I have any inkling as to how very sad and tragic this story is. Before, I merely thought it a horror story.
This graphic novel version of Frankenstein also includes a brief, yet informative biography of Mary Shelley and an account of the immediate and long term success of Frankenstein from when it was first published in 1818 when the author was merely 21 years old to the present day. Nearly two hundred years later, Frankenstein is still widely known all over the world and has been adapted into countless retellings and productions on stage, in radio and film.
Frankenstein is an exceptionally insightful and expressive story. I highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone. You might just be surprised at how little you truly know about Victor Frankenstein and his creation.
January 21, 2022
My MT and I are considering teaching this graphic novel version of the classic instead of the novel itself (supplementing the unit with excerpts from the real thing, of course). After reading, I definitely support the switch! This version exclusively used language from the original text, the rendering was extremely easy to follow and accessible for students who are unfamiliar with graphic novel jargon and logistics, and the artwork really preserves the haunting enchantment of the classic without so much of the (at times) sticky language. I think my students will love it!
March 27, 2017
A pretty decent adaptation of Frankenstein, which is one of my favorite novels. I liked that it used Shelley's actual language for the most part, and the art added to it. A fun read, but go read the actual novel, too!
Read
January 2, 2021güzeldi
Read
August 31, 2023so much easier than rereading the actual text itself
November 13, 2018
Disclaimer: I haven't read the original.
I absolutely hated the art in this. The overuse of shadows just made it feel like there was an issue in the printing process.
I thought the story's pacing was really disjointed and I just wanted to it be over the entire time.
I haven't decided yet if this version has made me want to read the original or stay far away from it.
I absolutely hated the art in this. The overuse of shadows just made it feel like there was an issue in the printing process.
I thought the story's pacing was really disjointed and I just wanted to it be over the entire time.
I haven't decided yet if this version has made me want to read the original or stay far away from it.
November 20, 2014
I was excited that I found this at my local library. I have been on a graphic novel kick for the past couple of months, so checking this one out was a no-brainer. Excellent story, of course!! Good graphics. A Frankenstein must for any fan.
February 23, 2020
I loved the art in this book! It was definitely a different take on the typical Frankenstein that is shown in movies and media. I can't wait to compare this to Mary Shelley's book.
November 4, 2025
I love my new career. Teaching can be difficult; it can be stressful. Of all the jobs I've ever held down, it's definitely the most challenging but it's also the most rewarding.
This past spring, I took a risk and decided to relocate to a new school. One factor that "sold me" during the interview was my future principal's willingness to let teachers design their own elective classes. I imagined she'd want me to play it safe after she hired me on, so I outlined some fairly standard crash courses on astronomy, geology, and other branches of science. Then I cooked up something else, an idea for a class that I knew the students would love but assumed nobody would actually let me teach.
At the final pitch meeting, things didn't go as I expected. My new boss listened patiently to all of my new class proposals before asking the million-dollar question: "Which one are you the most passionate about?"
Just like that, one of my wildest dreams was realized. I was given the green light to develop a new, original course called "The Science of Sci-Fi."
Building a curriculum from scratch is no easy feat. I spent my summer reading up on the real science behind some of the world's most beloved stories. I explored the physics of superheroes, the genetics of "Jurassic Park," and the cosmology behind Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar."
And then, of course, there was Mary Shelley.
"Frankenstein" has been one of my favorite novels ever since I first read it as a teenager. Unlike most works of fiction I picked up in those days, it didn't have an obvious hero or villain. Moral complexity forms the backbone of the story; we sympathize with Victor Frankenstein's poor, lonely monster at first, but our compassion runs dry when his self-pity drives him to homicide. He may not share Victor's DNA, but the creature is very much his father's son. Both characters are ruined by their obsessions. One of them wants to defeat death at the cost of his own humanity, while the other craves revenge despite knowing it won't make him happy in the end.
Nineteenth-century prose can be a little daunting for young readers and English language-learners. So instead of the original "Frankenstein" text, I decided to assign Jason Cobley's graphic novel adaptation of it. The illustrations are beautiful, and the abridged dialogue still does Mary Shelley justice.
My classroom experience tells me I made the right call. Cobley's take on the story is both accessible and entertaining. The students loved it and I was floored by some of the great questions and insights they raised during our class discussions.
At one point, late in the story, the monster compares himself to a fallen angel, clearly evoking the biblical story of Satan, who went from God's benevolent servant to the most evil being in the universe.
"Why's the creature bringing up the devil right now?" I asked. Then, without missing a beat, one of my more reserved students raised his hand and answered, "Because he relates to him."
The monster's dark turn wasn't inevitable, the class decided. A recurring theme in our chats about "Frankenstein" was my students' belief that the story could have gone very differently if even one person had loved him--especially his own creator. I share their view.
Getting to share a story that's meant so much to me over the years with a new generation of young people was a career highlight made all the sweeter by how much they seemed to enjoy it. I'll never forget the time I asked another student if she "liked 'Frankenstein' so far."
"Yeah," she told me. "It's real."
RATING: Five out of Five Tombstones
This past spring, I took a risk and decided to relocate to a new school. One factor that "sold me" during the interview was my future principal's willingness to let teachers design their own elective classes. I imagined she'd want me to play it safe after she hired me on, so I outlined some fairly standard crash courses on astronomy, geology, and other branches of science. Then I cooked up something else, an idea for a class that I knew the students would love but assumed nobody would actually let me teach.
At the final pitch meeting, things didn't go as I expected. My new boss listened patiently to all of my new class proposals before asking the million-dollar question: "Which one are you the most passionate about?"
Just like that, one of my wildest dreams was realized. I was given the green light to develop a new, original course called "The Science of Sci-Fi."
Building a curriculum from scratch is no easy feat. I spent my summer reading up on the real science behind some of the world's most beloved stories. I explored the physics of superheroes, the genetics of "Jurassic Park," and the cosmology behind Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar."
And then, of course, there was Mary Shelley.
"Frankenstein" has been one of my favorite novels ever since I first read it as a teenager. Unlike most works of fiction I picked up in those days, it didn't have an obvious hero or villain. Moral complexity forms the backbone of the story; we sympathize with Victor Frankenstein's poor, lonely monster at first, but our compassion runs dry when his self-pity drives him to homicide. He may not share Victor's DNA, but the creature is very much his father's son. Both characters are ruined by their obsessions. One of them wants to defeat death at the cost of his own humanity, while the other craves revenge despite knowing it won't make him happy in the end.
Nineteenth-century prose can be a little daunting for young readers and English language-learners. So instead of the original "Frankenstein" text, I decided to assign Jason Cobley's graphic novel adaptation of it. The illustrations are beautiful, and the abridged dialogue still does Mary Shelley justice.
My classroom experience tells me I made the right call. Cobley's take on the story is both accessible and entertaining. The students loved it and I was floored by some of the great questions and insights they raised during our class discussions.
At one point, late in the story, the monster compares himself to a fallen angel, clearly evoking the biblical story of Satan, who went from God's benevolent servant to the most evil being in the universe.
"Why's the creature bringing up the devil right now?" I asked. Then, without missing a beat, one of my more reserved students raised his hand and answered, "Because he relates to him."
The monster's dark turn wasn't inevitable, the class decided. A recurring theme in our chats about "Frankenstein" was my students' belief that the story could have gone very differently if even one person had loved him--especially his own creator. I share their view.
Getting to share a story that's meant so much to me over the years with a new generation of young people was a career highlight made all the sweeter by how much they seemed to enjoy it. I'll never forget the time I asked another student if she "liked 'Frankenstein' so far."
"Yeah," she told me. "It's real."
RATING: Five out of Five Tombstones
June 13, 2020
Her dönemde geçerli asla unutulmaması gereken müthiş öyküsü ve harikulâde çizimleriyle mükemmel bir kitap.
***
"Vahşet ve katliamlarını gördükçe insandan yüz çevirdim ve kendi içime döndüm. Peki ben neydim, insan bile değildim, yaratılışım ve yaratıcım hakkında en ufak bir bilgim yoktu, geçmişim yoktu ve bir boşluktan ibarettim, üstüne üstlük tiksinti verici çirkinlikte bir görünüme sahiptim."
"Cennetten kovulan melek elbette hain Şeytan'a dönüşür, kendimi Şeytan'ın emsali olarak gördüm, aslında Şeytan'ın bile yoldaşları vardı, ben ise yapayalnızdım ve çirkin ve ürkütücü görünümümle tüm mutluluklara uzak bırakılmıştım."
"Yalnızca horgörme ve aşağılama buldum. Ben sefalet içinde sürünürken sen mutlu olacağını mı sanıyorsun Dr.Frankenstein? Diğer isteklerimi ayaklar altına alabilirsin ama intikam arzumu asla. İntikam benim için gün ışığından, yiyip içtiğimden kıymetli olacak, çektirdiğin acılar için çok pişman olacaksın."
***
"Vahşet ve katliamlarını gördükçe insandan yüz çevirdim ve kendi içime döndüm. Peki ben neydim, insan bile değildim, yaratılışım ve yaratıcım hakkında en ufak bir bilgim yoktu, geçmişim yoktu ve bir boşluktan ibarettim, üstüne üstlük tiksinti verici çirkinlikte bir görünüme sahiptim."
"Cennetten kovulan melek elbette hain Şeytan'a dönüşür, kendimi Şeytan'ın emsali olarak gördüm, aslında Şeytan'ın bile yoldaşları vardı, ben ise yapayalnızdım ve çirkin ve ürkütücü görünümümle tüm mutluluklara uzak bırakılmıştım."
"Yalnızca horgörme ve aşağılama buldum. Ben sefalet içinde sürünürken sen mutlu olacağını mı sanıyorsun Dr.Frankenstein? Diğer isteklerimi ayaklar altına alabilirsin ama intikam arzumu asla. İntikam benim için gün ışığından, yiyip içtiğimden kıymetli olacak, çektirdiğin acılar için çok pişman olacaksın."
December 10, 2025
I thought this was a fun way to read Frankenstein. I have yet to read Shelly’s novel but this copy was an actual text novel adapted to graphic novel so I feel pretty confident in my knowledge of the story and its central themes. I think this was a great way to read the novel :) sometimes older texts takes longer for my brain to process the meaning so the illustrations were a nice added tool to help move the story along when my brain wasn’t motivated to dissect text. With it being actual text from the novel, there is some dissection tho (at least for someone with my brain functioning). Another graphic novel where the art style really fits the aesthetic of the story. Looking forward to more graphic novel readings :)
January 6, 2018
Lazy adaptation, simply keeping a simplified version of Shelley's text and letting Frankenstein monologue on top of images.
The one thing I do like is that it downplays the monster's ugliness, making him (at least in the text) more horrifying and wrong than simply ugly. Much better recipe for horror.
The one thing I do like is that it downplays the monster's ugliness, making him (at least in the text) more horrifying and wrong than simply ugly. Much better recipe for horror.
November 9, 2020
I love the artwork, I love the story, I love the atmosphere created by both! If you find reading classics too daunting, these graphic novel versions are a great alternative! Or if you fancy reading your favourite classic but don’t have the time to delve into the full novel, these Classical Comics are a great way to quickly dip into the genre! Highly recommend x
September 5, 2021
Birden gelen okuma isteğini evde bulduğum istiflenmiş çizgi roman ile gidermiş oldum. Romanın tadını vermese de keyifli bir Pazar geçirmeme vesile oldu. Yazarın hayal gücü bende hayranlık uyandırdı, bir kez daha.
September 1, 2023
Read this in my sophomore English class. I wish we could've read a regular text book on it, because I really did enjoy it. I'm just not a huge graphic novel person, especially when I'm having to answer questions about it the whole time.
May 9, 2018
Graphic presentation of the classic horror story of human engineering gone astray.
October 9, 2021
I wish this would have been written in today's English. Other than that it was pretty good.
October 19, 2022
mr fain spoiled the entire plot before we read this not as enjoyable :(
November 27, 2024
It's still good since it's Frankenstein, but it ranks low on the tier list of Frankenstein retellings.
Read
December 18, 2025Nothing beats the original, but throwing a good graphic novel in the mix really does wonders to fighting off reading slumps
October 12, 2019
This was kind of a refresher from my previous reading of Frankenstein. Don't read many graphic novels but this was pretty cool. The images were ok but not exactly like Stan Lee comics. As far as the story goes, it wasn't how I remembered it, which made it more interesting. Worth the time!
January 7, 2023
Monstrously good reading experience
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews