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Frankenstein
When the crew of the Oceanus rescued a man close to death, its captain could barely have guessed at the incredible story that man would come to share. This is the story of Victor Frankenstein: a man obsessed with discovering the secret of life and cheating death; a man who brings to life to a body built from corpses; and a man who rejects this would-be child…
Soon, Victor and his creature are entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across Europe. But who is truly the monster?
CAST: Arthur Darvill (Victor Frankenstein), Nicholas Briggs (Waldman/The Creature), Geoffrey Beevers (Alphonse Frankenstein/DeLacey), Georgia Moffett (Elizabeth), Terry Molloy (Christensen/Proprietor), Alex Jordan (Captain Robert Walton), Geoffrey Breton (Henry Clerval/Felix), Lizzie Hopley (Giselle/Agatha/Lorna), Stephen Fewell (Krempe/Judge/Kirwin), Sarah Ovens (Justine/Female Creature)
Arthur Darvill stars in this gripping audiobook adaptation of Mary Shelley’s chilling tale, dramatised by Jonathan Barnes.
This special edition release features a bonus documentary - Behind the Screams - examining the worlds of horror in audio drama.
Soon, Victor and his creature are entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across Europe. But who is truly the monster?
CAST: Arthur Darvill (Victor Frankenstein), Nicholas Briggs (Waldman/The Creature), Geoffrey Beevers (Alphonse Frankenstein/DeLacey), Georgia Moffett (Elizabeth), Terry Molloy (Christensen/Proprietor), Alex Jordan (Captain Robert Walton), Geoffrey Breton (Henry Clerval/Felix), Lizzie Hopley (Giselle/Agatha/Lorna), Stephen Fewell (Krempe/Judge/Kirwin), Sarah Ovens (Justine/Female Creature)
Arthur Darvill stars in this gripping audiobook adaptation of Mary Shelley’s chilling tale, dramatised by Jonathan Barnes.
This special edition release features a bonus documentary - Behind the Screams - examining the worlds of horror in audio drama.
Audio CD
First published October 1, 2014
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About the author
Jonathan Barnes
46 books143 followersJonathan Barnes is the author of two novels, The Somnambulist and The Domino Men. He contributes regularly to the Times Literary Supplement and the Literary Review and is the author of several scripts for Big Finish Productions. He is currently writer-in-residence at Kingston University.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 12, 2016
When I decided to read Frankenstein this month, I wanted to find a well-done audio version of the book, because sometimes I can focus on a classic more easily if it’s being read to me. I found this Big Finish Classics version, and saw that it was unabridged and fully dramatized. Arthur Darvill was advertised as voicing Victor Frankenstein, and I got really excited. What Doctor Who fan doesn’t love Rory, right? So I decided to give it a listen.
The only reason I finished this is because it was a train wreck, and I couldn’t turn away. The audiodrama was very heavy on the drama, and I’m guessing that it was listed as unabridged because it had changed Shelley’s story so much that it bore little resemblance to the original work. Why on earth did they feel the need to make a sensational story more sensational? As I listened I wrote that it felt more like a parody of the original story than anything else, and I stand by that. The only similarities to Shelley’s work were the characters’ names and the creation of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Anyway, I finished it, but I didn’t like it. I’m giving it three stars simply because it held my attention and was well voiced. Man, this was a mess from start to Big Finish.
The only reason I finished this is because it was a train wreck, and I couldn’t turn away. The audiodrama was very heavy on the drama, and I’m guessing that it was listed as unabridged because it had changed Shelley’s story so much that it bore little resemblance to the original work. Why on earth did they feel the need to make a sensational story more sensational? As I listened I wrote that it felt more like a parody of the original story than anything else, and I stand by that. The only similarities to Shelley’s work were the characters’ names and the creation of Frankenstein’s Monster.
Anyway, I finished it, but I didn’t like it. I’m giving it three stars simply because it held my attention and was well voiced. Man, this was a mess from start to Big Finish.
May 17, 2018
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this audio drama. Is it a faithful adaptation of the original Frankenstein? Not really. In many ways it hews much closer than a lot of the film adaptations, but in many other ways it's ridiculously different. I feel like there's a certain influence from Curse of Frankenstein, and quite possibly other adaptations I haven't yet encountered. Whereas I find both creator and creature sympathetic in the original, here both Frankenstein and his monster are massive assholes - as is practically everyone else, except for Victor's dad, best friend, and wife. Some of the changes are things I liked. The idea of the monster's brain coming from Waldman is an interesting one, and while the way Waldman acts as a Faustian mentor isn't in the original text, it's a neat way of giving Victor the obligatory adaptational assistant. On the other hand, Waldman's brain in the body changes nothing about the monster's behavior (unlike, say, Ghost of Frankenstein). I also like seeing more of Captain Walton as intercutting the frame narrative throughout helps make it more relevant. I feel similarly about giving the monster and Victor more chances to interact.
On the other hand, aside from the aforementioned assholeness of the characters, there's a lot of stuff that's kinda weird and not necessarily well done. The monster gets his say, unlike many of the adaptations of the novel, but here it's somewhat abbreviated, with no mention of the books he read and the process of learning language, which I feel are key parts of his character. I understand cutting down on the DeLacey subplot due to time constraints, but I don't like having the monster murder them all. I also didn't much care for the other enhanced moments of violence on the monster's part. And some of the subplots and bits that are added in, like Victor being in love with Justine rather than Elizabeth, just highlight how awful he is.
I understand that some of the changes are the scriptwriter's interpretations of the novel, but I strongly disagree with these interpretations. I think I find myself especially frustrated by some of the changes here because this audio does a good job of adapting things to some extent, and then veers off into crazy territory. It's more disappointing to be let down by what seems to be a faithful version than to see the craziness of yet another goofy movie. In fact, I think maybe I'd've enjoyed this more if it had been more upfront about it's divergences, or if the narrative had truly embraced the changes it makes and follow them through to a new story. Of course, perhaps it does that somewhat through it's rather bleak ending, but still, I'm not I feel it does well enough to tell a good story rather than being lost between faithful adaptation and entertaining riff.
On the plus side, the production values and acting talent on display here are quite good. There's a lot of nice special effects work and the dialogue's nods to the necessity of describing what characters see because we the audience can't see anything never felt especially awkward. Arthur Darvill is a genius choice for the role of Victor, and it's a lot of fun to see him as a villain after experiencing his heroic side in Doctor Who and Legends of Tomorrow. Nicholas Briggs is, of course, the obvious choice for the monster, and I generally like how he portrays the monster's voice. As he says in the interviews after the production proper, he felt it important to mark the monster as monstrous somehow, and in the audio medium voice is the obvious way to go. Speaking of, the edition I bought from Audible appears to be the Special Edition of this audio, and it includes the complete score as well as an hour or so long documentary about the making of the story. There's plenty of interviews with the cast and crew, including discussions of their favorite horror stories and any paranormal experiences they may have had. I was hoping to get some recommendations for other horror audio stuff to check out, but sadly that didn't happen. Still, the documentary is pretty neat, though I'm not sure how useful the score is in Audible format.
I did have fun listening to this, and it's definitely whetted my appetite for more audio dramas, especially those done by Big Finish. I think maybe if I listen to this again and keep in mind that it is its own story and only moderately more faithful to the original than most films, I may have more fun with it. Certainly, I didn't have a terrible time with this audio drama, but I do sorta wish it had been able to follow up on its own ideas more. Perhaps its like how I enjoyed the prequel and sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies much more than the original because they could use the classic characters but create new and interesting plots. Also, I think it's a little hard for me to really love an adaptation that goes so far to make everybody an awful person, since part of what's interesting about Frankenstein and many other adaptations is how there's some degree of moral ambiguity to Victor and his creature. All in all, this was a nice if sometimes disappointing way to spend a few hours, and I'll certainly get other Big Finish Classics, though I'll be sure to keep in mind that they won't be especially accurate to the originals.
On the other hand, aside from the aforementioned assholeness of the characters, there's a lot of stuff that's kinda weird and not necessarily well done. The monster gets his say, unlike many of the adaptations of the novel, but here it's somewhat abbreviated, with no mention of the books he read and the process of learning language, which I feel are key parts of his character. I understand cutting down on the DeLacey subplot due to time constraints, but I don't like having the monster murder them all. I also didn't much care for the other enhanced moments of violence on the monster's part. And some of the subplots and bits that are added in, like Victor being in love with Justine rather than Elizabeth, just highlight how awful he is.
I understand that some of the changes are the scriptwriter's interpretations of the novel, but I strongly disagree with these interpretations. I think I find myself especially frustrated by some of the changes here because this audio does a good job of adapting things to some extent, and then veers off into crazy territory. It's more disappointing to be let down by what seems to be a faithful version than to see the craziness of yet another goofy movie. In fact, I think maybe I'd've enjoyed this more if it had been more upfront about it's divergences, or if the narrative had truly embraced the changes it makes and follow them through to a new story. Of course, perhaps it does that somewhat through it's rather bleak ending, but still, I'm not I feel it does well enough to tell a good story rather than being lost between faithful adaptation and entertaining riff.
On the plus side, the production values and acting talent on display here are quite good. There's a lot of nice special effects work and the dialogue's nods to the necessity of describing what characters see because we the audience can't see anything never felt especially awkward. Arthur Darvill is a genius choice for the role of Victor, and it's a lot of fun to see him as a villain after experiencing his heroic side in Doctor Who and Legends of Tomorrow. Nicholas Briggs is, of course, the obvious choice for the monster, and I generally like how he portrays the monster's voice. As he says in the interviews after the production proper, he felt it important to mark the monster as monstrous somehow, and in the audio medium voice is the obvious way to go. Speaking of, the edition I bought from Audible appears to be the Special Edition of this audio, and it includes the complete score as well as an hour or so long documentary about the making of the story. There's plenty of interviews with the cast and crew, including discussions of their favorite horror stories and any paranormal experiences they may have had. I was hoping to get some recommendations for other horror audio stuff to check out, but sadly that didn't happen. Still, the documentary is pretty neat, though I'm not sure how useful the score is in Audible format.
I did have fun listening to this, and it's definitely whetted my appetite for more audio dramas, especially those done by Big Finish. I think maybe if I listen to this again and keep in mind that it is its own story and only moderately more faithful to the original than most films, I may have more fun with it. Certainly, I didn't have a terrible time with this audio drama, but I do sorta wish it had been able to follow up on its own ideas more. Perhaps its like how I enjoyed the prequel and sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies much more than the original because they could use the classic characters but create new and interesting plots. Also, I think it's a little hard for me to really love an adaptation that goes so far to make everybody an awful person, since part of what's interesting about Frankenstein and many other adaptations is how there's some degree of moral ambiguity to Victor and his creature. All in all, this was a nice if sometimes disappointing way to spend a few hours, and I'll certainly get other Big Finish Classics, though I'll be sure to keep in mind that they won't be especially accurate to the originals.
July 26, 2021
i've read Frankenstein twice (or maybe more? i don't remember.) before but i never really enjoyed it as much as this time.
September 11, 2025
Having not yet read the book, this has the feeling of an authentic telling of the Frankenstein story. Victor Frankenstein is mad, bad and dangerous to know, a real anti-hero; the Creature is wronged and suffers unloved and unwanted in its murderous rage; Elizabeth is loyal and true and devoted to Victor; Henry is the good friend meeting an undeserved fate.
All of it rings true and feels like the real deal. This version is well acted, gory as it needs to be and delights in its Gothic horror and Romantic hyperbole.
I’ve very much enjoyed listening to it and Captain Walton’s mistake in repeating Victor’s level of obsession shows that, sometimes, mankind never learns from its mistakes. You know when a version is good, when it makes you feel you want to go back to the original book and read the source material. Time to get my copy of the book off the shelf and read it at long last.
Extras -
Whilst I loved the play, I did not enjoy the blooper reel at the end. It felt puerile and potentially distracted from the text. An unnecessary extra and I would avoid it!
The documentary and interviews with the cast and crew are interesting and it’s always good to hear from the actors. Not essential listening, but a nice insight into the production. Some might find it a little self-indulgent but it’s interesting and inoffensive.
The music soundtrack CD is also very nice and made my car journey a lot smoother and more enjoyable. A really nice extra.
All of it rings true and feels like the real deal. This version is well acted, gory as it needs to be and delights in its Gothic horror and Romantic hyperbole.
I’ve very much enjoyed listening to it and Captain Walton’s mistake in repeating Victor’s level of obsession shows that, sometimes, mankind never learns from its mistakes. You know when a version is good, when it makes you feel you want to go back to the original book and read the source material. Time to get my copy of the book off the shelf and read it at long last.
Extras -
Whilst I loved the play, I did not enjoy the blooper reel at the end. It felt puerile and potentially distracted from the text. An unnecessary extra and I would avoid it!
The documentary and interviews with the cast and crew are interesting and it’s always good to hear from the actors. Not essential listening, but a nice insight into the production. Some might find it a little self-indulgent but it’s interesting and inoffensive.
The music soundtrack CD is also very nice and made my car journey a lot smoother and more enjoyable. A really nice extra.
June 18, 2020
I decided to get the download of this since it was on sale. I read Frankenstein eight years ago, and I regard it to be one of my favorite books of all time. Going into this, I knew there would be differences, and they didn't really bother me. It feels enough like the spirit of the novel to satisfy me. Arthur Darvill is great as Victor Frankenstein, and Nicholas Briggs' voice for The Creature is close to what I imagined for him when I read the book all those years ago.
There's also some fun behind the scenes stuff, including the actors discussing their fears and hauntings. (I agree with the claim that people rather than buildings are haunted.) It was fun hearing them talk about early experiences with horror. There are obvious ones like The Shining and A Nightmare on Elm Street. But there are also niche ones I recognized, such as The Burning and Goosebumps' Night of the Living Dummy.
And if that weren't enough, this also includes all the music as one long separate track. It is beautifully composed. I was hesitant to acquire this download, but I'm glad that I got it.
There's also some fun behind the scenes stuff, including the actors discussing their fears and hauntings. (I agree with the claim that people rather than buildings are haunted.) It was fun hearing them talk about early experiences with horror. There are obvious ones like The Shining and A Nightmare on Elm Street. But there are also niche ones I recognized, such as The Burning and Goosebumps' Night of the Living Dummy.
And if that weren't enough, this also includes all the music as one long separate track. It is beautifully composed. I was hesitant to acquire this download, but I'm glad that I got it.
June 1, 2017
I read and listened to several versions of Frankenstein and while I didn't really care for the book and original stories (and neither did my book club ladies), this was the most interesting version. It was well done (though with a few too many door creaks and wave sloshes). I loved the behind the scenes interviews and the end with the cast. It inspired me an obsession with all the differences and varieties of characterizations and retellings brought about by the novel. It's amazing how many there are and how incredibly varied! It's part of our cultural lexicon. It's interesting what is NOT in the original! This one included some interesting variation and poetic license.
January 2, 2020
It kept me on the edge of my seat when I listen to it. I had to put it down for a little bit, but when I picked it back up again it certainly kept me in its grasp.
It’s not a faithful adaptation. I’m still working on how I feel about that. I definitely did not like the ending. I am not sure how I feel about Victor in this version.
I loved all the Doctor Who actors getting to play in a new universe and the blooper reel at the end was fabulous. Some of the questions they were asked were unnecessary and self-promoting. I did like their reflections on their characters and the story, though.
It’s not a faithful adaptation. I’m still working on how I feel about that. I definitely did not like the ending. I am not sure how I feel about Victor in this version.
I loved all the Doctor Who actors getting to play in a new universe and the blooper reel at the end was fabulous. Some of the questions they were asked were unnecessary and self-promoting. I did like their reflections on their characters and the story, though.
October 24, 2020
It's Halloween! And how better to celebrate than to indulge in a new-to-me adaptation of a classic horror tale?
I really enjoyed this. I've devoured so much of Big Finish's Doctor Who output, but never ventured out into any of their other productions. And I've also never read the original "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (I should change that). But this was really great. Perfect for the spooky season, but also thoughtful and intriguing regardless of the time of year. It was well-cast and well-performed and I could follow the story just fine. Definitely a keeper!
I really enjoyed this. I've devoured so much of Big Finish's Doctor Who output, but never ventured out into any of their other productions. And I've also never read the original "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (I should change that). But this was really great. Perfect for the spooky season, but also thoughtful and intriguing regardless of the time of year. It was well-cast and well-performed and I could follow the story just fine. Definitely a keeper!
Read
January 29, 2025DNF’d this, I’m afraid. I was so excited to listen to this that I waited for months just so I could borrow it from the library, but it turns out it wasn’t worth the wait. The story has been changed so drastically that it no longer reads like Frankenstein. Might be my fault though since I probably should’ve checked the summary and made sure what I was listening to was close to the original. Oh well.
January 16, 2026
Well, this was good. But it wasn’t great. I get why the changes were made, but some of it felt like it diluted or unfocused the original novel. The production quality of the release is as magnificent as Big Finish always seems to deliver. The performances are excellent. The music is nice. All around a solidly entertaining and enjoyable adaptation, just not quite what it could have been. I did enjoy it, but not as much as I’d hoped.
January 2, 2021
Assez loin de l'histoire dont je me souviens, mais l'adaptation est intéressante, beaucoup plus cruelle que l'original, pour tous les personnages, ce qui justifie, en partie, leur actions. Les acteurs sont fantastiques pour cette histoire, l'histoire du navire aussi était un ajout intéressant.
Définitivement une bonne adaptation (je la préfère de loin à beaucoup de films), beaucoup plus sombre que ce à quoi je m'attendais toutefois.
Définitivement une bonne adaptation (je la préfère de loin à beaucoup de films), beaucoup plus sombre que ce à quoi je m'attendais toutefois.
January 6, 2021
I enjoyed this. I've yet to read the book itself, that is on my enormous to read pile somewhere, but I have seen multiple film adaptations. I love the story, and in this version I really enjoyed all the performances, Darvill is especially good as Frankenstein, as is Briggs as his monster.
January 3, 2018
I do enjoy this adaptation, although on this listen I found Frankenstein to be a little too monsterous...
March 1, 2015
Jonathan Barnes' adaptation of Frankenstein is top-flight in terms of sound design, pacing, and retaining the three-volume structure of the Mary Shelley's novel. Of course, there have been countless adaptations of the novel, and each necessarily changes something of the text to fit its medium.
The thing that keeps the Big Finish Classics adaptation from 5 stars isn't that it was altered, but what was altered; specifically the whole "father-mother" language from Nicholas Briggs's creature, and that, for an adaptation that is, throughout, extremely faithful to the novel, the ending is so dramatically changed. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, just that I found the choices for deviation to be awkward, and against the spirit of the source material.
The voice acting, led by Arthur Darvill as Victor and Nicholas Briggs as the creature, is brilliant. Darvill plays the detached and monomaniacal Victor, and Briggs brings so much nuance to the creature. Big Finish's audio engineers distort Briggs's voice just enough to make him monstrous and uncanny, but not so much that it's unintelligible.
If you're looking for an adaptation that captures much of the spirit and atmosphere of the source material, this is a terrific one. If you're looking to not read the novel, I'd advise a straightforward unabridged audiobook of the 1818 text.
The thing that keeps the Big Finish Classics adaptation from 5 stars isn't that it was altered, but what was altered; specifically the whole "father-mother" language from Nicholas Briggs's creature, and that, for an adaptation that is, throughout, extremely faithful to the novel, the ending is so dramatically changed. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, just that I found the choices for deviation to be awkward, and against the spirit of the source material.
The voice acting, led by Arthur Darvill as Victor and Nicholas Briggs as the creature, is brilliant. Darvill plays the detached and monomaniacal Victor, and Briggs brings so much nuance to the creature. Big Finish's audio engineers distort Briggs's voice just enough to make him monstrous and uncanny, but not so much that it's unintelligible.
If you're looking for an adaptation that captures much of the spirit and atmosphere of the source material, this is a terrific one. If you're looking to not read the novel, I'd advise a straightforward unabridged audiobook of the 1818 text.
June 12, 2018
A good adaptation with the most unsympathetic, sociopathic Victor I've ever encountered. The humans are so monstrous that it's almost laughable when the characters still insist that the Creature is a demon. The story is dark enough as it is, but Barnes did his best to make you hate the human race even more. This insistence on cruelty left me feeling lukewarm about the story in the end. I prefer Shelley's subtle evils -- her Victor still believes himself to be a good man with extraordinary abilities, and he sees his own flaws in the end. Barnes' Victor DGAF about whether or not he's in the right. It's implied that there's a reason for this, but they didn't delve into it enough for me.
October 7, 2018
5 stars for the performance! I love Arthur Darvill and this has a stunning Doctor Who reunion cast for the voices. Frankenstein is played by Arthur Darvill, Frankenstein's Monster is played by Nicholas Briggs who does the voice of the Daleks and Cyberman, and Georgia Moffett who does the voice of Elizabeth. The reason this is three stars is because of how they portrayed Frankenstein as being cruel, callous, and a bit of a narcissists. They deviated from the original text quite a bit, but the actors did do amazing voice overs.
July 23, 2016
Adattamento audio, per mano di Jonathan Barnes, del romanzo di Mary Shelley, per opera della solita Big Finish.
Ottimi gli interpreti, tra cui Arthur Darvill (Victor Frankenstein), Nicholas Briggs (The Creature), Geoffrey Beevers (Alphonse Frankenstein) e Georgia Moffett (Elizabeth), ottimi gli effetti e la musica.
La storia ha subito qualche modifica, come qualsiasi adattamento, ma rende perfettamente le atmosfere dell'horror gotico per eccellenza.
Ottimi gli interpreti, tra cui Arthur Darvill (Victor Frankenstein), Nicholas Briggs (The Creature), Geoffrey Beevers (Alphonse Frankenstein) e Georgia Moffett (Elizabeth), ottimi gli effetti e la musica.
La storia ha subito qualche modifica, come qualsiasi adattamento, ma rende perfettamente le atmosfere dell'horror gotico per eccellenza.
December 10, 2015
I thought it was a really good adaptation and it made me wish more books were adapted this way rather than just read because it's almost like watching a movie but with the pictures running in your mind rather than in front of your eyes. Also glad that Penny Dreadful's interpretation of Frankenstein's story was closely inspired by the original novel and I'm curious to see where they go with it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews