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Frankenstein
Born from a stormy night of ghost stories and philosophical debate,
Frankenstein
is Mary Shelley's haunting masterpiece of ambition, creation, and ruin. Conceived when she was only eighteen, the novel tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein—a brilliant but reckless scientist who defies the natural order in his obsessive pursuit of life itself. Raiding graveyards for stolen flesh, he stitches together a being, only to recoil in horror at his grotesque creation. Shunned by its maker, the creature embarks on a tragic and vengeful quest, seeking answers, acceptance, and ultimately, destruction.
This timeless Gothic horror, woven with themes of scientific hubris, existential dread, and the monstrous consequences of unchecked ambition, remains one of the most profound and chilling explorations of human creativity. A novel ahead of its time, Frankenstein is as much a philosophical inquiry as it is a tale of terror—an enduring story that continues to resonate with readers across generations.
Based on the original 1818 text, the Epsilon Classics Edition includes illustrations of impactful moments throughout the story.
Mary Shelley's life was steeped in tragedy, radical thought, and intellectual exploration—all of which deeply influenced Frankenstein. The novel was conceived during the summer of 1816, known as the "Year Without a Summer," when she stayed with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori at Lake Geneva. The eerie, storm-laden atmosphere set the perfect stage for the ghost-story challenge that led to her iconic tale.
Her personal experiences of loss and grief echoed through Frankenstein's themes. She lost her mother, feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, shortly after birth, and later endured the deaths of her children. This anguish over creation and loss parallels Victor Frankenstein’s torment over his own unnatural creation. Additionally, her father, political philosopher William Godwin, instilled in her an affinity for radical ideas, including the ethics of scientific progress and the dangers of unchecked ambition—core themes in her novel.
Ultimately, Frankenstein became not just a horror story but a profound exploration of human ambition, isolation, and the devastating consequences of playing god.
This timeless Gothic horror, woven with themes of scientific hubris, existential dread, and the monstrous consequences of unchecked ambition, remains one of the most profound and chilling explorations of human creativity. A novel ahead of its time, Frankenstein is as much a philosophical inquiry as it is a tale of terror—an enduring story that continues to resonate with readers across generations.
Based on the original 1818 text, the Epsilon Classics Edition includes illustrations of impactful moments throughout the story.
Mary Shelley's life was steeped in tragedy, radical thought, and intellectual exploration—all of which deeply influenced Frankenstein. The novel was conceived during the summer of 1816, known as the "Year Without a Summer," when she stayed with Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Polidori at Lake Geneva. The eerie, storm-laden atmosphere set the perfect stage for the ghost-story challenge that led to her iconic tale.
Her personal experiences of loss and grief echoed through Frankenstein's themes. She lost her mother, feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, shortly after birth, and later endured the deaths of her children. This anguish over creation and loss parallels Victor Frankenstein’s torment over his own unnatural creation. Additionally, her father, political philosopher William Godwin, instilled in her an affinity for radical ideas, including the ethics of scientific progress and the dangers of unchecked ambition—core themes in her novel.
Ultimately, Frankenstein became not just a horror story but a profound exploration of human ambition, isolation, and the devastating consequences of playing god.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2025
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