Frankenstein

by Michael Burgan, Dennis Calero (Illustrator), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

A young scientist has created a living being out of dead flesh and bone. His creation, however, turns out to be a frightful monster! Now, Victor Frankenstein must stop his creation before the monster’s loneliness turns to violence.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Childrens, Science Fiction, Horror

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[carlos carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Mackenzie Clevenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 - I got this bad boy in a book blind bag that was “horror” themed and wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise. But y’know, it passed through my book horde so I had to at least give it a read.

It’s not going to be a long review because it’s literally just Frankenstein but in a graphic novel format for kids, and I think that with that as its purpose, it’s fine. Obviously, there’s a lot that’s left out from the original story to make it more easily digestible for a younger audience, but it does generally follow the flow of the novel, just with less of the nuance. I appreciate that the monster isn’t the classic green Halloween mask we always see. It serves its function just fine and I hope that if a kid were to read this and enjoy it, it would encourage them to seek out the actual novel when they’re at the reading level to do so.

[Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Wishbone book was very interesting and I learned some things about the original story that I have not seen in any of the movie adaptations that I have watched.

[katyjanereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. I listened to a Frankenstein audiobook a couple of years ago and I loved it.
2. I think I love Frankenstein so much because of the strong themes: Don't try to play God, be kind to everyone even if they don't look like you, and don't seek revenge. It's like, the monster literally just wanted someone to talk to. The story is heartbreaking. How many "monsters" are in our world that would be just fine if someone had loved them when they were growing up?
3. I loved the sections in the back: Frankenstein Facts, Discussion Questions, and Writing Prompts.
The writing prompts in the back:
-Create your own monster
-Victor Frankenstein chased the monster almost as far as the North Pole. What do you think would have happened if he had caught the creature? Write down your ideas.
-At the end of the story, Frankenstein's monster says that he will destroy himself. Do you believe him? If he doesn't destroy himself, what do you think he would do instead? Write a new ending to the story.
4. I think Frankenstein would have left everyone alone had he gotten his wife.
5. It drives me crazy when people call the monster Frankenstein.
6. I liked the tidbit of Mary Shelley writing this story because of a ghost story contest she was having with other authors.

[Brandee Shafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

We picked up a "mystery book" at the library, knowing only that it was a juvenile classic. Upon removing the Valentine's wrapping, we discovered we had selected this abridged version of Frankenstein. I thought it a strange choice for Valentine's Day and didn't expect that my little girls and I would enjoy it, but I decided to give it a chance, anyway.

We liked it! My 6yo daughter REALLY liked it: corpses, body parts, monsters, worms, and all! She said it was "spooky but cool." I didn't know the story of Frankenstein at all (like, I thought Frankenstein was the name of the monster), so it was all new to me.

[Brandi Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun retelling of a classic for your readers or anyone wanting a quick version of Frankenstein.

[Shamim Ehsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thats an overly simplified and short graphic novel of the classic. Probably for the elementary school kids. Finished in less than 20 minutes.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd had no idea they made Wishbone books and now I've come across at least three different series. This is a super sweet adaptation that does reasonable justice to the original, considering it's a kids book.

[La Revistería Comics · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankenstein sufre dolor de riñones en esta genérica adaptación del clásico de Mary Shelley.

[Gary Vassallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable retelling of Mary Shelley's classic. Recommended for younger readers who will learn the basic story of Frankenstein.

[Ryan Madman Reads & Rocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great retelling of an awesome classic! It's also a very fast paced read. :-)

[Reagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork was very good and it gave a very good summary of all the things that happened while staying with the actual book.
Quick Summary: A man named Robert Walton finds a sick dude in the middle of a frozen sea. He takes him aboard and discovers he is named Victor Frankenstein and that he is searching for a foe. The story becomes a frame story as Robert begins writing on account of Frankenstein of his life and his wrongdoings. A multitude of events happen, some tragic and others even more tragic. The main events involve Frankenstein creating a monster from human remains and abandoning it. A bunch of people dies and the monster and Frankenstein try to get revenge on each other a lot.
All in all good artwork and a pretty good retelling of the original story.

[Little Batties · Rating 2 out of 5]

This simplified version of the story is saddening and not in a good way. It felt like it fell short from the original. While this would definitely be more accessible to a larger range of students, the highlights version of the original story takes away from the overall feel of it.so, if you are someone that liked the original story, this version may not be for you.

However, I will say, the stunning graphics and illustrations makes it worth at least one read simply to look at the artwork. The artist did a beautiful job. It's why I am willing to give this a higher rating than it probably deserves.

[Stevie Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a "speed-read" version, but a pretty good overview of the story. Great illustration without being overly gruesome.

[Amanda Gilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad if you want a quick easy recap or idea of the famous classic. I used it to prior and periodically during my read of the actual novel.

[Aaro · Rating 1 out of 5]

very confusing way to tell the story, illustration style didn't help at all.

[Emma Petroski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.
• Frankenstein doesn't look like Frankenstein
• very simple
•could have added a little more to the end
•end could have gone smoother

[DeHoyos Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simplified and rushed but it’s faithful to the original

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this story is just messed up regardless of the format

[shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect little refresher for when I reread this in class!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept to the original story really well but the illustrations were bland and simple. Kinda felt like they took the easy route and blackened backgrounds and removed facial features.

[Donavon · Rating 2 out of 5]

with the aim of providing an abridged version for kids, it is okay. though not as good as the 1950s Classics Illustrated version.

[Chris Sudall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Alex. Like most of these books it feels a little on the brief side. We both enjoyed it though.

[Gene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aun no he leido el clásico original, sin embargo esta es una obra maestra, me hizo querer comprar la novela, este libro plantea una idea muy diferente a la historia de Frankenstein de los cines, vale la pena leerla, a pesar de los personajes "villanos" uno se siente conmovido por estos, es muy facil integrarse en la historia

[Tamami · Rating 1 out of 5]

The retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by Michael Burgan, which attempts to create an accurate and compelling version of the novel, merely recalls the vaguest of plot points and relies upon blandly illustrated cartoons, and fails to demonstrate any deeper knowledge of the novel. Frankenstein, which is a powerful and incredibly well-crafted novel, loses much of its symbolism and deeper meanings, making the graphic novel an ultimately useless tool in understanding the meanings behind Shelley’s novel.
The illustrations in the graphic novel initially seem to evoke emotion in the reader however with the passing of time the illustrations no longer have that effect. The color scheme of the pictures are all of a repetitive unimaginative palette. The illustrations also fail to reflect the time period of Shelley’s Frankenstein. The clothing seem to reflect 20th century style instead of the 19th century setting the novel is supposed to be placed. The graphics are dark, yet not creepy enough to illustrate the story of Frankenstein.
The text used in the novel is just as bland as the illustrations. It is extremely basic, telling just the skeleton plot summary without including any depth or emotion. The rich figurative language of Shelley is lost in this uninspired graphic novel. Far too many important details are left unmentioned, leaving us with an unsatisfactory, flavorless impression when reaching the end. Both the illustrations and text are fairly dull, and the powerful potential Shelley’s story holds fails to follow through.
The type of audience this novel would be suitable for would be young middle school students as opposed to more advanced readers of literature. Students new to the English language who wish to have a taste of classic literature may also find this novel helpful. The basicness of Burgan’s novel can work as a helpful introduction to the story before going in depth with Shelley’s novel. Also, as people frequently have a skewed understanding of the story of Frankenstein, a simple graphic novel such as this can help inform people of the basic plot points of the true story.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must say, I was disappointed. I was expecting a true graphic novel, not a children's picture book masquerading as one. The library website just said graphic novel, so I thought I would check it out. Basically, this is an extremely stripped down version of the story made on a level for 3rd graders. I taught this novel to high school seniors, some of whom struggled with the themes and concepts in the book. This version barely covers what the creature is. There is no suspense, no layers of meaning, lots of things left out. I would only recommend this as a storybook for kids in about 3rd grade. It would not be suitable as a teaching aide. The artwork is ok, but not great. I did like the "Frankenstein Facts" and the discussion questions/writing prompts at the end of the book. Not suitable for older kids, but it might be fine for young kids.
2.5 stars

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankenstein is in the catigory of horror. Frankenstein is about a very curious scientist that wants to invent a human that would be even smarter than actual human kind. The scientist starts to dig up different parts from different bodies in a local graveyard. When the creation was finished the scientist was not happy with what he made. He litteraly made a huge giant monster with an ugly face. The monster went on a big rage of killings and mass destruction. After a while the scientist figured out that the monster he created was just lonley and wanted a monster companion. Over all this is a fantastic thriller, i would recomend this story to thriller fans.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways this book reminds me of the comic book adaptations of classics of my childhood. Fans of the original text will find all the relevant parts of the novel incorporated into this graphic novel adaptation that will certainly appeal to a young modern audiences. Michael Burgan offers a concise re-telling of Mary Shelley’s classic horror/science fiction tale: a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, creates a living creature from a blend of corpse parts and electricity. The creature’s loneliness makes it turn to violence. Combined with the brooding, but engaging graphic art of Dennis Calero, readers will be drawn to this volume.

[Enter Name · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great novel for all people who love graphic novels. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. I liked how in the book when Frankenstein got resurrected he made a surprise by running away and you have to wonder what happens next. I like how later in the book when we see Frankenstein again, he tells us the backstory. I honestly can't come up with much bad to say about this book except for that it was too short. I hope everyone who likes graphic novels would read this book.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows the story of Frankenstein...
This Graphic Novel reads pretty much like one of the movies.
Nice Cover.
I did learn some interesting facts in the back of the book...
There's also some neat writing prompts in the back.


*SPOILERS*

lol should I really call this a spoiler? Anyway this is the tale where Frankenstein chases the monster
over the ice and ends up dying on a ship after telling his story...