#Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus: A Literary Classic Told in Tweets for the 21st Century Audience

by Mike Bezemek

Few classic works of literature have excited such enduring popular interest among the general public as Frankenstein . But suppose the characters--Victor Frankenstein, Captain Robert Walton, and, yes, even the "monster"--had shared their tale in tweets? #Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus hilariously reimagines Mary Shelley's classic gothic novel in about 200 tweets, each 280 characters or less.

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A rainy November night, under dying candle, I infused the spark. A gasp! A convulsion of limbs! A yellow eye opened. WTF had I done?

In this witty abridgment, Victor Frankenstein's quest to create a sentient being is retold with the occasional emoji. The plight of his monstrouscreation is presented with internet acronyms. And Captain Robert Waltonponders the blinding power of ambition with hashtags.

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All seems pretty legit, btw. But will you tell me how the creature was built? I don't need a "recipe." #justbasics

Including an appendix that presents the original passages upon which each tweet is derived, #Frankenstein offers modern readers an entertaining and accessible companion to a great American classic.

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Now, I've found you, @frankendoctorvictor, and here's my request. NO, mydemand. Make me a companion of the same species with the same defects.And don't forget the #ladyparts.

Genres: Retellings

176 pages, Hardcover

Published June 12, 2018

About the author

Mike Bezemek is an award-winning author of books and articles with an adventurous spin. His publications include Outside, Smithsonian Magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Men's Journal, National Parks Magazine, Paddling Magazine, Terrain Magazine, Duct Tape Diaries, Sourcebooks, Mountaineers Books, U. Nebraska Press, and more. Links to his work can be found at mikebezemek.com.

Reviews

[Barbara Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny book that arrived just in time for the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein. The introduction gives accessible background to Shelley's novel (including the origin of the book in the famous ghost story contest), the individual tweets do a good job of capturing Victor's self-absorption, and skull emojis and other Twittery visuals convey the gruesomeness of monster-making. I was impressed by how the author captured the different tonal shifts of the original. For example, when the monster starts narrating the diction becomes more elevated and there are fewer abbreviations in the tweets, so that you get a sense of the monster's eloquent voice in Shelley's novel. The author also does a funny job with Victor's "calm and affectionate letter" ("I have a BAD secret. Like freeze you with horror BAD").

I'd recommend this to fans of Frankenstein and Gothic literature and to readers of lit-humor works like Mallory Ortberg's _Texts from Jane Eyre_. I also think this is a good book for educators. I teach Frankenstein regularly and think it would be fun to give students a few of these and ask them to compose a tweet for their own favorite passage, or to teach this as part of a unit about Frankenstein and 21st-century adaptations and revisions of the book.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: Being such a big fan of Frankenstein, I thought this would be a fun adaptation, and it was everything I hoped it would be. It actually does a good job of abbreviating the original story with just the highlights. The screen names of the characters were great but the hashtags were the star of the show. It was quirky and entertaining. Such a fun and creative twist on the classic. I am curious if there are more like this and I may have to check them out.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique retelling of the classic novel Frankenstein in tweeting format. I love sharing these books with my daughter as a fun reward for working through the more complicated original texts. #Reader4Life

[Coffee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected it to be more like srsly Hamlet, but it was ok in this format. Too many endnotes though. Literally half the book was endnotes.

[Ina Seethaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny stuff!

[Nancy Ruth Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a pretty decent laugh out of this book. So funny.

[Dr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creative.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun short-story version of Frankenstein, told in tweets. It's the hashtags that makes this one!

[Abigail (Atticus) Marie Karst · Rating 2 out of 5]

what the hell!?

[Warlou Joyce Antonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankenstein told in tweets? Of course, I had to check it out.

A quick read with some funny hashtags.

[Debi]

Characters in this light, rapid, yet tonally accurate and perceptive read are presented exactly as I see them, and each entry is footnoted with the passage it was inspired by.
If a student had created this in my class, I would be thoroughly impressed by the demonstrated level of understanding.

[Alicia Marriott · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read. I had hoped to use it as a discussion tool with my students but there are some inappropriate moments 🤣😂