Classic Starts: Frankenstein

by Deanna McFadden, Rebecca K. Reynolds (Narrator), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Mary Shelley’s tragic story of a scientist who created a monster is perhaps even more compelling and meaningful today than when it was written nearly two centuries ago. From the bits and pieces of dead bodies, and the power of electricity, the brilliant Victor Frankenstein fashions a new form of life—only to discover, too late, the irreparable damage he has caused.

Genres: Classics, Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Childrens, Mystery

Audio CD

First published March 28, 2006

About the author

Publishing Director, Wattpad Books. Reader. Sometime writer. Mother. Wife. Never in that order. Will often find me reading and walking, which isn't as remotely dangerous as it sounds.

Reviews

[Katelyn Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last book I needed to read for the Orem Library reading challenge!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what made me want to read Frankenstein at this moment. It was interesting. Never read this classic tale or knew how the original telling went. This is a simplified version. I do plan on read the main tale. I find I enjoy reading both versions when reading some classics.

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book so much ! I love this book . It's about Victor Frankenstein making a monster , but he didn't mean to make a monster of course . But when he builds a man from dead body parts horrible things happened . Can Frankenstein's monster be stopped ? Read this book to find out . Recommend 👌🏼.

[Debra Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book by mistake. I wanted to compare different editions my library offered in preparation to lead a discussion group on Frankenstein. What a phenomenal way to be seduced into the classics. The themes, characters and plot are enjoyably understood. This Classic Starts publication even had discussion questions.

[Noah C · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a good book 📖.The monster is pretty crazy
and selfish!FUN FACT:the monster was named after Frankenstein the person who created the monster!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this simplified version of Frankenstein with my kids each morning as we started our homeschool studies. I only gave it four stars because it almost felt TOO simplified 😂 , and I hope one day they’ll read the original!

[Sofía]

Obviously read this for work but isn't it sad that i haven't read the original yet 😭

[Kelly G]

Read for a Halloween book club! Didn’t realize I was reading the kids version until I was halfway done.
My biggest surprise? The monster could talk the whole time in complete sentences ??? Nothing like the movies 😂

[Nena Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute kids book. My grandson told me I had to read it, so I did lol

[Gigi⋆˙⟡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I catch you victor…

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great simplified version of the classic novel. Good for younger kids, it waters down some of the more gruesome elements of the story. I read this aloud with my youngest two sons. We liked the discussion questions at the end.

[Nicolás Javier Enrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queria empezar a leer en inglés y que mejor que leer cuentos por lo básico del lenguaje.

Encontre súper entretenida la historia de Víctor Frankestein y su monstruo, es triste pensar quién era el verdadero monstruo dentro de esta historia

[jhabelita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My SpoOctober Read #2: This is only a retelling abridged version of Frankenstein. Parang gusto ko tuloy basahin yung 1818 text neto. To be honest, this version made me sad. Idk if this should really be the tone of the plot but nalungkot ako sa POV ng “monster” na ginawa ni Victor. All this time, I thought Frankenstein is the pinagtagpi-tagpi na tao, yung creator pala yung Frankenstein. Anyways, I enjoyed reading it so this is a 4-star read for me.

[Rico]

perfectly fine but like just read the original if you can

[Sami Amin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! But a little scary the monster killed everyone DONT MAKE A LITTLE KID READ IT!!

[Abdulrahman Alkandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is good story. As an Arabic speaker, this was my first English book that I have read. It is such a great start for my journey through English books.

[James Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved the tale of Frankenstein, but it's been more than 25 years since I first read the original in high school. I bought this version for my 12-year old daughter, while listening to the original in audiobook form. This version follows the storyline of the original almost exactly, while removing some small details that would not be suitable for children (for example, in the original a girl is wrongly accused of murder and is hanged, in this version she spends her life in jail). The narrative remains the same though and even as an adult the story is captivating and in some sense easier to digest with the significantly simpler language. The abridged version of the book makes a nice companion and precursor for the original which provides a much more detailed and rich experience, but can be off-putting due to the amount of detail and outdated language. Strongly recommend and suitable for this 10 and older.

[Naomi Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a quick read since this is an abridged version of Frankenstein. The plot was interesting, so I wish to read the original book soon. It’s devastating to know that Frankenstein’s life was thrown away all because of science and him trying to create a new species! It’s so sad that his loved ones were killed one by one by the monster he created 🙁 it’s absolutely crazy but there is a moral in the story. (Just don’t play God. He is the one and only Creator.) Overall I recommend this book to whoever is beginning to read classics or likes classics!

[Leah Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of the Classic Starts Series I enjoy that the books are easy to follow and perfect to start at around third or fourth grade. They include all of the major content of a middle school to high school level version, but use language that is easy for younger students to follow.
In this book Victor Frankenstein makes a monster when he tries to reanimate a man that he makes out of dead body parts. He then has to track down his monster that is running wild on the surrounding countryside.

[Myhoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely shortened version of the classic perfect for young audiences (2-4th grades). It’s hard to love it completely as there were parts of the plot that didn’t make total sense given parts were left out. But overall as a read aloud for a K,1 and 4 it was engaging and fun. Read to get us in the Halloween spirit and we enjoyed it.

[Jennifer Flummerfelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so beautiful, sad but beautiful! One can’t help feeling sorry for the monster, but also for Victor. I just wish Frankenstein had had happiness in the end. I loved how the monster was heartbroken in the end over what he had done. I thought it was a great example of what can happen when someone decides to play God and create a life on their own. There are so many unforeseen consequences.

[Slow Man · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many retellings of a classic. This is one of the popular ones around but I must say that I enjoyed the one written by Usborne Publishing more. I just can’t put my finger on it. Is it the flow of the language or the layout of the book. It can’t be both, can it?

[Angelica Nagy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Wonderful for children to fall in love with classics. However, reading Frankenstein for the first time, I would have loved to read about the lightning bolt that brought the monster to life.

[marissa di vita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ i read this book bc i had it from when i was little but honestly i want to read the original, unabridged version now. the story's pretty good. also i saw the play once but the book is better lol

[Baz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing and tragic tale. The story stayed with me throughout my life, and I never get sick of re-reading this book. Reading Frankenstein is like watching a car-crash in slow motion with David Attenborough beautifully narrating the scene.

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good way to get the young ones interested in the classics. Love the original and love this one. Must read more in this series.

[Marie Piper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a few typos, and I felt that a few very important events in the book were changed.

[Agustiuddin M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to engage young readers. I never know the full story of Frankenstein and reading this book gave a brief idea about what it's all about.

[Marcela]

I like Frankenstein work and I want to read it to practice my English.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. I also watched the play. I plan to read the full version sometime!