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Graphic Horror: Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein, a gifted medical student, has discovered the secret of bringing dead matter to life. Gathering materials from graveyards and slaughterhouses, he creates a giant of superhuman strength. But horrified by what he has done, Frankenstein runs away. Left alone in the world by his creator, the creature's thoughts turn dark and he begins to plan his revenge. . .
Mary Shelley's famous novel—more than just a horror story—is vividly and faithfully retold in
graphic novel format.
Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Macdonald
623 books43 followersFiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 17, 2021
I love a good graphic novel of a classic!
"Victor Frankenstein, a gifted medical student, has discovered the secret of bringing dead matter back to life. Gathering materials from graveyards and slaughterhouses, he creates a giant of superhuman strength. But horrified by what he has done, Frankenstein runs away. Left alone in the world by his creator, the creature's thoughts turn dark and he begins to plan his revenge...
Mary Shelly's famous novel— more than just a horror story— is vividly and faithfully retold in graphic novel format."
"Victor Frankenstein, a gifted medical student, has discovered the secret of bringing dead matter back to life. Gathering materials from graveyards and slaughterhouses, he creates a giant of superhuman strength. But horrified by what he has done, Frankenstein runs away. Left alone in the world by his creator, the creature's thoughts turn dark and he begins to plan his revenge...
Mary Shelly's famous novel— more than just a horror story— is vividly and faithfully retold in graphic novel format."
January 12, 2016
*Book source ~ Library
It’s Frankenstein. Who the hell doesn’t know about Frankenstein? Oh, and by the way, Victor Frankenstein is the creator of the Creature. The Creature is not called Frankenstein. Just sayin’.
This is yet another one of those classics I haven’t gotten around to reading. I will someday. Since I haven’t read the original I can’t say how well the adaptation is, but I enjoyed the story and I will give the original a try one of these days. The illustrations are pretty good, though the Creature looks a bit different than I thought he would. However, considering the only Frankenstein movie I’ve seen is Young Frankenstein that’s to be expected. lol I would say this is a good book for someone wanting to read Frankenstein’s story without wading through the old-timey prose (1818, people!) of the original. Or maybe to read as a springboard before tackling the original.
It’s Frankenstein. Who the hell doesn’t know about Frankenstein? Oh, and by the way, Victor Frankenstein is the creator of the Creature. The Creature is not called Frankenstein. Just sayin’.
This is yet another one of those classics I haven’t gotten around to reading. I will someday. Since I haven’t read the original I can’t say how well the adaptation is, but I enjoyed the story and I will give the original a try one of these days. The illustrations are pretty good, though the Creature looks a bit different than I thought he would. However, considering the only Frankenstein movie I’ve seen is Young Frankenstein that’s to be expected. lol I would say this is a good book for someone wanting to read Frankenstein’s story without wading through the old-timey prose (1818, people!) of the original. Or maybe to read as a springboard before tackling the original.
April 14, 2022
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is a classic book from 1818. To start, if you are looking for the story that you always see in the movies, with the monster's creation on a stormy night in a dark castle, this is not that story. Instead, it is the story of revenge, revenge by the crated against the creator who abandoned him, and the creator's revenge on his creation after they have done unspeakable things. The characters and characterization boil down to two, the creator and the created. The creator, Victor Frankenstein, is a scientist who "aspires to become greater than his nature will allow" (Shelly 54). After losing his mother at an early age, Frankenstein becomes fascinated with the prospect of creating life. He feels "a new species would bless me as its creator and source" (Shelly 56) and then decides to create a human being that, in his eyes, would be perfect. After nearly two years of work, he finally made his creature and coming to terms with what he had done, he immediately shunned the beast and wanted nothing to do with it. In Frankenstein's description of the creature, as the story is being told in the first person, he called it "the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life" (Shelly 60).
On the other hand, the creature was not immediately evil or wanting to cause mayhem as Frankenstein believed. He just wanted to have a purpose and a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, in the constant nature vs. nurture battle, the creature was treated as a monster wherever he came in contact with other human beings due to his grotesque appearance. The creature states, "I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity" (Shelly 110). He felt abandoned and left out. He longed to be in the presence of other beings. The creature spent some time hiding in a hovel under a cabin in a small village near Ingolstadt, Germany. While there, he taught himself to speak by observing the family that lived there and helped the family where he could from the shadows. After living there for nearly a year, he endeavored to introduce himself to them, feeling they were "my protectors (for so I loved, in an innocent, half painful self-deceit, to call them)" (Shelly 135). Their unfortunate response was nothing short of complete horror and terror, and because of it, they would never return to the cabin. After this interaction, the creature vows to no longer deal with normal humans. Shortly after, he gets his first chance to take revenge on his creator, not directly but through a family member of Frankenstein's. When he enacts this revenge, he takes his first steps to become the monster Frankenstein has always called him. He follows that despicable act with more revenge against Frankenstein, driving Victor to vow to end this monster's terror and rid the world of him. This act leads Victor to pursue the monster, as he has become, to the ends of the earth for his final revenge.
Mary Shelly came up with the idea of this story while traveling through Geneva, Switzerland. She must have fallen in love with the scenery of the Alps, as that takes up most of the setting for the book. While describing the scenery, Shelly goes into great detail about Victor traveling with his family and friend or traveling alone. While the Frankenstein family travels through the Alps and its valleys, she describes the scene as "augmented and rendered sublime by the almighty Alps, whose white and shining pyramids and domes towered above all, as belonging to another earth" (Shelly 103). She makes a great effort to describe every outdoor scene's lush and beautiful wilderness as awe-inspiring and decisively beautiful. When discussing the cities, like London and Ingolstadt, does she not layer on the descriptions choosing to give basic facts. She represents his trip through Rotterdam as "our journey here lost the interest arising from beautiful scenery; but we arrived in a few days at Rotterdam, whence we proceeded by sea to England" (Shelly 176). She wastes no time on any natural setting for the cities and reserves it all for the open countryside or wild wildernesses of forests and the frozen north where the story truly ends.
My opinion on Frankenstein is that it was a great story that makes you question who the story's real villain is. Is it the creator for abandoning his creation, forcing it to lash out and become a monster, or is it the created looking for companionship and compassion and seeking revenge on his creator for giving him such a miserable life after finding none?
Frankenstein is a classic book that can be picked up in any major book retailer; keep in mind many different versions have been edited. The one I read was the Amazon Classics Edition which is available at no cost for Prime members or for $2.99 through the Kindle store.
On the other hand, the creature was not immediately evil or wanting to cause mayhem as Frankenstein believed. He just wanted to have a purpose and a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, in the constant nature vs. nurture battle, the creature was treated as a monster wherever he came in contact with other human beings due to his grotesque appearance. The creature states, "I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity" (Shelly 110). He felt abandoned and left out. He longed to be in the presence of other beings. The creature spent some time hiding in a hovel under a cabin in a small village near Ingolstadt, Germany. While there, he taught himself to speak by observing the family that lived there and helped the family where he could from the shadows. After living there for nearly a year, he endeavored to introduce himself to them, feeling they were "my protectors (for so I loved, in an innocent, half painful self-deceit, to call them)" (Shelly 135). Their unfortunate response was nothing short of complete horror and terror, and because of it, they would never return to the cabin. After this interaction, the creature vows to no longer deal with normal humans. Shortly after, he gets his first chance to take revenge on his creator, not directly but through a family member of Frankenstein's. When he enacts this revenge, he takes his first steps to become the monster Frankenstein has always called him. He follows that despicable act with more revenge against Frankenstein, driving Victor to vow to end this monster's terror and rid the world of him. This act leads Victor to pursue the monster, as he has become, to the ends of the earth for his final revenge.
Mary Shelly came up with the idea of this story while traveling through Geneva, Switzerland. She must have fallen in love with the scenery of the Alps, as that takes up most of the setting for the book. While describing the scenery, Shelly goes into great detail about Victor traveling with his family and friend or traveling alone. While the Frankenstein family travels through the Alps and its valleys, she describes the scene as "augmented and rendered sublime by the almighty Alps, whose white and shining pyramids and domes towered above all, as belonging to another earth" (Shelly 103). She makes a great effort to describe every outdoor scene's lush and beautiful wilderness as awe-inspiring and decisively beautiful. When discussing the cities, like London and Ingolstadt, does she not layer on the descriptions choosing to give basic facts. She represents his trip through Rotterdam as "our journey here lost the interest arising from beautiful scenery; but we arrived in a few days at Rotterdam, whence we proceeded by sea to England" (Shelly 176). She wastes no time on any natural setting for the cities and reserves it all for the open countryside or wild wildernesses of forests and the frozen north where the story truly ends.
My opinion on Frankenstein is that it was a great story that makes you question who the story's real villain is. Is it the creator for abandoning his creation, forcing it to lash out and become a monster, or is it the created looking for companionship and compassion and seeking revenge on his creator for giving him such a miserable life after finding none?
Frankenstein is a classic book that can be picked up in any major book retailer; keep in mind many different versions have been edited. The one I read was the Amazon Classics Edition which is available at no cost for Prime members or for $2.99 through the Kindle store.
March 31, 2018
I enjoyed reading this version of Frankenstein. This is a graphic novel is geared towards younger readers (middle school). I liked how the pages were broken up into major sections of the story (similar to chapters). Each picture had a written description to further tell the story. This graphic novel was paced really well and kept the reader's interest throughout the entire story. I also enjoyed the additions of information about the author, Mary Shelley and her life, as well as, a page dedicated to the scientific discoveries during the same time period the story takes place and a listing of Frankenstein movies. Overall, I enjoyed this version of the story.
April 3, 2022
While this stayed very close to the story, this version just looses some of the beautiful, poignant suffering of the creature and his actions just seem cruel and unnecessary while one might sympathize more with young Victor Frankenstein instead. Both really are tragic characters. This will give you an idea of the story, but, in my opinion, you should just read the original.
August 11, 2021
Me lo dieron para leer en Inglés y la verdad me gustó mucho.
July 9, 2022
Mi-a plăcut destul de mult...
September 5, 2022
The art is ok. The text reads like the Cliff notes of the novel. And why show the monster setting himself alight at the end and presumably dying? The ending is supposed to be ambiguous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2015
As part of an Adaptation Assignment for my Graphic Novels in Libraries class, we have to compare an original work to its graphic novel adaptation. I chose to do Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I love the original work and how the book is comprised of letters. Its very detailed and the language is so visceral that you can see, smell and feel all that is going on within the story. For me, I was able to feel more compassion towards the Creature than I was with Victor Frankenstein. It was really nice to see that the Creature is not just an animal, but a complex being.
As for the graphic novel, while it doesn't deviate from the story at all, the actual sense of who the characters are lost in translation. When reading the graphic novel, I wasn't as attached to the characters or the story as much as when I read the original. I suppose its because in the original, you see through the eyes of the characters (Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, the Creature), you hear it from them, versus them being narrated by an outsider. In the graphic novel, that's how it is. I understand why the author chose to present it that way, it certainly makes it easier for this format, however, it certainly didn't bring the essences of the characters to the page.
On a positive note, the artwork in the graphic novel was neatly drawn. The illustrator did a great job and conveying the really strong and complex emotions through the faces of the characters. The scenery was great and I was able to revert back to the original when looking at the artwork.
As for the graphic novel, while it doesn't deviate from the story at all, the actual sense of who the characters are lost in translation. When reading the graphic novel, I wasn't as attached to the characters or the story as much as when I read the original. I suppose its because in the original, you see through the eyes of the characters (Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, the Creature), you hear it from them, versus them being narrated by an outsider. In the graphic novel, that's how it is. I understand why the author chose to present it that way, it certainly makes it easier for this format, however, it certainly didn't bring the essences of the characters to the page.
On a positive note, the artwork in the graphic novel was neatly drawn. The illustrator did a great job and conveying the really strong and complex emotions through the faces of the characters. The scenery was great and I was able to revert back to the original when looking at the artwork.
February 19, 2015
The only good thing about this book is the information at the back which tells about Mary Shelley's life, and the section which talks about the scientific discoveries that happened around the time Frankenstein came out.
I went into this book not knowing much about it. Frankenstein wasn't a required read when I was in school, so I've always been curious about the full story. All I knew was that a scientist created this monster and that's about where it ends. I know, I should know way more than that, but's that's why I decided to check out this book. I love graphic novels and I thought this would be a fun way to learn about the classic. I even thought about reading it with my niece so she would have some knowledge of Frankenstein.
I know for a fact that my niece wouldn't enjoy this book, either. For one, it reads more like a timeline. I understand that when writing a graphic novel you have to be able to capture the full story in few panels, but the format of this book just made the story very choppy. Plus, at times it was hard to tell whether the caption came first or the thought bubble. I've never seen a graphic novel so all over the place. Secondly, the drawings were pretty average. They did nothing to help this book.
Overall: The only positive outcome of me reading this book is realizing that I probably won't like the original Frankenstein story.
I went into this book not knowing much about it. Frankenstein wasn't a required read when I was in school, so I've always been curious about the full story. All I knew was that a scientist created this monster and that's about where it ends. I know, I should know way more than that, but's that's why I decided to check out this book. I love graphic novels and I thought this would be a fun way to learn about the classic. I even thought about reading it with my niece so she would have some knowledge of Frankenstein.
I know for a fact that my niece wouldn't enjoy this book, either. For one, it reads more like a timeline. I understand that when writing a graphic novel you have to be able to capture the full story in few panels, but the format of this book just made the story very choppy. Plus, at times it was hard to tell whether the caption came first or the thought bubble. I've never seen a graphic novel so all over the place. Secondly, the drawings were pretty average. They did nothing to help this book.
Overall: The only positive outcome of me reading this book is realizing that I probably won't like the original Frankenstein story.
November 1, 2012
I was a little disappointed by the way this graphic novel portrayed the story of Frankenstein. It was a mess. You, as the reader, have no idea sometimes which panel to read first and it was written in a way where the dialogue would come first and the the text which made for a confusing read. The artwork itself was nothing special. It was sloppy and not pleasing to the eye. I was very underwhelmed reading this book. The one thing I did enjoy was the bits of information that's placed at the back of the book about Mary Shelley's life and some famous movies about Frankenstein. (Imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out Kenneth Branagh directed a film about Frankenstein that starred Robert De Niro! I freaked out! I know that it's quite old but hey! I'm still young... and I was never into movies. Still not really into them. I'm more of a reader.) Seriously, the information part was the only part of this graphic novel I enjoyed. If you want to learn more about Frankenstein, then I suggest you pick up the actual classic. You're not going to get much out of this. Still, if you want to read it then go ahead. Just remember to read the book first.
Read
July 27, 2011As an English Professor, I was less than enthusiastic about reading a "Graphic Novel" version on Frankenstein. I picked up this copy, along with 7 other from the Graphic Classics series, for my 10 year old, who is a reluctant reader. To my surprise, the story accurately followed Mary Shelley's original novel and included direct quotes. The visuals were outstanding: neither overly scary for a 10 year old, nor too childish for an adult. The biographical information and maps at the end of the book were an unexpected bonus. This version of Frankenstein is entertaining and a great introduction for the original novel. Not only did my 10 year old want to read Frankenstein after finishing the graphic novel, but I did too! Every teacher should use this book to introduce Mary Shelley's more challenging text.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews