Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

by Harold Bloom (Editor), George Levine (Contributor), Paul Sherwin (Contributor)

-- Presents the most important 20th-century criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature
-- The critical essays reflect a variety of schools of criticism
-- Contains critical biographies, notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index
The Pattern: Frankenstein and Austen to Conrad / George Levine --
Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe / Paul Sherwin --
My Monster/My Self / Barbara Johnson --
Frankenstein's Fallen Angel / Joyce Carol Oates --
"My Hideous Progeny": The Lady and the Monster / Mary Poovey --
The Negative Oedipus: Father, Frankenstein, and the Shelleys / William Veeder --
Bearing Demons: Frankenstein's Circumvention of the Maternal / Margaret Homans.

Genres: Classics, Horror

173 pages, Library Binding

Published January 1, 1987

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Brett Warnke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't put off reading this a day further. A surprisingly modern novel, an epistolatory style comprised of letter and first-person sources, this book deals with ambition, obsession, the crowd, and solitude. There are wonderful monologues, from the guilt-ridden Frankenstein to his miserable monster: "Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all humankind sinned against me? Why do you not hate Felix, who drove his friend from his door with contumely? Why do you not execrate the rustic who sought to destroy the saviour of his child? Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate beings! I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice.

I can't wait to read it again.

[Matteo Borkia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankenstein è un romanzo un po per tutti perché riesce a regalarti i punti di vista di una creatura simile a un neonato ma ben cresciuta delle essere umano a quei tempi.
All inizio del romanzo seguiamo la storia di Victor il creatore del mostro, che per me non lo era perché un mostro era giusto che lui avesse la felicità.
Victor e il mostro ci racconterano e ci trasmetterano le loro emozioni tra angosce, amori, paure, insicurezze. Ci porteranno da Ginevra in altri posti affascinati alcuni ben descritti.
Chi porrà fine alle sofferenze della altro? Il creatore o la creatura?

[Cameron W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read!

[sléya · Rating 5 out of 5]

it would have been easier if frankenstein had a gun though

[Aaron Gehrig]

Take your time reading this one. What an incredible read. I loved it.

[Agent1604 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this because my son read it for school. I did not particularly enjoy it. I did not know the story, so I'm glad to have read a "classic".... not at all what I thought it was, though.

[Jimgosailing · Rating 2 out of 5]

This, like the other similarly titled Bloom edition, is a collection of essays and does not contain the text of Shelley’s novel

The Oates, Mellor and Malchow essays I mistakenly entered notes for in the other Bloom Frankenstein edition; they were the only ones here that grabbed my attention. The others I either found to be uninteresting or plowing similar ground previously plowed, or just impenetrable…

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was far more interesting and multi-layered than I expected it to be. The monster of Frankenstein is very unlike the Hollywood depictions; he is articulate, philosophical, willfully malicious, and creepy. Although it isn't intended to be more than fantasy, the book raises interesting ethical questions and dilemmas that show the characters to be far more than just a mad scientist and a monster. By avoiding too much scientific indulgence, this book remains relevant despite having been written nearly 200 years ago. Check it out!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. A little long winded but worth it. It's the real story of the Frankenstein monster by his creator, Mary Shelley. The movie, with Robert Deniro comes closest to the book then any other Frankenstein film I've seen. If you can handle the long descriptive sometimes flowery text, it will be worth your time. A little slow going at times, but I enjoyed it.Be prepared. It's not like reading a comic book.

[Chelsea]

It was a great book. Mary Shelley focused on some very important themes such as: the use of knowledge for good or evil, invasion of technology into the modern world, and to not judge a book by its cover. I loved it

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. It was hard to know who to feel sorry for...it really made me think, and I liked that about it.

[R.L. Blackhurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic. Thought it was great, very sad though.

[Chris Jennette · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite novel.