I remember reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for the first time during my senior year of high school as an assignment for my English literature class. I enjoyed reading this novel back then and remembered at the time how different the novel was from the 1931 horror film of the same name starring Boris Karloff.
Anyway, I thought I'd reread Frankenstein again 30+ years later to see how I viewed the novel through adult eyes verses that of a teenager being required to read the novel as a class assignment. This time around though, I listened to the unabridged audio version, which was narrated by Dan Stevens.
Although, I enjoyed revisiting the classic novel and found it to be a good read, it was a bit too flowery and verbose for me. The themes presented in this novel are still relevant today though and are well detailed/explored by the author... So, with that said, I feel like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is still a must read today.
Below is a video I discovered on YouTube, which explores the themes found in Frankenstein.
Listening time for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is 8 hours, 35 minutes.
Below is the plot summary for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley from Audible:
Narrator Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.I am giving Frankenstein by Mary Shelley a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.
Until my next post, happy reading!
I don't think I ever actually read this book. I saw movie(s) that made it real for me and maybe made me THINK I had read it, but I don't think I did. "Flowery and verbose" seemed to be the favorite style of writing during that period.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that "Flowery and verbose" seemed to be the favorite style of writing during that period.
DeleteI have never read this either, but I bought it some months ago because I had seen a movie about both the Shelley's and how she came to write the book. I decided it was finally time. Yet I still have not gotten to it. I will!
ReplyDeleteI recently learned about a nonfiction book titled, The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo, which sounds like a intriguing book to read after Frankenstein!
DeleteMy daughter is reading it at the moment and isn’t enjoying it. Too melodramatic & pathetic is her opinion and that was basically my reaction when I read it, too. Still, Mary Shelley was quite young when she wrote it so it was quite an achievement, really. Found your blog via brian’s babbling books. 🙂
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and leaving a comment on one of my blog posts. Yes, Frankenstein is a bit melodramatic for sure, but I liked the different themes presented like God Complex/playing God by animating life.
DeleteThanks for leaving your link with my review.
ReplyDeleteI never read Frankenstein before and was quite surprised how much I like it. I am a huge fan of (especially English) classic fiction and it goes very well with that. I'm amazed how well she wrote at such a young age. Brilliant.
I enjoy reading classics too. I'm pretty partial to Russian classics.
DeleteI'm also impressed how well Mary Shelley wrote at such a young age.