Frankenstein (abridged): The Modern Prometheus

By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Book Overview

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a gripping exploration of human ambition, morality, and the consequences of playing God. It blends horror, philosophy, and emotional depth, offering timeless lessons on creation, responsibility, and loneliness. Through Victor Frankenstein and his tormented creature, the novel questions what it means to be truly human. Its themes resonate with modern debates on science and ethics, making it both a thrilling Gothic tale and a profound literary masterpiece.

This modern abridged version of Frankenstein makes the classic tale more accessible and engaging. The language has been simplified, making the book more accessible for young readers, non-native English speakers, and those looking for a quicker read. It also serves as an introduction to this enduring classic story, potentially encouraging readers to explore the original text later.

Such a version is ideal for educational purposes, book clubs, and busy readers. The shortened format accommodates today's faster-paced lifestyles without sacrificing the novel's core themes and story, making it a practical choice for contemporary book enthusiasts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F1MFHDCB
• ISBN13: 9798314191514
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 56 Pages
• Weight: 0.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

"Curssed, curssed, creator." - The monster - abridged so Maby just "Cussed Creator."

Victor grew up reading the works of Paracelsus, Agrippa, and Albertus Magnus, the alchemists of the time. Toss in a little natural philosophy (sciences) and you have the making of a monster. Or at least a being that, after being spurned for looking ugly, becomes ugly. So, for revenge, the creature decides that unless Victor makes another (female this time) creature, Victor will also suffer the loss of friends and relatives. What is Victor to do? Bow to the wishes and needs of his creation? Or challenge it to “the death”? What would you do? Although the concept of the monster is good, and the conflicts of the story are well thought out, Shelly suffers from the writing style of the time. Many people do not finish the book as the language is stilted and verbose, for example, when was the last time you said, "Little did I then expect the calamity that was in a few moments to overwhelm me and extinguish in horror and despair all fear of ignominy of death." Much of the book seems like a travel log filler. More time is spent describing the surroundings of Europe than the reason for traveling or just traveling. Many writers use traveling to reflect time passing or the character growing in stature or knowledge. In this story, they just travel a lot. This book is worth plodding through for moviegoers. The record needs to be set straight. The first shock is that the creator is named Victor Frankenstein; the creature is just a "monster", not Frankenstein. It is Victor who is backward, which adds to his doing the impossible by not knowing any better. The monster is well-read in "Sorrows of a Young Werther," "Paradise Lost," and Plutarch's "Lives." The debate (mixed with a few murders) rages on as to whether the monster was doing evil because of his nature or because he was spurned.

Abridged version

This is the abridged version