Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley

In the age of AI, this classic tale of technology gone wrong is a must-read collectible in this handsome faux-leather hardcover edition.

The combination of fantastical elements and scientific exploration makes this Mary Shelley novel one of the first true models of science fiction. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus pioneered the deeply explored battle between monster and man. Follow three narratives in this ageless tale that navigates fear, fixation, love, and desire, while finding an anchor in humanity. The story comes alive anew in this beautifully designed edition featuring:

An elegant faux-leather cover with foil-embossed designsAn introduction by writer and English professor Catherine SteindlerAn author's introductionA timeline of the life and times of Mary Shelley
This gorgeous, heirloom-quality collection is an ideal edition for classic book lovers to acquire for their home library.

Essential volumes for the shelves of every classic literature lover, these deluxe classics editions include beautifully presented works from some of the most important authors in literary history. Other Chartwell Deluxe Editions include Little Women, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, The Essential Grimm's Fairy Tales, Anne of Green Gables, The Inferno, Dracula, The Republic, The Iliad, Meditations, and Irish Fairy and Folk Tales.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785846247
• ISBN13: 9780785846246
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Chartwell Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

“Cursed, cursed creator!” - the Creature echoes

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 filler for a travel log. 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 referred to as 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.