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.

A terrifying vision of scientific progress without moral limits, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein leads the listener on an unsettling journey from the sublime beauty of the Swiss alps to the desolate waste of the arctic circle. Obsessed with the idea of creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material with which to fashion a new being, shocking his creation to life with electricity. But this botched creature, rejected by its creator and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy Frankenstein and all that he holds dear.

First published in 1818, this groundbreaking work tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but reckless scientist who creates a sentient creature in his quest to conquer death. However, his experiment spirals into tragedy as the creature, abandoned and misunderstood, seeks both revenge and companionship. Shelley's novel delves into themes of isolation, responsibility, and the consequences of playing god, making it a cornerstone of both horror and science fiction literature.

Although the story of Frankenstein is well known and commonly referenced, experiencing the original novel is well worth the endeavor and illuminates the true depth and complexity that is often missed in modern references. A tale not just of monsters and dark shadows, but of hubris, romance, regret, loss, adventure, morality, isolation, and much more.

In Frankenstein, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley tells the chilling story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist driven by an unrelenting thirst for knowledge and power. In his quest to unlock the secrets of life, Frankenstein creates a creature from the remains of the dead, only to find himself horrified by the monster he has unleashed. The tale of the creature’s struggle for acceptance, and Frankenstein’s descent into despair, raises timeless questions about the dangers of ambition, the power of creation, and the moral responsibilities of humanity.