Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
About this listen
SPECIAL OFFER: Get the full text of this classic novel as an eBook when you purchase the audio. You'll receive an e-mail with a link to download the eBook after your purchase is confirmed. Having the novel in convenient Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format will allow you to read along with the audio, perform a "cover to cover" search for your favorite passages, and more.
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only 18. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein.
Obsessed with discovering "the cause of generation and life" and "bestowing animation upon lifeless matter", Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts. However, upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness.
Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.Frankenstein, an instant best seller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science-fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? And how far can we go in tampering with Nature?
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.Public Domain (P)2008 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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In Frankenstein, a classic tale of bio-engineering gone horribly wrong, Victor Frankenstein uses body parts of the dead to bring a creature to life. When Frankenstein abandons his experiment in horror, the Monster embarks on a quest that results in the ultimate revenge. In Dracula, a timeless gothic vampire romance, young solicitor Jonathan Harker must shield his fiancé, Mina, from the predations of the insatiable Count Dracula. Mysteriously drawn to the Count, Mina, however, struggles to break free from the psychic grip of the mysterious dark stranger from Transylvania.
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Wonderful rendition of two Gothic Horror classics!
- By Teela'Na on 10-03-19
By: Mary Shelley, and others
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The Monk
- By: Matthew Lewis
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Georgina Sutton
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Father Ambrosio, the most pious and venerated monk in all of Madrid, is held as a paragon of virtue. But after 30 years of study and prayer, evil thoughts begin to permeate his mind. As two plots cleverly converge, torture, murder, incest, rape, poison, and magic prevail, sustained by an elegance in the writing of the 19-year-old Matthew Lewis.
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the Platonic Form of the Gothic novel!.org
- By Mao Dom on 11-15-18
By: Matthew Lewis
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The Bondwoman's Narrative
- By: Hannah Crafts, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
- Narrated by: Anna Deavere Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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An unprecedented historical and literary event, this tale written in the 1850s is the only known novel by a female African American slave, and quite possibly the first novel written by a black woman anywhere. A work recently uncovered by renowned scholar and professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it is a stirring tale of "passing" and the adventures of a young slave as she makes her way to freedom.
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Poor reading of an important book
- By Hilary on 11-15-04
By: Hannah Crafts, and others
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- By: Anne Brontë
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Jenny Agutter
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Fleeing a disastrous marriage, Helen Huntingdon retreats to the desolate mansion, Wildfell Hall, with her son, Arthur. There, she makes her living as a painter. Finding it difficult to avoid her neighbors, she is soon an object of speculation and gossip. Brontë portrays Helen's eloquent struggle for independence at a time when society defined a married woman as her husband's property.
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Excellent performances of an abridged version
- By LSK on 04-21-19
By: Anne Brontë
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Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black in a Two-Story White House
- By: Harriet Wilson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the autobiographical novel by Harriet Wilson, the first African-American to publish a novel in North America. Originally published in 1859, it was rediscovered in 1982.
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Not a great book but an important one
- By Andre on 08-11-14
By: Harriet Wilson
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The Scarlet Letter
- By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Narrated by: Kate Petrie
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the most important novels in classic literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter tackles the subject of adultery, with the notorious Hester Prynne at the forefront of the scandal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is serving time in prison for having a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet A on her clothing at all times, so she cannot run from her sin no matter where she goes.
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missing the introductory???
- By Savannah on 05-20-20
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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: Michael Kitchen
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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This dark psychological fantasy is more than a moral tale. It is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution and criminality, and the secret lives behind Victorian propriety, to create a unique form of urban Gothic.
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The Dark Human Heart
- By Jefferson on 01-30-11
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The Three Musketeers (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Alexandre Dumas, William Robson - translator
- Narrated by: Guy Mott
- Length: 27 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Young nobleman d’Artagnan has arrived in Paris intent on joining the guardians of King Louis XIII. He befriends the regiment’s most formidable musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and together they unite in their commitment to uphold justice. Soon, a royal indiscretion thrusts them into an audacious escapade of courtly intrigue, thwarted romance, and daring rescue. But it’s the Machiavellian schemes of a powerful enemy and the wicked seductions of an ingenious female spy that will be their greatest challenges.
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terrible narrator. every comma is a 3 second pause
- By Anonymous User on 09-21-21
By: Alexandre Dumas, and others
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The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Edgar Allan Poe
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Edgar Allan Poe elevated the gothic story, developed the unreliable narrator, recast psychological terror, and reveled in both the horror and the supernal beauty of death. From Poe's rich, unrivaled imagination comes a collection of his most masterful works, including "The Black Cat", "The Fall of the House of Usher", and, of course, "The Tell-Tale Heart". Each story explores morbid themes of grief, greed, fear, and guilt, and together they embody Poe's grotesque obsessions...even the dread of being buried alive.
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Didn't fully track it, but still, I enjoyed it!
- By Jennifer Greenlees on 10-02-20
By: Edgar Allan Poe
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The Count of Monte Cristo (Dramatized)
- By: Orson Welles
- Narrated by: Orson Welles
- Length: 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Starring Orson Welles, Anges Moorehead, and Ray Collins, The Count of Monte Cristo is a tale of revenge and retribution. Edmond Dantès, a young, energetic sailor, is falsely accused of treason on his wedding day and incarcerated in the forbidding Château d'If. His escape and ultimate revenge on those who wronged him makes this one of the most thrilling stories in French literature, as compelling now as when it was first published in 1846.
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Excellent
- By Stefanie on 05-19-14
By: Orson Welles
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Jane Eyre
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
- Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Following Jane from her childhood as an orphan in Northern England through her experience as a governess at Thornfield Hall, Charlotte Brontë's Gothic classic is an early exploration of women's independence in the mid-19th century and the pervasive societal challenges women had to endure. At Thornfield, Jane meets the complex and mysterious Mr. Rochester, with whom she shares a complicated relationship that ultimately forces her to reconcile the conflicting passions of romantic love and religious piety.
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Perfect!!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-21-16
By: Charlotte Brontë
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Absolutely loved this book!
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ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
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Obsessed with the secret of creation, Swiss scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein cobbles together a body he's determined to bring to life. And one fateful night, he does. When the creature opens his eyes, the doctor is repulsed: his vision of perfection is, in fact, a hideous monster. Dr. Frankenstein abandons his creation, but the monster won't be ignored, setting in motion a chain of violence and terror that shadows Victor to his death.
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1818 Version
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published in 1818, is a landmark Gothic novel that explores themes of ambition, creation, responsibility, and the consequences of playing God. Victor Frankenstein, a young man from Geneva, grows up in a loving and supportive family. He is deeply interested in science and becomes obsessed with understanding the secrets of life. After studying at the University of Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the method for creating life and becomes consumed with the idea of building a living being.
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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.
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Classic with Great Narration
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Absolutely loved this book!
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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.
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ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
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1818 Version
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published in 1818, is a landmark Gothic novel that explores themes of ambition, creation, responsibility, and the consequences of playing God. Victor Frankenstein, a young man from Geneva, grows up in a loving and supportive family. He is deeply interested in science and becomes obsessed with understanding the secrets of life. After studying at the University of Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the method for creating life and becomes consumed with the idea of building a living being.
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Frankenstein
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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.
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Classic with Great Narration
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Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus - The Original 1816 Classic
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Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Shelley's wife Mary, who was then only nineteen, all agreed to each compose ghost stories. Mary Shelley's story came to her during a restive night: "I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion." The result of her vision, which she later published as a full length novel, became the most famous and compelling horror story of all time.
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Frankenstein
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One of the greatest horror stories ever written, Frankenstein comes to spellbinding life once again in this tour-de-force performance by the acclaimed director and star of Henry V, Dead Again, and Much Ado About Nothing. The definitive recording of one of the most haunting tales of all time, Kenneth Branagh's performance of Frankenstein is a true audio classic.
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Chapter alignment is wrong
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Frankenstein is infused with some elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is also considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Includes introduction and commentary by Mary Shelley. Required reading for any fan of science fiction and horror genres. A classic.
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A Monster of Fiction
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Frankenstein is the classic story of of a young doctor, Victor Frankenstein, who creates what comes to be known as "the monster." Interestingly, many people refer to "the monster" as "Frankenstein" when in fact Dr. Frankenstein is the creator of the monster.
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Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus
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The novel begins with an explorer, Robert Walton, spotting an enormous creature speeding across a frozen shore, and then meeting the monster's creator, a melancholy scientist named Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein tells Walton the horrifying tale of his ambitious experiment in electrical reanimation, which resulted in a large, terrifying, unhappy creation. Spurned in his attempts at human intimacy, Frankenstein's monster becomes uncontrollable and unrepentant, forcing the scientist to set him free and send him into the unsuspecting world.
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Overlooked classic
- By Brent on 08-29-03
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Frankenstein
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The tale of Dr. Frankenstein and the horrendous monster he unleashes on the world when he tinkers with the laws of nature had almost as strange a birth as the monster itself. It was the product of one of the most famous ghost story telling sessions in history. Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and several others were stranded on the shores of Lake Geneva during a particularly sodden summer.
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A Great Performance for a very Boring Story
- By Brian Zohner on 12-29-15
By: Mary Shelley
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Frankenstein
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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.
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Excellent variation from narrator
- By Noah Franklin Leitch on 10-25-24
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Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus
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Dr. Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young scientist, is consumed by a fanatic desire to create a living being. He fashions an eight-foot-tall creature and succeeds in animating him, but, horrified by his visage, perceives his creation to be a monster and frightens him away. The monster, wandering in search of human companionship, is spurned and repulsed by all he approaches and learns to hate and to kill.
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What's a Lonely Creature to Do?
- By Jefferson on 12-25-10
By: Mary Shelley
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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Annotated)
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This annotated edition of the classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly includes an historical introduction, an overview, study of the themes present in the book, and a list of famous quotes.
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Amazing and heartbreaking tale
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By: Mary Shelley
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Frankenstein
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"Frankenstein". Esta es una de las novelas de terror más famosas de todos los tiempos. Cuenta la historia de Victor Frankenstein, un científico que logra infundir vida a un ser formado a partir de trozos de cadáveres. Sin medir las consecuencias de ese acto, Victor crea un monstruo. La criatura, que es rechazada por él y por cuantos se encuentra en su camino, se rebela contra su creador y decide vengarse. El terror lo invadirá todo.
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Un monstruo de libro más que un libro de monstruos
- By ohhlalica cl on 10-09-23
By: Mary Shelley
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Frankenstein
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Eager science student Victor Frankenstein uses body parts of the dead to bring a creature to life. Although initially excited that his experiment is a success, Frankenstein becomes horrified at the grotesque being that stands before him and flees. Angered by the rejection, the monster retaliates by taking the lives of those dearest to Frankenstein. The decision to play God torments both Frankenstein and the monster he created until the end of their days.
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Masterpiece
- By Souchak on 08-24-17
By: Mary Shelley
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Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, is Mary Shelley's passionate and Gothic tale of terror, in which a man's desire to know the unknowable sweeps him into a living nightmare. Victor Frankenstein's experiments with life itself give birth to an extraordinary force with the potential for either good or evil.
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Excellent Narration
- By Evil_Asch on 04-30-11
By: Mary Shelley
What listeners say about Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- David
- 03-20-12
Not the movie monster, a wordy, worthy classic
Some books are classics because they were the first of their type, not because their literary value is really that great. Frankenstein is an entertaining enough book with a kernel of a story — Doctor Victor Frankenstein, overcome with hubris, figures out how to animate life from dead body parts — and creates a wrathful creature. There are also a number of interesting philosophical questions which Mary Shelley partially addresses through the medium of her characters' long, long soliloquies.
"You, who call Frankenstein your friend, seem to have a knowledge of my crimes and his misfortunes. But in the detail which he gave you of them he could not sum up the hours and months of misery which I endured wasting in impotent passions. For while I destroyed his hopes, I did not satisfy my own desires. They were forever ardent and craving; still I desired love and fellowship, and I was still spurned. 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."
Frankenstein's nameless monster is much more interesting than in the movies - he's more of reanimated superman than a shambling zombie, possessed of extraordinary eloquence. Every time he meets someone, he gives a long discursive speech, usually a self-justifying one. The monster is unfairly persecuted, denied the friendship it genuinely desires, and then betrayed by its creator. However, it also commits murders whenever it's aggrieved, then swears that it would never have done so if only people weren't so mean to it. So, you feel sorry for the creature, but it's hardly an innocent. Ultimately it's left to the reader to decide who is more responsible and who is the greater villain: Frankenstein or his monster?
That said, Frankenstein is really not a very well-developed novel; the characters all act in foolish, contrived manners, and none of them have any depth (the monster probably has the most complicated personality). The plot kind of plows along with foreshadowing a ten-year-old could see, and the prose is very, very purple even by 19th century standards. It's very much the sort of story you'd expect a clever, talented teenager with a vivid imagination to write, which is what Shelley was. Because she didn't have a lot of competition in 1818, especially in this genre, she got published.
Do I think this was a bad book? Well, I was never bored, and it is a classic. And it does make you think about how much the monster is to blame for its behavior. (I think Shelley's intended message, that Doctor Frankenstein's hubris brought about all the destruction, is a bit washed out by the more compelling question of free will.) I would recommend anyone to read the original story, but rather like Dracula, it can be a bit of a slog at times. I would recommend trying the audio version, as I did: a good narrator (like Simon Vance) can pull off the long, wordy monologues without sounding as stiff and absurd as they seem in print.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Draco
- 07-17-13
Timeless Classic!
Anyone who doesn't know the story of Frankenstein is either a) not from this country or b) has been living under a rock for the last century. A true classic in its own right that began the proliferation of many copy cats soon thereafter.
Wow .. I didn't know Mary Shelly wrote this novel at the tender age of 19. Geez. That's just mind boggling.
Narrator Vance gave an exemplary performance.
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- suzanne
- 04-22-12
Get ready to be depressed!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I never realized Frankenstein's Monster (who is never given a name) was such an eloquent, well-spoken, thoughtful, sensitive and sympathetic character. Mind you, he's also a ruthless killer, but as the story unfolds you find out the reasons for his behaviour.
Any additional comments?
This is one of the most depressing books I have ever read/listened to.
Don't get me wrong: this book is a classic and should rightly be considered one of the greatest examples of English literature... but holy crap. If you have depressive tendencies or even if it's kinda gray outside and you're feeling a little blue - this book isn't gonna make you feel better.
Steven Vance is an excellent narrator - although I found myself "tuning him out" - not sure if that was because the story was so bleak and I needed to keep my sanity or if it was just his reading. Nevertheless, he does a good job with the voices of the different characters.
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- Allan Wilke
- 03-03-23
Not much in common with the movies
Worth a listen, if you never read the book. Writing is typical of the era. Spoiler alert: a bit wordy and repetitive and absolutely no exclamation of “It’s alive!”
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- Kaui
- 07-27-20
A book for the ages
Ah, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley. Lord Byron. An island. Fireside stories. A competition. And! A novel is born. But not just any novel - a GOTHIC novel. Our first Science Fiction novel. A novel that struggles with medical ethics, morality and ultimately, what it means to be human. All of this is wrapped up in an epic struggle between two equally unlikeable characters but each of whom represents a part of humanity - one is a creator, an innovator, an explorer; the other is a creation who is desperately lonely, angry, confused and ultimately, abandoned. Each engages in behavior and makes choices that are reprehensible. But the triggers for their acts - what about those? Is each character morally excused from their bad acts due to the understandable chaos they face? These questions are current, real and unanswerable in a simple way. Stanford University, for the book's 100th anniversary, held a campus-wide celebration the entire academic year, with medical ethics talks at the Med school to reading and discussing this book in Another Book Club. I revisit this book annually in October, my Month of Horror, and conclude that this classic deserves to be considered and pondered carefully.
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- Ana
- 11-16-12
GREAT STORY
Would you listen to Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus again? Why?
NO, THE VOICE IS INTERESTING AT FIRST, BUT IT DRONES AFTER A WHILE. THIS BOOK WOULD BE BETTER READ BY TWO OR MORE NARRATORS.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus?
the killing of wife Elizabeth
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
Good voice but it has the same tone throughout the book.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
What moves me most about this book is its language, the musicality of it and the vocabulary
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- Grant
- 08-18-19
Most know the story, few know the beauty
Almost everyone knows the surface details of this story, but I think very few know the intense sadness and beauty of the novel. I did not know until now that it is about the desperate need for love and acceptance that we all share.
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2 people found this helpful
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- PutNameHere
- 11-11-16
A little disappointing and pretty depressing
Any additional comments?
I didn't know what to expect with this book. Most everyone has seen some version of the story through the numerous movies out there. I really didn't like the doctor at all. I felt a little sympathy for the monster at first, only to not like him either. Vengeance is the theme from both of the main characters which makes it hard to get behind anyone in the story which left me depressed.
The writing was just OK, to me; nothing special.
Simon Vance was good, not great. Maybe it was what he had to work with.
I'll stick with the Young Frankenstein version by Mel Brooks.
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- Mrz Santos
- 01-11-18
A good version of the classic
Would you listen to Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus again? Why?
No, this was purchased for a class. I enjoyed the story but i prefer horror.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus?
When the creatures female counterpart is dismembered and disposed of. It made me realize why on Hotel Transylvania the female had stitches all over her body.
Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No. I have not listened to other performances.
Who was the most memorable character of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus and why?
The creature. He is complex and at the end he just leaves and forgives his creator.
Any additional comments?
If you are trying to use this instead of the version with a cream frame on the front, DONT. They are not the same.
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- ELIZABETH B
- 10-23-16
School assignment
It was great to get a chance to read this. I spent youth being fearful of this book. It was great to read as an adult with a different perspective.
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