Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
Average customer rating:
- One of two best editions -- the 1818 text
- Gothic at its best
- Excellent Extras
- Frankenstein for Jolley
- Not Horror, But Still Good
|
Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Horror
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
19th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classics
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Horror Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Qualifying Textbooks - Spring 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Dracula (Norton Critical Editions)
- Wuthering Heights (Norton Critical Editions)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Norton Critical Editions)
- Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Editions)
- Paradise Lost (Norton Critical Editions)
ASIN: 0393964582 |
Customer Reviews:
One of two best editions -- the 1818 text.......2007-05-02
Frankenstein is a great work, though one that has consistently been underrated
and misrepresented. Frankenstein is, in the words of Donald H. Reiman, "the
most seminal literary work of the Romantic period". It is a work of profound
and radical ideas, written in poetically powerful prose. Frankenstein is not
really a gothic novel, although its author sometimes employs gothic
conventions and language, and even spoofs them. Rather, Frankenstein is an
enduring myth, a novel of ideas, and above all, a moral allegory about the
evil effects of intolerance and prejudice, ostracism and alienation, both to
the victims of intolerance and to society at large.
Since there are some good reviews here, I'll concentrate on this
particular edition -- the Norton Critical Edition, edited by J. Paul Hunter.
This is one of the two best editions of Frankenstein available (the other
being the Chicago edition edited by James Rieger). Most importantly, this is
the original 1818 edition, rather than the inferior, bowdlerized 1831
edition -- which is the most common, and the only one that was available for
well over a century. Hunter's introduction is not bad. Some of the reviews
and essays in the back are good, and some are not, but this is par for the
course. The main text is intelligently annotated.
Please check out my own book, The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein, which
makes the case that Frankenstein was really written by Percy Bysshe Shelley,
one of the greatest poets in the English language. I also argue that male
love, both idealized and demonized, is a central theme of Frankenstein.
Gothic at its best.......2006-12-16
Mary Shelley was the daughter of the famous feminist and author, Mary Wollstonecraft, who is best known for her work The Vindication of the Rights of Women. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a young university student, Victor Frankenstein, obsesses with wanting to know the secret to life. He studies chemistry and natural philosophy with the goal of being able to create a human out of spare body parts. After months of constant work in his laboratory, Frankenstein attains his goal and brings his creation to life. Frankenstein is immediately overwrought by fear and remorse at the sight of his creation, a "monster." The next morning, he decides to destroy his creation but finds that the monster has escaped. The monster, unlike other humans, has no social preparation or education; thus, it is unequipped to take care of itself either physically or emotionally. The monster lives in the forest like an animal without knowledge of "self" or understanding of its surroundings. The monster happens upon a hut inhabited by a poor family and is able to find shelter in a shed adjacent to the hut. For several months, the monster starts to gain knowledge of human life by observing the daily life of the hut's inhabitants through a crack in the wall. The monster's education of language and letters begins when he listens to one of them learning the French language. During this period, the monster also learns of human society and comes to the realization that he is grotesque and alone in the world. Armed with his newfound ability to read, he reads three books that he found in a leather satchel in the woods. Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, Milton's Paradise Lost, and a volume of Plutarch's Lives. The monster, not knowing any better, read these books thinking them to be facts about human history. From Plutarch's works, he learns of humankind's virtues. However, it is Paradise Lost that has a most interesting effect on the monster's understanding of self. The monster at first identifies with Adam, "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." The monster, armed only with his limited education, thought that he would introduce himself to the cottagers and depend on their virtue and benevolence; traits he believed from his readings that all humans possessed. However, soon after his first encounter with the cottagers, he is beaten and chased off because his ugliness frightens people. The monster is overwrought by a feeling of perplexity by this reaction, since he thought he would gain their trust and love, which he observed them generously give to each other on so many occasions. He receives further confirmation of how his ugliness repels people when, sometime later, he saves a young girl from drowning and the girl's father shoots at him because he is frightful to look at. The monster quickly realizes that the books really lied to him. He found no benevolence or virtue among humans, even from his creator. At every turn in his life, humans are judging him solely based on his looks. The monster soon realizes that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he is most alike. Instead, he comes to realize that he most represents Satan. The monster is jealous of the happiness he sees humans enjoy that he has never attained for himself. The monster tells Frankenstein that he found his lab journal in his coat pocket and read it with increasing hate and despair as he came to understand what Frankenstein's intent was in creating him. The monster curses Frankenstein for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust.
Shelley's intent here is plain to see. "The fate of the monster suggests that proficiency in `the art of language' as he calls it, may not ensure one's position as a member of the `human kingdom." In a sense, she is showing that both her parents were mistaken when they advocated greater education reform for people. They thought education would make people better, which in turn would improve society for all. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein contradicts this belief.
Starting with the full title of Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus one can instantly see that mythology was integral to her book. Lord Byron, poet and friend of the Shelley's was writing a poem entitled Prometheus, and Mary was reading the Prometheus legend in Aeschylus' works when she had a dream, which was the impetus for her book. The Greek god Prometheus, is known for two important tasks that he performed, he created man from clay, and he stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The stealing of fire really angered Zeus because the giving of fire began an era of enlightenment for humankind. Zeus punished Prometheus by having him carried to a mountain, where an eagle would pick at his liver; it would grow back each day and the eagle would eat it again.
The presence of fire and light in this gothic story helps to point to the similarities to Prometheus and Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, in Shelley's book. The book uses light as a symbol of discovery, knowledge, and enlightenment. The natural world is full of hidden passages, and dark unknown scientific secrets; Victor's goal as a scientist is to grasp towards the light. Light is a by-product of fire that the monster learned quickly when he is living on his own. The monster experienced fires' duality when he first encountered it in an unattended fire in the woods. He is mesmerized by the fact that fire produces light in the darkness in the woods, but is shocked at the sensation of pain it gives him when he touches it. Victor is defiant of god in the same way that Prometheus was defiant of Zeus. Victor steals the secret of life from god and creates a human out of spare body parts. He does this out of an altruistic wish to spare humankind from the pain and suffering of death. Thus, Victor Frankenstein embodies both aspects of the Promethean myth creation and fire. Victor in a sense has the same experience with the fire of enlightenment similar to his monster; he is "burned" by the fire of enlightenment. Victor also suffers from the classic Greek tragic condition of hubris for his transgression against god and nature.
The book also adopts two other great mythic legends. One is Adam from the Bible. Victor Frankenstein bears striking resemblance to Adam and his fall from grace for eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The other is Satan, a mythic figure that Shelley admired from her readings in Milton's book Paradise Lost. In an interesting juxtaposition of booth myths, she expands on the motif of the fall from grace in her book when she portrays the monster comparing himself to Adam; after he read, Milton's book Paradise Lost. The monster tells Victor, that he at first identifies with Adam God's first creation. "I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence." However, after several incidents of mistreatment that he suffered from the humans he encountered in his travels; the monster soon realized that it is not Adam, the perfect being enjoying the world, which he was most alike. Instead, he came to realize that he most represented Satan. The monster's feelings of hatred and despair stem from the fact that humans found him grotesque to look at and would not accept him as a member of human society. The monster cursed Victor for making a creature so hideous that even his creator turned from him in disgust. Thus, it is obvious for all to see that Shelley's Frankenstein is replete with mythological references and they are central to the plot.
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.
Excellent Extras.......2006-03-03
The chronological table in the back of the book helped me situate Mary Shelley within the time of the writing of Frankenstein. Percy B. Shelley's critique of the book, published after he died, was interesting. I liked the Criticisms in the back of the book. Most of all, I loved the Being Frankenstein created. This is the saddest, most thought provoking, book I've read in recent times (even though it's old).
Frankenstein for Jolley.......2005-08-31
"Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me... I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous." This was said by none other than M. Frankenstein's monstrous creation. To me this quote sums up one of the most important themes in the book. This theme being that all life is very difficult to deal with, but we still strive to live even if times are very hard. It also throws up the question: Are we born pure and good? Because the monster says that when created he was all about being a good man, but now that he is miserable he is a bad person.
The story of Frankenstein isn't as it appears to be in most movies. M. Frankenstein learns of a way to create life, and animate an inanimate object. He spends two years putting together his creation, and finally when it is created he freaks out and leaves his laboratory. When he comes back the monster is gone. Throughout the book this monster torments him, causing him much anguish and grief. The story is about M. Frankenstein's feud with his own creation.
Mary Shelley wrote this book on a dare from Lord Byron in 1816. This was supposed to be a ghost story, even thought to me it doesn't really seem like a ghost story, but more of a story about playing god, and about life's hardships. Two of her daughters died during infancy, only one son survived. Her husband drowned while sailing in 1822. Mary Shelley died at the age of 53 in 1851.
As you can see her life was full of hardships, and loneliness. This makes a lot of sense because if you read Frankenstein you get a sense of horrid loneliness throughout the entire novel. Emotionally this book plays a toll on pity for M. Frankenstein as well as the monster. No one is happy for more than a page or two in this book, and during this rut of happiness they are constantly nagged by something in the back of their mind. It is a very good story and has a lot of very good points about life in it, but the book leaves you feeling...cold and alone.
Not Horror, But Still Good.......2005-03-19
This book is a classic novel and thus has gained a reputation due to the films about it that are completely different than the novel. Mary Shelley's own husband Percy edited and changed the writing quite a bit so this version is appealing because it is Mary's version, not Percy's.
The language of the novel flows well; it is very beautiful. Just reading the descriptions is easy to enjoy regardless of what they say because of how melodic they are.
The story itself is very simple and not as exciting as one might expect. A monster is created. His demands are not met so he destroys the life of his creator. He has motives; he speaks well; he is logical.
The monster is not the grunting green representation from the big screen. This book by modern standards is not a horror novel.
This does not hinder it; it simply changes the way a reader should begin it. It is more of a political statement that can be analyzed when contemplating modern issues like cloning. Imagine that it was written during the Romantic era! That alone is a tribute to its genius.
Read it and make your own conclusions.
Book Description
She did not only recall his conversation, but conjectured the causes of his sorrow, and felt deeply interested by the mystery that hung about him. So young and so unhappy! And he had been long so--he was more miserable when they saw him roving wildly among the Alsatian hills. What could it mean?--She strove to recollect what Miss Jervis mentioned at that time; she remembered only that he had no mother, and that his father was severe and unkind.
Download Description
She did not only recall his conversation, but conjectured the causes of his sorrow, and felt deeply interested by the mystery that hung about him. So young and so unhappy! And he had been long so--he was more miserable when they saw him roving wildly among the Alsatian hills. What could it mean?--She strove to recollect what Miss Jervis mentioned at that time; she remembered only that he had no mother, and that his father was severe and unkind.
Average customer rating:
|
Frankenstein
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Manufacturer: Yoyo USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Collections & Readers
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Formats
| Books
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| ( S )
| Autores, A-Z
| Literatura y ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Colecciones y Lectores
| Estados Unidos
| Literatura Mundial
| Literatura y ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 9584300113 |
Average customer rating:
|
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein (A Marvel Illustrated Novel)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft
| ( S )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0939766752 |
Authors:
- Shelley, Percy Bysshe
- Shepard, Aaron
- Shepard, Sam
- Shepherd, Mark
- Sheridan, Richard Brinsley
- Sherman, David
- Sherman, Josepha
- Shetterly, Will
- Shiel, M. P.
- Shields, Carol
Authors
Authors