Frankenstein Audiobook By Mary Shelley cover art

Frankenstein

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Frankenstein

By: Mary Shelley
Narrated by: Dan Stevens
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Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Male, 2013

Audie Award Finalist, Classic, 2013

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.

Public Domain (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Classics Horror Women's Voices Heartfelt Scary Funny Inspiring Witty Suspenseful Emotionally Gripping British Literature

Editorial review


By Haley Hill, Audible Editor

MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN IS AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GRIEVING THE DEAD CREATIVELY

I was muscling through a difficult breakup and grieving the loss of my grandmother, who had passed away in the summer before my senior year of college, so I felt more than a little overwhelmed by the idea of writing my English department thesis that fall semester. Towards the end of September, when I still had not managed to select a research topic for my paper, my brilliant advisor, who knew that I was both fascinated with Gothic literature and rapidly running out of time, handed me her copy of Frankenstein, and gently urged me to read it over the course of a couple days. Frankly, she did not have to ask me twice to devour the classic with urgency.

I have always been a fan of the macabre, so I figured a story about a mad scientist who robs graves for body parts in order to sew together a creature would be right up my alley. That being said, I was immediately blown away by how many thrilling and thought-provoking layers comprise Mary Shelley’s iconic novel.

Of all the fascinating questions that Frankenstein raises, its most infamous has to be: Who is the monster, and who is the man? (That’s in addition to the notorious confusion around who the title refers to; Frankenstein is named for the monster’s creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, while his creation is simply referred to in the text as "The Creature," a choice that makes sorting out protagonist from antagonist all the more challenging.) The story is as much about corruption as it is about creation, and listening to Victor and his creature narrate their two perspectives while simultaneously making each other’s lives a living hell proves just that. What makes this story so essential is just how difficult it will always be to sympathize with one character entirely over the other.

A less frequently discussed fact about Frankenstein is that is an epistolary novel, making it perfect for audio! The story is bookended by letters that Robert Walton, a seafaring explorer in search of the North Pole, writes to his worried sister, in which he relays Victor Frankenstein’s shocking confession, which the scientist shares after being rescued aboard his ship. However, despite the riveting attention to detail within Walton’s letters, he ultimately leaves listeners with a question that I find just as fascinating as the last. Will he heed Frankenstein’s saga as a cautionary tale and reconsider following his own ambitions to the literal end of the Earth?

Continue reading Haley's review >

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Philosophical Depth • Complex Characters • Beautiful Prose • Emotional Impact • Perfect Pacing • Technical Excellence

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Dan Stevens was phenomenal. One of my favorite narrators. I had never read Frankenstein before and this was the best way. All the characters were so alive.

Dan Stevens is perfect!

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I’ve seen many movies concerning Frankenstein and how it all happened. Be best are the 1920's and 1930’s movies just because the special effects weren’t that good. It’s also because of the simplistic nature of the movies then. In the 1990’s another movie came out that was more to the book, but in the end not as good.

I read this to find out the true story and see what really happened as a result of a bet a century ago. Now I know and if you want to know the truth you should read this book and enjoy it as I did.

Unlike any movie

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Wow, the movies give you the totally wrong idea of what this story is about. I will never look at a Frankenstein costume the same ever again!

not what I was expecting!

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First let me say that this book is an indispensable classic that everyone should read. Next I’d like to say that the idea that a 19-20 year old wrote this indispensable classic is mind boggling.
And yet....
It’s so melodramatic that it verges on comedic. And that Victor Frankenstein. You’d think that a guy who had figured out how to reanimate corpses wouldn’t be quite so thick. I kind of felt empathy for him, but he’s just such a narcissistic creep. I also almost felt empathy for the monster, but he’s pretty kill happy. Things go bad for him, and he’s pretty quick to strangle. Hard to feel too warmly toward a guy like that. He’s such a loose canon.
I say these things not to disparage a great book that countless authors owe a huge debt to, but to caution people who haven’t read this book yet to temper their expectations. Try to sift the unsatisfying bits out, and you will see the amazing work that this book truly is.

A great classic that has flaws

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I have read this book numerous times in the past 40 years, but not for the past decade. Listening to this performance was a wonderful choice; Dan Steven's voice is absolutely perfect, particularly when voicing the delicate pathos of The Creature. I'm very pleased!

A perfect take on an old favorite

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