Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus Audiobook By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley cover art

Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

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Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus

By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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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 Tantor Classics Fairy Tales Fantasy Fiction Horror Scary Magic Science Fiction Paranormal Modern British Fiction

Editorial reviews

Simon Vance narrates this no-frills production of what is widely regarded as the first science-fiction novel ever published. This classic horror story may be one of the most oft-recorded novels of all time, but this version is certainly a fine one. In fact, it's hard to imagine one better. Simon Vance's regal English accent provides the perfect tone for this early-nineteenth-century moral exploration of mankind's use of knowledge. Mary Shelley wrote this novel which may surprise those whose experience with the story is only from movies. Nearly two hundred years later, it is still thoughtful and completely worthwhile.

Critic reviews

"A novel which excites new reflections and untried sources of emotion." (Walter Scott, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine)
Beautiful Writing • Compelling Story • Excellent Narration • Eloquent Monster • Thought-provoking Themes

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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.

Get ready to be depressed!

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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!”

Not much in common with the movies

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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.

A book for the ages

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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

GREAT STORY

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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.

Most know the story, few know the beauty

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