Frankenstein

The 1831 Definitive Edition (Mary Shelley's Gothic Masterpiece with Original Preface)

Mary Shelley's definitive vision of her gothic masterpiece—the 1831 edition she revised and perfected.

In 1831, thirteen years after Frankenstein first shocked readers, Mary Shelley revisited her creation. She refined the prose, deepened Victor's tragic arc, and added something readers had long demanded: the story behind the story.

Includes Shelley's famous 1831 Preface

How does a nineteen-year-old girl come to write one of the most influential novels in history? In her preface, Shelley finally revealed the answer: a stormy summer in Geneva, a ghost-story competition with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and a waking nightmare that would become literary legend. This preface alone makes the 1831 edition essential reading.

With a new critical afterword by Henry Bugalho

This edition features an original afterword by philosopher and writer Henry Bugalho, exploring what lies beneath the novel's surface: the Promethean myth that Shelley both inherits and fractures, the three fathers who fail to protect, the creature who is never given a name, and the question the novel cannot answer—who is the real monster, the abandoned or the abandoner?

Why the 1831 text matters

This is the Frankenstein that shaped two centuries of readers, filmmakers, and writers. The edition Mary Shelley chose to represent her work. The version she revised with the wisdom of experience—smoothing rough edges, clarifying themes, transforming a brilliant first novel into a polished classic.

What's included

This carefully formatted edition presents the complete, unabridged 1831 text with the author's original preface and a critical afterword. Clean, modern formatting for comfortable reading on any device. No missing chapters, no scanning errors—just Shelley's gothic masterpiece as she intended it to be read.

Perfect for:

• Readers experiencing Frankenstein for the first time
• Students seeking the most widely taught edition
• Fans of gothic fiction, horror classics, and Romantic literature
• Anyone curious about how Mary Shelley created her monster—and what she was really saying

Two centuries later, the questions Shelley raised remain urgent: What do we owe to what we create? What makes a monster? And who is the real villain of this story?

Read the edition Mary Shelley called her own.