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 >
Publisher's summary
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.
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Related to this topic
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Frankenstein
- The Modern Prometheus
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Mark Nelson
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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During the rainy summer of 1816, the "Year Without a Summer", the world was locked in a long cold volcanic winter caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Mary Shelley, aged 18, and her lover (and later husband) Percy Bysshe Shelley, visited Lord Byron at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was consistently too cold and dreary that summer to enjoy the outdoor holiday activities they had planned, so the group retired indoors until dawn.
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A must read/listen
- By R. Daly on 11-13-23
By: Mary Shelley
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The Vampyre
- By: John Polidori
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Young, impressionable Aubrey is fascinated by the enigmatic Lord Ruthven, and accompanies him on a tour to Europe. But Aubrey develops a growing distaste for Lord Ruthven’s sinister and grotesque conduct - especially as it concerns human blood. This novella, penned during that tempestuous night in Switzerland amongst such notables as Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, served as the great inspiration for Bram Stoker to create Dracula.
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Kicking it oldschool
- By Rebecca on 08-13-12
By: John Polidori
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The Mysteries of Udolpho
- By: Ann Ward Radcliffe
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
This was the most popular novel of Radcliffe's time; Radcliffe's portrayal of her heroine's inner life raised the Gothic romance to a new level. The atmosphere of fear and the gripping plot continue to thrill today. This is the story of the orphaned Emily St Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the Castle of Udolpho by her aunt's new husband Montoni. Here she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors which threaten to overwhelm her.
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Thank You, Audible
- By Joyce on 07-21-12
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The Last Man
- By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
- Narrated by: Matt Bates, Anna Bentinck
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.
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A great book, with a great story.
- By Stephen P. Suelzle on 10-01-16
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This Dark Endeavor
- The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 1
- By: Kenneth Oppel
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures... until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library....
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Chilling and oddly poignant
- By Debra on 10-23-11
By: Kenneth Oppel
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The Sorrows of Young Werther
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Werther, a sensitive young artist, finds himself in Wahlheim, a quiet, attractive village in Germany where he seeks solace from the turmoils of love. It is a young spring, and he hopes that arcadian solitude will prove a genial balm to his mind. But his romantic tendency rules otherwise, and he falls in love with Charlotte - Lotte - even though he knows she is affianced to another.
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Great performance for a classical story.
- By Brandon Shaw on 09-15-17
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Frankenstein
- The Modern Prometheus
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Mark Nelson
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the rainy summer of 1816, the "Year Without a Summer", the world was locked in a long cold volcanic winter caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. Mary Shelley, aged 18, and her lover (and later husband) Percy Bysshe Shelley, visited Lord Byron at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The weather was consistently too cold and dreary that summer to enjoy the outdoor holiday activities they had planned, so the group retired indoors until dawn.
-
-
A must read/listen
- By R. Daly on 11-13-23
By: Mary Shelley
-
The Vampyre
- By: John Polidori
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young, impressionable Aubrey is fascinated by the enigmatic Lord Ruthven, and accompanies him on a tour to Europe. But Aubrey develops a growing distaste for Lord Ruthven’s sinister and grotesque conduct - especially as it concerns human blood. This novella, penned during that tempestuous night in Switzerland amongst such notables as Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, served as the great inspiration for Bram Stoker to create Dracula.
-
-
Kicking it oldschool
- By Rebecca on 08-13-12
By: John Polidori
-
The Mysteries of Udolpho
- By: Ann Ward Radcliffe
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 31 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This was the most popular novel of Radcliffe's time; Radcliffe's portrayal of her heroine's inner life raised the Gothic romance to a new level. The atmosphere of fear and the gripping plot continue to thrill today. This is the story of the orphaned Emily St Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the Castle of Udolpho by her aunt's new husband Montoni. Here she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors which threaten to overwhelm her.
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Thank You, Audible
- By Joyce on 07-21-12
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The Last Man
- By: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
- Narrated by: Matt Bates, Anna Bentinck
- Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Man is Mary Shelley's apocalyptic fantasy of the end of human civilisation. Set in the late 21st century, the novel unfolds a sombre and pessimistic vision of mankind confronting inevitable destruction. Interwoven with her futuristic theme, Mary Shelley incorporates idealised portraits of Shelley and Byron, yet rejects Romanticism and its faith in art and nature.
-
-
A great book, with a great story.
- By Stephen P. Suelzle on 10-01-16
-
This Dark Endeavor
- The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 1
- By: Kenneth Oppel
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures... until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library....
-
-
Chilling and oddly poignant
- By Debra on 10-23-11
By: Kenneth Oppel
-
The Sorrows of Young Werther
- By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Werther, a sensitive young artist, finds himself in Wahlheim, a quiet, attractive village in Germany where he seeks solace from the turmoils of love. It is a young spring, and he hopes that arcadian solitude will prove a genial balm to his mind. But his romantic tendency rules otherwise, and he falls in love with Charlotte - Lotte - even though he knows she is affianced to another.
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Great performance for a classical story.
- By Brandon Shaw on 09-15-17
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The Monk
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- Narrated by: Nigel Carrington
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The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.
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An Overwritten, Oddly Compelling Gothic Father
- By Jefferson on 01-01-17
By: Matthew Lewis
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Two Horror Classics: Frankenstein and Dracula
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- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 28 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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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
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- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, Georgina Sutton
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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
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- 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
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- 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
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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.
By: Harriet Wilson
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The Scarlet Letter
- By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
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- 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
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- 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)
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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)
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- 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)
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- 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
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- 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
What listeners say about Frankenstein
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Cristian Macias
- 05-05-20
1831 version
For anyone curious, this is the 1831 version of the text and not the original 1818 (which I think is the superior version)
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20 people found this helpful
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- Jes_074
- 01-02-15
Unlike any movie
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.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Joshua Torres
- 06-13-20
Dan Stevens is perfect!
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.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Dave
- 06-17-21
not what I was expecting!
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!
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3 people found this helpful
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- ilene
- 06-14-18
SUPERB
Excellent narration and beautiful poetic writing. It’s not what you may expect-it’s amazing. Don’t miss it.
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2 people found this helpful
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- The Walking Dude
- 07-20-18
A great classic that has flaws
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.
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- Wild Wise Woman
- 12-18-15
A perfect take on an old favorite
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!
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- Xine Segalas
- 10-11-21
Everyone Should Listen to this
Wow, wow, wow - How did I not read this in high-school? or college?!
EVERYBODY should read this book - required life reading. Forget the Hollywood version of this book and the "Monster". So deep, Mary Shelley is amazing and the themes that she dives deep into - family, isolation, society, ambition, revenge, prejudice...nevermind that this was first published in 1818, EVERYTHING still holds up in the 21st century.
The narrator, Dan Stevens does an amazing job!
One of the best books ever!
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- Heather
- 04-02-21
beauty
no other incantation of Frankenstein or his creation has ever come close to the heartfelt description within the original tale.
no other take on the creation monster as it may be has given it the credit view as in this original was given.
Dan Stevens inflexion of the voice of each character was an absolute amazing listen
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-02-21
Fantastic
I was quickly drawn into the story not knowing much about the original piece of work. Highly entertaining and incredible that this was written over 200 years ago.
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