A sea captain looking for excitement and adventure discovers something otherworldly, fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
Stuck in the ice in the Far North of the world, he writes letters to his sister Margaret, never knowing whether she will ever see them. His wonder and horror begins with the sight of a dog sled far in the distance, with a huge man aboard.
To his amazement, another man is found on the ice, nearly frozen to death, and rambling about a monster. He must tell his story, and the captain is willing to hear it.
Victor Frankenstein is the man’s name, and he begun his life with wealth and happiness. He had two brothers, and a close friend named Elizabeth who was adopted into the family. He tells the captain of his early life then his time as a medical student. He had read many books about the wonders of life and a particular author had helped spark an idea in him. Could he himself make life?
After years of almost manic work, the result is a creature that Victor flees from the night it breathes for the first time. He spends years running from his creation, only to lose loved ones to the madness it brings to his life.
The monster itself has a story to tell, and one day Victor is forced to hear it. The monster had to learn everything about what it is to live – completely on his own. From the warmth of the sun on his face, and the sound of birds, to the fear and hatred forced upon him by anyone who lay their eyes upon him.
Victor and his monster both have a need to make the other suffer, and in their desperation, their lives are soon controlled by their mutual hate. They find themselves on the ice, near the North Pole, telling a sea captain their story…..
Frankenstein is a story within a story within a story. It’s the first Gothic Horror tale (1818) to fascinate the world, and has been made into movies, comics, tv shows, and all manner of media. In fact, film has introduced its own concepts which have been readily accepted into the tale.
(eg. There is no mention of electricity, or use of lightning to animate the monster in the original novel)
Its author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley has a fascinating background story herself, along with how her novel Frankenstein was written.
Both author and creation have heartbreaking lives, and many have studied the connections.
Although I have multiple copies of Frankenstein, and also novels that have branched off from the original narrative, this Mina Lima version captured my attention all over again with its stunning art and special features of pop-ups, fold out maps, a treasured locket and more.
Frankenstein is a classic for a reason – it’s a captivating story of love, loss, passion and horror. A tale of fathers and sons. And the ensuing question that remains. Who was the real monster in this story?
Author – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Age – 14+
Find more Classic Horror here
Publisher – Harper Collins
Special edition – Mina Lima
Set – 18th Century Europe – Geneva, Swiss Alps, England, Scotland, Germany, Mont Blanc
Viewpoint – 1st person
Historical / Fantasy / Horror
(1818 (Original), 2025, Historical, Gothic Horror, Classic, Sea Captain, Medical Science, Laboratory, Experiments, Monster, Reanimate, Body Parts, Abandonment, Grief, Loss, Murder, Guilt, Friendship, Love, Doctor, Stories)