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Book Description
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. 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 but; 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 bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises rofound, 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? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

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I read this for a modern novel English class in College. This is actually a great story - much better (and very different!) from any movie rendition I have seen. There is a whole other side to the story of the "monster" and this is pretty much an essential read of classic fiction.
Mary Shelley did a good job writing a narrative within a narrative - beginning with a letter (which is an interesting way to start a story in first person) - and continuing with the monster's perspective. Her writing brought me back in time. What amazed me also was the work that she and her husband, ... Continue
Mary Shelley did a good job writing a narrative within a narrative - beginning with a letter (which is an interesting way to start a story in first person) - and continuing with the monster's perspective. Her writing brought me back in time. What amazed me also was the work that she and her husband, Percy Shelly, shared. Also, her references to Milton's "Paradise Lost" gave me an interest in looking at his work as well.
Shelley's monster in this book is an excellent surprise to meet, as opposed to the bastardized version the villian portrayed in current pop culture. Her creation is worlds more terrifying than the glorified zombie we see lumbering around today.