Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus

Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus
Frankenstein Or the Modern Prometheus
Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Mary Shelley, Maurice Hindle (Editor)
The Market's bargain prices are even better for Paperbackswap club members!
Retail Price: $9.00
Buy New (Paperback): $9.19 (save -2%) or
Become a PBS member and pay $5.29+1 PBS book credit Help icon(save 41%)
ISBN-13: 9780141439471
ISBN-10: 0141439475
Publication Date: 5/2003
Pages: 273
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 39

3.4 stars, based on 39 ratings
Publisher: Penguin Books
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

41 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 44 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I am a literature major and I have read, analyzed and studied this book and also taught it! I love it. This book is packed full of themes and ideas and a very insightful look at human nature. This is not an easy read but instead one meant to be studied, savored and enjoyed. Highly Recommended!!!!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 61 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
What can I say,,it is a classic!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved reading and teaching this book with my upperclassmen. It's an excellent book!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
If you only know of Frankenstein from the movies and have never read the book you are in for a treat. There is SO much more to the story. Excellent.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This wasn't what I expected...it was actually much better!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 296 more book reviews
Most have read this book at one time or another, but it really isn't a horror story, but more about the human condition and about people being unkind to those that differ from them.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on
Now Age illustrated paperback, about 60 pages black and white comic-type presentation. Last page has several vocabulary words to know and several study questions to check comprehension. Great book for reluctant middle school reader
knittymama avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 424 more book reviews
Was a great story, but I found some parts could have been expanded and other parts were too wordy. Still a great classic.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on
The book is unabridged with annotations. The annotations help greatly with the references she makes to other books and her husbands work.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 23 more book reviews
This classic has been retold for younger readers.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 11 more book reviews
A classic, of course ... if you didn't read this in school, read it now!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 9 more book reviews
This is a classic. Enough said.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 31 more book reviews
"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." This book just increases my love for science fiction.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 206 more book reviews
Classic tale of horror and suspense.
Complete and unabridged.
JML avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 153 more book reviews
My 9 year old son likes the story of Frankenstein, and said this book was okay, but they ended it with the death of Victor Frankenstein, and he knows there's more. My son didn't feel this was scary, so it would be a good introduction of the story to a young but advanced reader.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 3352 more book reviews
This 1965 edition of the 1831 classic includes an introduction written by Mary Shelley for the first edition. This is the story of Victor Frankenstein and the havoc caused by his monstrous alter ego.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 175 more book reviews
GREAT CLASSIC, BETTER THAN THE MOVIEW
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 35 more book reviews
A Must Read!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 18 more book reviews
Sealed new cassettes of book!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 1217 more book reviews
Mary Shelley's classic novel with 8 pages of photographs in the center of the book from the Kenneth Branagh film in which he starred along with Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm, Tom Hulce, John Cleese and Robert De Niro.
mishkaness avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on
The photo shown for this book is for another book completely--this is merely an abridged edition of Frankenstein for young (aged 9-13) readers; it does NOT include anything by Stephen King, Dracula, nor Jekyll and Hyde. It only has Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, abridged by Dale Bick Carlson.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 18 more book reviews
Not as Horror-y as I had imagined, slow moving and moving, HAHA. Would reccomend this for people who like classic Lit rather than stuff Steven King writes.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 8 more book reviews
classic horror seems much better than most new stuff, in my opinion.
Alameda avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 336 more book reviews
1818 version - classic.
WhiskeyBat avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 28 more book reviews
A classic!
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 7 more book reviews
The book of Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 33 more book reviews
A classic must read.
dragoneyes avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 847 more book reviews
I guess I based my presumption of this book on all the movies. Frankenstein is not the creature who I thought he was. I found myself feeling sorry for him. Wishing that someone would reach out to him. Mary Shelley left it to your imagination on really what he looked like. I enjoyed this portion to. The book was exquisitely written. I felt I was actually transported to this era. Enjoyed it very much.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 54 more book reviews
Cover has a shadowed, stone entryway on it.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 11 more book reviews
I had never read this before and I really enjoyed the original story of Frankenstein and discovering who the true "monster" is in Shelley's telling, as opposed to the Hollywood and monster movie interpretations.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 2 more book reviews
This is my second copy of this wonderful classic. While I love this book, I don't need 2. This book has a crack down the spine.
acton avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 17 more book reviews
This was repetitive. Same language, same justifications from Victor. Victor is so unlikable. Not much to enjoy.
iswap avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on
you've seen the movies..... now forget everything you saw and read the book.
Completely different story that what I was expecting.

When you read the first few pages ( i call it chasing Frankenstein) you will realize that this is not like the movies.

I know it is cliche to say this.... but it is really true in this case.
Happy reading
Acknud avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 82 more book reviews
I am not sure why there is such a "hype" about "classic lit". I was sorely disappointed in the pace and narrative of this tale. I guess I expected it to be somewhat like the movie version and it was not.
confuzzledbooks avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 487 more book reviews
Scientist Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with finding a way to reanimate human life after death. After he successfully fulfills his desire he immediately regrets it, condemning the new horrific life form to live in hiding. As Frankenstein's new monster learns to understand those around him and his own existence he begins to hate his creator. The monster enacts revenge on Victor by taking away those he loves, only stopping if the doctor does what the monster asks for.

The very start of the book reminded me of Moby Dick, at least the little I read of it. Victor Frankenstein obsession with creating life is very much like Ahab's obsession with finding the whale. Then the middle of the book was like The Picture Of Dorian Grey which a book I really liked and very much about doing good or evil and how it affects those around yourself. It ends again like Moby Dick as Victor new obsession directs him. The middle of the book had me interested because it is really a discussion on what being human is or could be, and regret. Actually, it is about even more than that so much you could a book about and people probably have.

I for one not a fan of the scenes where Dr. Frankenstein was channeling Ahab from Moby Dick. His obsession is part of the reason I couldn't finish Moby Dick. Luckily Frankenstein is much shorter than Moby Dick.

I am glad I took the time to read this. It is a book that is so much different than what the movies and tv have done. In fact, there is so much difference in the movies I am really curious why or how they came up with things...like the character Igor...no where in the book. The monster having a square head and bolts on the neck...nope not in the book. I am not a big fan of most classics but this one that I did enjoy.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 160 more book reviews
Absolutely Amazing! The book is literally 1,000 times better than any movie adaption. My favorite novel to date.

"At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science." - from back cover
demolitionlovers avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 12 more book reviews
I rushed towards her, and embraced her with ardour; but the deadly langour and coldness of the limbs told me, that what I now held in my arms had ceased to be the Elizabeth whom I loved and cherished. The murderous mark of the fiend's grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 58 more book reviews
Very Good
Kibi avatar reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 582 more book reviews
Amazon.com
Frankenstein, loved by many decades of readers and praised by such eminent literary critics as Harold Bloom, seems hardly to need a recommendation. If you haven't read it recently, though, you may not remember the sweeping force of the prose, the grotesque, surreal imagery, and the multilayered doppelgänger themes of Mary Shelley's masterpiece. As fantasy writer Jane Yolen writes of this (the reviewer's favorite) edition, "The strong black and whites of the main text [illustrations] are dark and brooding, with unremitting shadows and stark contrasts. But the central conversation with the monster--who owes nothing to the overused movie image but is rather the novel's charnel-house composite--is where [Barry] Moser's illustrations show their greatest power ... The viewer can all but smell the powerful stench of the monster's breath as its words spill out across the page. Strong book-making for one of the world's strongest and most remarkable books."
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on
It should be noted that this edition of Frankenstein is in FRENCH.
reviewed Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus on + 7 more book reviews
great book. my copy is slightly water damaged but is still in good shape and definitely readable.