Great way to get through a classic

Frankenstein is such a classic but I was reluctant to read this after reading Dracula and hating it. When I saw this edition with Dan Stevens as narrator I took the plunge. It was a little slow to start, taking the form of an epistolary novel with no mention of either Frankenstein or the monster, but I persevered. I was really absorbed in the plot and Stevens voice is very easy to listen to. He also gave distinct voices to the main three narrators so it was easy to keep track of who was talking in the audio format after I stopped listening and restarted.
Highly recommend reading this sci fi classic in this format.

7 people found this helpful

Old school obviously

You may find it slow, narrator was good but I speed it up to ×1.3 and found it easier to listen to like that. otherwise it's a book that should be on a bucket list.

3 people found this helpful

Great listen. Do not listen if you feel guilty.

Frankenstein is overwhelmed with anguish and agony, feeling the weight of the abomination he has created and set loose among his fellow men. Do not listen if you are feeling the weight of anxiety or guilt.

2 people found this helpful

Tragic

The greatest book ever written. The most tragic story ever told. A great performance. So wonderful.

1 person found this helpful

A Wonderful Rendition

The changes in accents were a pleasant surprise, they made a vast difference, especially in such a narrative style as Shelley’s. Shelley is a master of words amd Stevens’ performance does those words justice.

1 person found this helpful

Freakily Fascinating

The invention of a genre is always an interesting read.

Mary Shelley's classic, and the worlds first, science fiction novel is brought to life by the animated and enthralling voice of Dan Stevens. His characterisation is involved but does not go into the silly or stupid. You are never yanked out of the stories captivating grasp, but encouraged to lose yourself in the story and the characters.

A classic read with passion.

1 person found this helpful

dont waste your time

Frankenstein is an over hyped joke of a book, its not honestly qorth the time.

gothic classic.

i love everything about this book and have physically read it a few times. the audiobook is just as good and the narrator did excellent, particularly with the creations voice. the classic gothic themes, the arctic and mountain settings, the torment between creation abondoned and outcast nd creator whose life and family are destroyed by his hubris. just great

A wonderful performance of a great gothic tragedy

Victor Frankenstein has all of the characteristics of a tragic hero. A brilliant young man, he harnesses his intellect and endurance to go beyond what previous scientists achieved. His scientific journey takes him through the alchemy of Agrippa and Paracelsus, a man who sought to combine medicine and magic, finally arriving at a passionate dedication to the study of Natural Philosophy. The philosophy of physics.

Victor's search for the spark of life leads him to the realisation of his dream, the creation of Frankenstein's monster. A woebegone creature that immediately fills Victor with revulsion, marking the reversal of fortunes for him. The tale winds through several countries as Victor and his monster play out their tragedy destroying the lives of Victor's friends, family and his beloved cousin, Elizabeth.

Dr Victor Frankenstein

Dr Frankenstein is not the man of later monster movies. Not the mad scientist with his sidekick Ygor, added later by Mel Brooks in 1974. There are no lightning or lightning rods and no bride of Frankenstein. No, Mary Shelly's novel is all about Victor Frankenstein, and Victor is a despicable character. A tragic hero overflowing with hubris fatally flawed by selfishness.

As an indulged child he was the focus of his mother's attention, prompting his own lifelong selfishness. His mother even brought his cousin, Elizabeth, to live with them ostensibly to raise her from her family's peasant lifestyle. However, on her deathbed, she reveals her hopes that Victor and his cousin would be a romantic match.

Victor was passionate about alchemy. Once he finds a teacher who appreciates the path he has taken and can ignite his educational passion, helping him to bridge the gap between alchemy and science. While his narcissistic view of his intellect may be justified, it is at University that his self-confidence spills over into arrogance. In his hubris, Victor believes that only he would dare to ask the questions that others won't and that only he had the burning flame of genius to discover the source of life through chemistry and anatomy.

Yet, on achieving his life's pursuit, Frankenstein is immediately disgusted by his awakening monster, the point his fortunes reverse. All of the things that had driven him to this point suddenly became the flaws that drag him to his doom. Ever the indulged child, Victor immediately makes it all about him. Instead of confronting his creation, he runs from it. He refuses to take responsibility for his creation throughout the book.

Moreover, he regularly throws himself at the mercy of friends and family, repeatedly falling into exhaustion or illness taking weeks or months to recuperate. This self-centeredness is evident from the beginning of the book. Revealingly, his cousin Elizabeth first steals his heart when she puts aside her feelings about the death of her Aunt, Victor's mother, to care for the men in the family.

A Life Lived in Selfishness

This theme continues throughout the book. Victor is a man hiding a dreadful secret he dares not share out of fear that others won't believe him and the shame of creating his monster. His reluctance to face his responsibilities leads directly to the death of all his close friends and family. Each time there is a chance for him to take responsibility he hides from it.

It is the death of the love of his life, Elisabeth, that is striking. After being told by the monster that he would be with him on his wedding night, Frankenstein tells his future bride that he will reveal his dark secret the day after the wedding. Fantasising instead that he would fight a heroic battle with the monster. The arrogance that propels him doesn't contemplate the consequences of losing.

The Ending

When narrating his childhood, he states that “natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate.” , refusing to see his responsibility. It is only after losing his family that Victor finally begins to struggle with his responsibility for creating the creature and therefore responsible for its actions.

His attempt to make amends drive him to pursue the monster across deserts and ice. Finally confesses his story to Robert Walton, captain of a ship in the Arctic Circle before being killed by his monster.

Pacing and Language

The book moves relatively quickly and is highly readable. It has large descriptive passages of scenery, landscapes, and comparisons of Scotland and Switzerland. In the audiobook, the prose is enjoyable but it lacks the immersive experience of reading. The language is the English of the time and enjoyable. Every time someone leaves a room they are said to have "quitted" the room. It is easy to read and is written in simple sentences, though descriptive.

Worthwhile?

Like a lot of great classic literature, the characters are well thought out on a psychological level. The framework of the tragic hero allows the depth of character development of Victor. It also places his monster as a tragic villain driven by a deep sense of revenge and envy. The monster comes to revel in his villainy and has come to treat it as a poetic art form.

I sincerely recommend it to anyone who is on a journey through the great books, I will likely return to it again.

great narration

I can't fault the writing of this book. Although it's quite an old text, it has aged very well and was quite accessible. Brilliantly written and very ahead of its time. The narration is also excellent. The only reason I removed a star is because the characters make me angry. Frankenstein's monster is a total incel and both the monster and Frankenstein himself are total assholes who shun responsibility whenever possible. Ugh. Did not enjoy spending time with these repugnant characters.