Horror Annotation

Horror Annotation

Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley     

Title: Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus

ISBN: 9780141439471

Genre: Classics; Horror Fiction, Science Fiction, Gothic Fiction

Publication Date: January 1818

Number of Pages: 280 p.

Other Formats: eBook, Audiobook, Large Type

Geographical Setting: Geneva, Switzerland; England; Scotland; The Northern Ice; The Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt

Time Period: 1770-1799 (Late 18^th Century)

Subject Headings:

Ethics

Frankenstein’s Monster

Grief in Men

Guilt in Men

Mad Scientist (Concept)

Monsters

Murder

Regeneration (Biology)

Revenge

Scientists

Self-Control

Social Acceptance

Plot Summary: Frankenstein is written through a series of letters that begins with Captain Robert Walton, who is writing letters to his sister, Margaret Walton Saville. Captain Walton describes a massive, looming figure he has spotted on a voyage, and the subsequent rescue of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein by Walton and his crew. Frankenstein shares his story and his hunt for the giant man to the Captain. Frankenstein reveals his past, including his childhood, scientific experiments and his ultimate creation - his 'monster.' Frankenstein's interactions with the monster are detailed throughout the book. When Victor has concluded his story, Captain Walton picks up, giving the reader a more detailed account of grotesque and unfortunate events that have transpired. 

Appeal

Pacing: Measured

Story: Interrelated Stories, Flashbacks

Characters: Faceted, Multiple Points of View

Setting: Detailed, Vivid, Past and Present

Language: Journalistic

Tone: Atmosphere, Moody; Thought-Provoking; Emotional; Tragic; Fatalistic

Graphic Meter: Clean

Framing: Epistolary, Eighteenth Century Europe

Writing Style: Descriptive

Lexile: 140

Read-Alikes

Fiction

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

Genre: Gothic Fiction, Horror Fiction

Writing Style: Compelling, Descriptive

This menacing classic introduces readers to another monster: Dracula. 

The Historian

By Elizabeth Kostova

Genre: Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror Fiction

Writing Style: Compelling, Richly Detailed, Complex

This fast-paced, creepy and suspenseful read tells the story of an Americal girl who investigates Vlad the Impaler.

The Turn of the Screw

By Henry James

Genre: Gothic Fiction, Classics, Horror Fiction

Writing Style: Stylistically Complex

This moody, psychological novel features ghosts, orphans, and a remote country house - sure to give readers the chills!

Nonfiction

Frankenstein: A Cultural History

By Susan Tyler Hitchcock

Genre: Arts and Entertainment

Writing Style: Accessible, Engaging and Scholarly

This is a lighthearted history of Frankenstein that would make a great nonfiction companion piece for readers of the classic. 

Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts

By Emily Anthes

Genre: Science Writing

Writing Style: Engaging

This thought-provoking recent title is a great jumping-off point for readers intrigued by the concepts put forth in Shelley's novel.

The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece

By Roseanne Montillo

Genre: Arts and Entertainment; Biographies

Writing Style: Compelling

This disturbing literary creation explores the world of Shelley and similar authors, scientists and occultists. 

Read The Book - For Free! http://www.literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/

Reader User Reviews from GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18490.Frankenstein