Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
A full-color graphic novel adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, pairing the original novel text with vivid illustrations for classroom study and independent reading.
Conceived as part of a literary game among friends in 1816, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is now regarded as a classic work of nineteenth-century literature. The story begins with the journey of adventurer Robert Walton, who saves the life of a man at the North Pole. That man is Victor Frankenstein, who tells Walton about his experiments with the creation of life and how those experiments led him to the Arctic.
Through this layered narrative, Shelley explores serious real-world issues including acceptance, tolerance, understanding, companionship, love, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. This Original Text edition retains much of Shelley’s original dialogue while using full-color sequential artwork to support classroom study, independent reading, and guided discussion.
Slightly abridged for the graphic novel format, this adaptation remains true to Shelley’s vision while helping readers follow the novel’s gothic atmosphere, moral questions, and enduring themes.
*Frankenstein: The Graphic Novel: Original Text. ISBN 978-1-906332-49-5.
illus. by Declan Shalvey.
While remaining true to the spirit of Shelley’s famous work, this adaptation allows readers to have it their way, savoring this horror classic with either the “Original Text,” or the “Quick Text,” a simplified abridgement. More than a straightforward retelling, this edition invites readers to explore important social issues such as alienation, the consequences and ethics of scientific studies, as well as the nature of creation and destruction. Rich and lustrous artwork remains the same in both versions. Bucolic mountainsides and charming villages are rendered in a classical European painting style. In stark contrast, horrific elements are depicted with grotesque angular figures in monochromatic tones. Excellent lettering enhances the narrative without distracting from the images. An especially nice feature is the use of boldface to highlight key words and phrases. A table of contents, based on the original three-volume edition, helps readers follow the story’s progression. Back matter includes a biography of Shelley, a description of the novel’s origin and history, and a clear description of comic-page creation for this remarkable edition. Reluctant readers who start with the “Quick Text” will probably be enticed to try the “Original Text” and continue to explore this exquisite rendition of a gothic classic.
—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
School Library Journal, May 2009