Frankenstein the Original 1818 Text

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus—presented here in its original 1818 text—remains one of the most influential and haunting novels ever written. Conceived during a stormy night of imagination in 1816, Shelley’s tale of ambition, creation, and consequence gave birth to the modern myth of the scientist who plays God. In this first edition, readers encounter Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant yet tormented young man who brings a living creature into the world—only to recoil in horror from his own creation. What follows is a gripping journey of revenge, isolation, and the search for meaning in a world torn between reason and passion. Unaltered and unabridged, the 1818 version captures the raw power and philosophical depth of Shelley’s original vision—a story not only of gothic terror, but of human responsibility and the perilous pursuit of knowledge. View Less