"Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus" (AKA "Frankenstein") was originally written by English author, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. It was first published anonymously in London on January 1, 1818. The second edition, under Shelley's name, was published in 1823. A third edition, which included a preface by Shelley and tribute to her late husband who drowned in 1822, was published in 1831. The book is a Gothic novel and has also been called the first ever science fiction novel. An English literature masterpiece not to be missed.
"Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus" tells the story of the scientist Victor Frankenstein, who, driven by an obsession with the secret of life, animates a monstrous body. The results are disastrous, bringing woe to the monster and to Frankenstein and his loved ones. Though the monster initially seeks affection, the monster inspires loathing in everyone who meets it. Lonely and miserable, the monster turns upon its creator, who eventually loses his life.
"Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus" raises many compelling themes and thought-provoking questions and is as relevant today as it was two-hundred years ago.
The search for love reflects a strong theme in Shelley's own life. The monster knows he is horrid and will never be loved, although he attempts to find love several times. He is constantly rejected and disappointed. Frankenstein, himself, searches for happiness through love, but he meets with the tragic loss of several loves.
Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, who was an early feminist. Tragic, weak, women are portrayed in the story -- Frankenstein actually begins to make a second female monster, to provide companionship for his own first creation, but he then destroys it and dumps the remains in a lake.
The novel also speaks to the nature of good and evil, what it means to be human and to live morally. It confronts us with our existential fears and explores the boundary between life and death. It causes us to reflect on the limits and responsibilities of scientists and scientific inquiry, and to think about what it means to play God, addressing human emotion and hubris.
