“There never was a wilder story imagined,” wrote one reviewer on the first publication of Frankenstein in 1818. What is perhaps most extraordinary is that Mary Shelley’s novel, capable of producing shock and terror in its unprepared readers, was the work of a young woman of 18. Few works of fiction have had as much influence on the world as this haunting tale of a monster and its creator: the prophetic power of the novel’s imagery in reflecting the dehumanising effects of science, technology, business and the mass media has never abated. Josie Billington looks at why the novel matters so much and why, after 200 years, its message is still so powerful. . All you need to know about Mary's Shelly's Frankenstein is in this advanced guide to the text. Connell Guides are advanced guide books that offer sophisticated analysis and broad critical perspectives for higher-level GCSE and A Level English Literature students. Written by leading academics, Connell Guides are clear, concise and beautifully designed to help students understand, and enjoy, great works of literature. They are perfect for coursework, revision and exam preparation. Connell Guides are also great reads themselves scholarly, yet approachable and entertaining. ISBN-paperback: 978-1-907776-57-1 Contents Introduction A Summary of the plot What is the novel about? What kind of novel is Frankenstein? Who is telling the story? Is Victor Frankenstein a hero? Is Victor Frankenstein a monster? In what ways is Frankenstein's "miserable monster" monstrous? In what ways is the monster Frankenstein's double? In what ways is Frankenstein's monster virtuous? Is the monster the novel's hero? Is Frankenstein a feminist novel? What makes Frankenstein such an extraordinary achievement? NOTESThe many myths of FrankensteinThe sublime in FrankensteinThe myth of PrometheusFrankenstein and The Rime of the Ancient MarinerScience and the ShelleysFrankenstein on filmPolitics and FrankensteinTen Facts about FrankensteinFrankenstein and Paradise LostA "horror story of maternity"Education in the novel Mary Shelley's family circleWhat the critics sayA Short ChronologyFurther Reading
