Frankenstein: The 1818 Text [A Penguin Classics Book] by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text [A Penguin Classics Book] by Mary Shelley

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read, Mary Shelley’s classic novel is presented in its original 1818 text, with an introduction from National Book Critics Circle award-winner Charlotte Gordon.

The Original, Unflinching Text

This edition of Frankenstein preserves the hard-hitting and politically-charged aspects of Shelley’s original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. It also emphasizes Shelley’s relationship with her mother—the trailblazing feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman—and demonstrates her commitment to carrying forward her mother’s ideals, placing her in the context of a feminist legacy rather than the sole female in the company of male poets, including Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.

Expert Commentary and Bonus Materials

This special edition includes a variety of invaluable resources to deepen your understanding of the novel and its origins. Features include:

• A new introduction and suggestions for further reading by National Book Critics Circle award-winner and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon.
• Literary excerpts and reviews selected by Gordon.
• A chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.

About the Penguin Classics Series

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.