One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World'The Penguin English Library Edition of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley'Never did I behold a vision so horrible as his face, of such loathsome, yet appalling hideousness'A twisted, upside-down creation myth, Mary Shelley's chilling Gothic tale lays bare the dark side of science, and the horror within us all. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, who plunders graveyards to create a new being from the bodies of the dead - but whose botched creature causes nothing but murder and destruction. Written after a nightmare when its author was only eighteen, Frankenstein gave birth to the modern science fiction novel.

The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Mary Shelley
9780141198965
The Penguin English Library 

WHY WOULD YOU READ FRANKENSTEIN?
Few stories have echoed through culture as strongly as Frankenstein, yet Mary Shelley’s novel remains as powerful as ever. In the novel, Mary Shelley explores the tension between scientific discovery and responsibility through Victor Frankenstein and the “monster” he creates. The narrative is unsettling and thoughtful, using Gothic elements to examine human hubris, parental abandonment and the search for acceptance. Rather than offering simple answers, Shelley invites the readers to consider the consequences and moral weight of human progress. The novel continues to captivate readers with its exploration of identity, accountability and connection. Particularly meaningful for readers interested in literature that connects science, ethics and human experience.