Call number
J GRAPHIC NOVEL SHE
Collection
Genres
Publication
Classical Comics (2009), Edition: Reprint, 144 pages
Description
A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator.
User reviews
LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
"His countenance expressed the utmost extent of malice and treachery."
Of all the classic works of fiction, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is probably the most suited for this sort of adaptation.*
It’s a brooding tale of mortality and the quest for the ultimate knowledge over life and death; it’s
And all that before you add the illustrations of men hollering ‘AAARGH’ and women exclaiming ‘SHRIEK’ (no, really). Aside from a little dumbing-down here and there, the artwork and glossy sleekness of this graphic novel are compelling. Even the purest of literary scholars would bend a little, on getting a whiff of the new paper and ink, and viewing the exquisite colours. Said purist could not even fault the text, which is largely (completely?) from the original story and made to work very well with the illustrated panels, although there is something a touch surreal about the modern / classic juxtaposition; maybe it’s just that the artist has read one too many hulk comics.
I’m a fan. I’m impressed at how this series brings a new format to classic literature; if it's purpose is to reach new readers, then it's seductive lines and accessible story-telling are marketing at its cleverest. The inclusion of additional information on the author, the Frankenstein’s Monster’s place in film and history, and even a breakdown of the graphic novel’s page creation is a nice touch and lends the book a certain authenticity as a study-aid, and the solid weight and style speak to the quality of production.
The graphic novel manages to largely capture the sadness, richness and fear of the original tale; I’d still rather read the original, but I’d want this on my shelf as well.
*That said, I’m dying to get my hands on the graphic novel version of Great Expectations… what larks, Pip!
Of all the classic works of fiction, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is probably the most suited for this sort of adaptation.*
It’s a brooding tale of mortality and the quest for the ultimate knowledge over life and death; it’s
Show More
a gothic horror masterpiece about longing and revenge and the need for companionship. It has weird pseudo-science and daring voyages and an enormous, unstoppable monster, which might well be a metaphor for something but which is, in the meantime, actually an enormous, unstoppable monster.And all that before you add the illustrations of men hollering ‘AAARGH’ and women exclaiming ‘SHRIEK’ (no, really). Aside from a little dumbing-down here and there, the artwork and glossy sleekness of this graphic novel are compelling. Even the purest of literary scholars would bend a little, on getting a whiff of the new paper and ink, and viewing the exquisite colours. Said purist could not even fault the text, which is largely (completely?) from the original story and made to work very well with the illustrated panels, although there is something a touch surreal about the modern / classic juxtaposition; maybe it’s just that the artist has read one too many hulk comics.
I’m a fan. I’m impressed at how this series brings a new format to classic literature; if it's purpose is to reach new readers, then it's seductive lines and accessible story-telling are marketing at its cleverest. The inclusion of additional information on the author, the Frankenstein’s Monster’s place in film and history, and even a breakdown of the graphic novel’s page creation is a nice touch and lends the book a certain authenticity as a study-aid, and the solid weight and style speak to the quality of production.
The graphic novel manages to largely capture the sadness, richness and fear of the original tale; I’d still rather read the original, but I’d want this on my shelf as well.
*That said, I’m dying to get my hands on the graphic novel version of Great Expectations… what larks, Pip!
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LibraryThing member pratchettfan
Frankenstein like you've never read it before. The graphic novel contains the original text and brings it to live with fantastic and stunning artwork.
LibraryThing member disturbingfurniture
It has been years since I read the original, that was in college. I remember enjoying it; I enjoyed it all the more for it's nearly total lack of relationship to the (mostly) awful and still delightful movies I grew up watching on Saturday afternoon on "Shock Theater." This version of the graphic
The art work is dark and dynamic. The color and some of the linework has a computer-generated/enhanced look to it, but on the whole it is well done from beginning to end.
And speaking of "end": the extras Classical Comics have added after the graphic story is done are GREAT. There is a biography of Mary Shelley focusing on the novel, her family tree, a short piece about how the novel came about including images of the actual manuscript, a short history of the ways the story has been brought to life, and finally an explanation of how this work was created.
I hesitate to say this because I have always been against abridgments of any kind (wait until you are old enough to read the original, there are plenty of works on your level whatever it might be to read in the interim) but I do think this would work as an exccellent introduction to Shelley's novel...and it could be used in schools...several of my co-workers have just fainted (because I wrote those words).
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novel interpretation (Classical Comics has two, this and a "Quick Text" version that abandons the original language but sticks to the story) uses a lot of the original text in the narration and the "talk bubbles." That said it is still an adaptation and an abridgment. It preserves a lot of the original language and most of the original storyline.The art work is dark and dynamic. The color and some of the linework has a computer-generated/enhanced look to it, but on the whole it is well done from beginning to end.
And speaking of "end": the extras Classical Comics have added after the graphic story is done are GREAT. There is a biography of Mary Shelley focusing on the novel, her family tree, a short piece about how the novel came about including images of the actual manuscript, a short history of the ways the story has been brought to life, and finally an explanation of how this work was created.
I hesitate to say this because I have always been against abridgments of any kind (wait until you are old enough to read the original, there are plenty of works on your level whatever it might be to read in the interim) but I do think this would work as an exccellent introduction to Shelley's novel...and it could be used in schools...several of my co-workers have just fainted (because I wrote those words).
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LibraryThing member andyray
I gave the original-text novel already in my library a four-star, but these English publishers brought that up to a five-star? Why? Because the graphics are absorbing and can be viewed again and again. They change some in differently lighted places. Their editions are also offered in a precised
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original (Reader's Digest style), a modern language style. (One shudders to think). It's the best use of graphics I have hyet seen. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tankplanker
Makes an interesting starting point for the actual novel, which is a book I love deeply, as a stand alone TPB it mostly works, although its a little dense for the average comic book geek. I guess the closest in style I've read would be the Tales of the Black Freighter or parts of the Seven
I hope this idea suceeds as the world needs more people reading these classics.
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Soldiers. I hope this idea suceeds as the world needs more people reading these classics.
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LibraryThing member angrystarlyt
Pretty good adaptation. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations which went with this, although I felt like much of the horror I felt upon reading the novel was lost in the pictures--perhaps a good thing for young readers, but maybe a loss of mystique for anyone trying to use this as a pedagogical
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tool for older kids. As far as sheer comic book reading pleasure goes, a little dense, but readable. Show Less
LibraryThing member kivarson
Did you know that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein bears little resemblance to the movie monster? This graphic adaptation was true to the original story and included informative biographical information on Shelley, as well.
LibraryThing member Thomas_Stephens
Frankenstein tells the story of a scientist named Victor who creates a creature from dead body parts. He is horrified by his creation and abandons it. The creature is not well received by those he meets and is often greeted with violence. The creature starts to kill those close to Victor for
This graphic novel is a fairly well done adaptation of the novel of the same name, so a lot of the themes are still there. It leaves out a minimal amount of story. The only thing that stands out to me is the omission of the books the creature uses to learn about humans and society. This does eliminate the themes that deal with the revolution happening in France during the time this novel was penned, but that shouldn’t matter for secondary ed. purposes.
Personally, I thought that this graphic novel was a very well done adaptation of the novel. The illustrations were very well done, and the color scheme was excellent. It is rather on the short side. For a good reader, 15 minutes is plenty enough time to finish the graphic novel. It could stand to be a little longer and include a little more meat, but it works as is.
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revenge.This graphic novel is a fairly well done adaptation of the novel of the same name, so a lot of the themes are still there. It leaves out a minimal amount of story. The only thing that stands out to me is the omission of the books the creature uses to learn about humans and society. This does eliminate the themes that deal with the revolution happening in France during the time this novel was penned, but that shouldn’t matter for secondary ed. purposes.
Personally, I thought that this graphic novel was a very well done adaptation of the novel. The illustrations were very well done, and the color scheme was excellent. It is rather on the short side. For a good reader, 15 minutes is plenty enough time to finish the graphic novel. It could stand to be a little longer and include a little more meat, but it works as is.
Show Less
LibraryThing member maritimer
There is so much about Frankenstein and its place in literature that I would need to know to fully appreciate the novel, but my God, reading it is a dreary business.
Dreariness and comics, though, are no strangers, and this graphic version of Frankenstein works well. The selected fragments of the
Dreariness and comics, though, are no strangers, and this graphic version of Frankenstein works well. The selected fragments of the
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original prose flow nicely, with the suitably gloomy illustrations amply filling in for the missing text. It does suffer from one comic book trait: every fourth word or so is inexplicably bolded, making Shelley's already overwrought prose seem even more so. Show Less
LibraryThing member lkmuir
Presents an adaptation of Shelley's story of a scientist who creates life with unintended consequences.
Awards
ISBN
1906332509 / 9781906332501