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Title details for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Wait list

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley
George Guidall
Audiobook
0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 11 weeks
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0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 11 weeks
On the deck of his ice-imprisoned ship, explorer Robert Walton watches from a great distance as an enormous apparition travels with much haste across the frozen shore. The next day, Walton fishes from the sea a melancholy scientist named Frankenstein, who shares with Walton the horrifying account of his life and of the "hideous progeny" he set loose upon the world. Frankenstein was written while 19-year-old Mary Shelley vacationed in Geneva with poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron. An incessantly rainy summer prompted Byron to challenge the members of the party to write a tale of the supernatural. While listening to a discussion concerning the theory of electrical reanimation, Mary Shelley was struck, almost to terror, with the idea for Frankenstein: "The idea so possessed my mind that a thrill of fear ran through me, and I wished to exchange the ghastly image of my fancy for the realities around ." A universal classic, Mary Shelley's romantic tale of an ambitious doctor who places himself in the dangerous role of God was first published anonymously in 1818. Master narrator George Guidall skillfully brings to life the doctor and his unhappy creation.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 24, 1993

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781449874896
      • File size: 280817 KB
      • Duration: 09:45:02

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 1170
    • Text Difficulty: 8-9

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 2, 2012
      This audio version of Shelley’s classic hits all the book’s emotional highpoints thanks to a terrific tag team of readers—a choice that is amply justified by the book’s structure: explorer Robert Walton’s correspondence with his sister; Victor Frankenstein’s narration of his life and misguided efforts to play God; and the infamous monster’s first-person account of how he made his way in the world. All three narrators are adept at modulating their tone to suit a scene’s mood—Roger May reads Walton’s sections, Daniel Philpott narrates Frankenstein’s, and Jonathan Oliver handles the monster’s sections—but the heavy lifting falls to Philpott, who conveys his character’s passion, ambition, and ultimate horror at what his creation has done, which includes an accidental killing that strikes the scientist very close to home. For any listener familiar only with filmed treatments of this seminal tale of terror, this is a good way to experience the original.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Listeners who only know the movie version will be surprised by the orotund writing and convoluted plot of the original Frankenstein novel by Mary Shelley. Victor Frankenstein, the Swiss who experiments with science and creates a monster, is a long-winded, angst-ridden fellow. The angst is understandable, though, given the mess he makes. The gentlemanly voiced Ralph Cosham ably communicates the tone of early nineteenth-century Europe, in which the novel was written; one can almost hear the swish of long skirts and the rumble of carriage wheels. Cosham has a precise yet fluid style of narrating that makes Shelley's elaborate writing easy to listen to. An interesting listen. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      This audio production gives tremendous insight into why the tale that has spawned so many others created such a sensation in its original publication in 1816. What makes it an important piece of Romantic literature is evident to listeners through George Guidall's distinguished reading. The successive narratives of "the creator" and "the wretch" himself are brilliantly done. Each voice reflects the wide range of emotions and remains distinct. No Hollywood here, but subtle haunting in elegant style. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      The first thing listeners will note about Shelley's seminal novel is how different it is from the more familiar Hollywood film. Truthfully, listening to the book will likely inspire a desire to watch the Boris Karloff interpretation. Narrator Richard Pasco never grunts "Fire, bad" in his performance, but, rather, portrays a more intelligent, tragic monster, as Shelley intended. Actually, the monster is a bit of a yakky whiner. Pasco goes over the top several times, making the monster speak like a tragic Shakespearian hero. The effect is not so much unsettling as unpleasant. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Jim Weiss, noted for his spirited, thoughtful storytelling for children, tries something different with this very adult classic. He does it well. Though initially his reading seems affected, caricaturing rather than characterizing, the listener is quietly swept up, especially after Dr. Frankenstein creates his monster. From that point on, Weiss reads with a slight European accent that adds to the novel's gothic tone and makes the story even more moving. Weaknesses in the presentation after this rest in Mary Shelley's implausible narrative, not Jim Weiss's reading. P.E.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      We all know the Hollywood FRANKENSTEIN and even Mel Brooks's "Frahnken-steen." But how many of us have heard the original version? Kenneth Branagh provides a sincere and well-modulated narration of what is basically a cautionary tale. Victor Frankenstein is a visionary scientist often overcome by nervous fevers, fainting, and dementia when confronted by life's shocks and losses. Frankenstein's particular torture is the creature he has created in hopes of achieving a better human. Instead, he finds he has spawned a monster with the heart of a poet, who seeks acceptance and love, or, if unsatisfied, deadly revenge. Branagh's understated presentation is worthy of this classic. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Mary Shelley's classic tale of science gone awry is adapted for radio by Winnie Waldron, whose abridgment focuses on Victor Frankenstein's obsession with death and creation. With Winifred Phillips's Gothic-style musical score and gently emotional reading, FRANKENSTEIN is a fresh and captivating listening experience. This program, which was broadcast on the award-winning NPR series "Radio Tales," is available on CD from MP3.com. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Shelley's classic novel, about a rash inventor who creates a monster, to its and his own sorrow, gives us three narrative voices: that of the inventor, Victor Frankenstein; his creature; and Walton, an explorer to whom their tale is told. As Victor, Anthony Heald's otherwise fine voice is reedy and wavering. Whether so by intent (it fits Victor, who is near death) or nature, it's somewhat distracting. Stefan Rudnicki's harsh voice fits the creature, but he starts haltingly, while the creature, at that point, should speak fluently. As the explorer, Simon Templeman's voice and performance are strong. Despite quibbles over interpretation, all three voices are expressive, the vocal acting highly skilled. This is a vibrant rendition of a tragic story that, even with its old-fashioned prose, is often powerful. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1170
  • Text Difficulty:8-9

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