Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition, which was published in Paris in 1821.
Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815, moving along the river Rhine in Germany, and stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries before, an alchemist had engaged in experiments.
She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. Galvanism and occult ideas were topics of conversation for her companions, particularly for her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. In 1816, …
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition, which was published in Paris in 1821.
Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815, moving along the river Rhine in Germany, and stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where, two centuries before, an alchemist had engaged in experiments.
She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. Galvanism and occult ideas were topics of conversation for her companions, particularly for her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. In 1816, Mary, Percy, and Lord Byron had a competition to see who could write the best horror story.
After thinking for days, Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein after imagining a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made.Though Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement, Brian Aldiss has argued for regarding it as the first true science-fiction story. In contrast to previous stories with fantastical elements resembling those of later science fiction, Aldiss states, the central character "makes a deliberate decision" and "turns to modern experiments in the laboratory" to achieve fantastic results. The novel has had a considerable influence on literature and on popular culture; it has spawned a complete genre of horror stories, films, and plays.
Since the publication of the novel, the name "Frankenstein" has often been used, erroneously, to refer to the monster, rather than to his creator/father.
Cette lecture me laisse un sentiment mitigé. Je suis quelque peu déçu. Je n'ai rien à reprocher à l'écriture et à la forme narrative (épistolaire avec des récits imbriqués). Au contraire même. Ce qui concerne la partie « science-fiction » de l'œuvre est assez courte au final, parce qu'une fois le « monstre » créé, l'œuvre devient un récit quasi classique qui pourrait se résumer à la lutte entre un homme et ses propres démons. Pour ce qui est du récit lui-même, j'ai trouvé qu'il se résume aux lamentations du personnage principal, Frankenstein, et secondairement de sa création (le récit de ce dernier est assez succinct). Frankenstein ne se remet jamais vraiment en question et ne fait que se plaindre de son sort. Je m'excuse pour l'usage de ces expressions (sujettes à polémique), mais certains pourraient y voir de la « victimisation » ou de la « course victimaire ».
The book deals mith such complex topics in an incredibly well written story. I read the first part of the 1831 version and then switched to the 1818 version (I read all three parts) and both versions are intriguing. It’s going to be in my Spooky Season list!
