Frankenstein Audiobook By Mary Shelley cover art

Frankenstein

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Frankenstein

By: Mary Shelley
Narrated by: Jamie Bell
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In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris and horror.

Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) delivers a haunting performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel.

If you’re in the mood for more gothic classics, check out Dracula performed by Himesh Patel, Patricia Alilson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Theo James and Jason Watkins and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde performed by Paapa Essiedu.

Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Ltd Emotionally Gripping Gothic Classics Horror Science Fiction Scary Heartfelt Funny
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Complex Depth • Psychological Exploration • Emotional Delivery • Eloquent Writing • Timeless Themes • Immersive Reading

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The narration brought out the fragility and longing in every line. A haunting meditation on creation, abandonment, and the ache of wanting to belong. I will carry this one for a long time. Mary Shelley sends the rest of time.

Spellbinding performance

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This is the definition of a tragedy narrated excellently by Jamie Bell. Much sadder than I anticipated but still a story I understand why it’s been adapted and retold many times over the generations.

Misery Contest between Creator & Monster

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I loved the book. Since childhood, I mistakenly associated the name "Frankenstein" with a generic monster-vampire entertainment story, and I was glad to discover that the story is much more nuanced than I expected.

The narration is a bit too dramatic at times, for my taste, but overall it's a great performance.

Back to the book itself. It is a classic for a reason, it is beautifully written and is highly engaging. The story is of great historical significance too, as, essentially, the first book in the science fiction genre.

I have found a few story elements a bit contrived, however. Some of the protagonist's decisions, unfortunately, felt like stemming the need to move the plot forward, rather than being a natural consequence of the character himself.

Examples of that (with mild spoilers) below.

One such example is when the protagonist does not reveal his discovery to anyone out of fear of being ridiculed as a madman, even when such reveal could have saved a person. He could have clearly demonstrated the truthfulness of his words by replicating his result on small, harmless scale (the book states that he's done so many times in the past).

Secondly, the fact that the protagonist could not see through the meaning behind the monster's main threat is incomprehensible.


**Slightly stronger spoiler below**


Lastly, the line of reasoning for refusing the monster's demand is flawed on many levels. Most obviously, he could have easily prevented the danger of monsters overtaking the earth by making them infertile.

Overall, the story is a work of great imagination, but there are a few rough spots in the plot & in maintaining the tension, at times.

Classic in a slightly overzealous rendition

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This story presents a lot to think about. Frankenstein plays God, then can't control his creation. So many lives are affected by the tragic events in this tale. So many questions to consider. The performance by Jamie Bell was excellent.

Classic with Great Narration

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I am not a horror movie fan so was a little reluctant to listen. I am so glad I did this is a story that is so much more than horror yet full of horrors and torment. I could not stop listening until the end.

Powerful

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