Frankenstein
*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.
Books in conversation with Frankenstein
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Frankenstein
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A young Genevese scientist obsessed with the spark of life builds a being from dead tissue and brings it to life. Horrified by what he has done, he runs. The creature follows him for the rest of his life.
Yes. Frankenstein was first published in 1818 and is in the public domain. Free editions are available legally through Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks, and similar archives.
Frankenstein uses early 19th-century English with longer sentences and a frame narrative structure. Most readers find it accessible after the opening chapters. The novel is shorter than its reputation suggests, around 250 pages.
Frankenstein is the name of the scientist Victor Frankenstein, not the creature. Mary Shelley never names the creature; he is referred to throughout as the monster, demon, or wretch. The popular conflation is a longstanding cultural mistake.
Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley, published in 1818 by Pocket Books.
Frankenstein is 240 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Frankenstein takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
Frankenstein is a standalone novel by Mary Shelley, not part of a series.
Frankenstein is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
