Frankenstein

It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist with huge ambition, exceeds his own expectations when he manages to create life from an assemblage of dead body parts. Yet he has failed to think through the consequences and responsibilities of his action, with fatal results. First published in 1818, this genre-defying novel – part gothic tale, part science fiction, part philosophical exploration – invites us to consider whom we sympathise with: the scientist playing God or the monstrous creature he has created. Using Mary Shelley’s revised 1831 text and including the author’s own preface, this Collins Classroom Classics edition includes an introduction and glossary to support students, written by an experienced teacher.

Mark Roberts is Assistant Principal and teaches English at Tavistock College in Devon. As well as writing for TES magazine on educational issues, he also contributes to emagazine, the magazine for A level English students. His forthcoming book Boys Don't Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools is published by Routledge.