'On a dreary night in November my work came to its conclusion. It was one in the morning. Rain pattered against the windowpanes and my candle was nearly burnt out when I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open...
'Victor Frankenstein intended to create a beautiful being. But the moment it breathes, he sees he has given life to a hideous monster. Creature and Creator are soon locked in a deadly struggle. But which of them is the real monster?
'A thrilling Gothic tale of hubris gone badly wrong. A young man’s search for the secret of the spark of life leads him to a horrific experiment in which he creates a gigantic creature from dismembered body parts. Rejected by his creator, the initially gentle creature turns monstrous when his desire to find companionship and love are thwarted. Tanya Landman revisits Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic horror story, bringing to life Dr Frankenstein and his monstrous creation in an accessible format that more readers can enjoy.'
It can be hard to read some of the classics. Certain works get built up as some of the greatest books ever written, and with the changes of language and style over the decades (or centuries) it can be difficult to read for some readers; especially younger readers. Barrington Stoke have produced some wonderful retellings of some of the most celebrated novels ever made, designed to be more accessible for all readers, and Frankenstein is their latest addition to the catalogue.
Frankenstein has continued to exist for as long as it has because of the quality of the story. At a base level reading its an entertaining science fiction horror story, but its also able to be analysed and upon deeper dives there are a lot of interesting themes and ideas hiding underneath the surface that you can really sink your teeth into. With that in mind, one of the biggest questions would have to be 'does it lose any of this in this retelling?'. No, absolutely not.
Tanya Landman does an incredibly good job at cutting content, in condensing down, and managing to keep the story working. Not just from the point of view of the plot and characters still making sense, but the entire feel and theme of the story still remaining intact. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of things remain in the book, things that other versions and retellings quickly get rid of. There have been so many versions of Frankenstein over the years that most people's first experience with the characters end up becoming incredibly far removed from what they're supposed to be (just the name Frankenstein will often conjure images of the Universal Monsters version of the character for many people, which is nothing like the original).
This retelling manages to retain so much of the original that I often found myself surprised that things were still there. Landman seemed to know which parts were the most important, things that I'd kind of expected to vanish, and kept them. Passages like Victor seeing the rotting face of his mother in his dream. This is something that isn't a huge plot point, that some might consider to be the first thing that needs to be cut in a children's version of the book thanks to its surprisingly horrific imagery; but Landman included it, put emphasis on it, and it made the book feel more alive because of it. You could feel the horror and the revulsion, and it sent the message that this is a horror story still, not a sanitised plot summary.
This version of Frankenstein manages to hold true to the original whilst condensing and simplifying much of the book. The characters feel the same, the themes are familiar, and it doesn't lose any of the things that made the original one of the most important books ever written. To do all of that isn't just impressive, it's kind of amazing. And the beauty of this new version is that whilst it's been written to allow younger readers to experience the story it's by no means excluding anyone else. It's been simplified for accessibility, but it's not been dumbed-down. A reader of any age can pick up and enjoy this book without worry. So whether you've always wanted to read Frankenstein but have been put off by the style or language, or if you're looking for a version for a kid with an interest in the classics, this is a book that you don't want to miss out on.
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