Frankenstein Author, Mary Shelley, was Born Today, August 30, in 1797!
Hard to believe, but Mary Shelley started writing her classic novel, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” when she was only 19 years old, publishing it at age 21 on January 1, 1818 — almost 200 years ago!
(photo) Mary Shelley and her ‘creation’ — the monster (film version) from her classic novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”
The first edition of Frankenstein was published anonymously, with a preface written by Romantic Poet (and Mary’s husband) Percy Bysshe Shelley. The second edition, published in 1823, credits Mary as the author. In 1831, a new edition was published, heavily revised by Mary Shelley, which is the version most typically read today.
Manuscript page from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — “It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. 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…“
You can download the entire novel for free at Guttenberg Project: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
And, of course, you can watch (or re-watch) the iconic 1931 James Whale film classic on DVD or instant video.
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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