FRANKENSTEIN (Dover Graphic Novel Classics)

I love that they kept the original wording and created a graphic novel that helps students understand this classic tale. I would have liked small shots of color in the drawings or different color in the text to help it stand out more. The tale was great but the drawings seemed flat.

'Frankenstein (Dover Graphic Novel Classics)' takes a classic novel and combines it with a graphic novel and a coloring book. The results are really not bad for a book that's only 48 pages long.

It's a good introduction to the story of Frankenstein, and this is an adaptation of the book, not the classic Hollywood version, which changes much of the book. The book is told as a flashback, so there aren't a lot of word bubbles in the version. Lots of dialogue boxes and pretty good art. The themes are conveyed surprising well considering the concise nature of the book. It's short, but it's also about four bucks.

It might make a perfect gift for that nephew that likes monsters. Frankenstein is ghoulish looking with his stitched together monstrous appearance, and it's a pretty good introduction to a classic novel. It's a novel with themes that are still resonant today. A great story with good art with a good abridgment.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I received this as a free copy from Netgallley so here is what I think.

This version is not for avid or keen readers. Dover Graphic has done an excellent job in capturing the theme, emotions and characterisations. But the problem is the book falls very short in its length. Just 50 pages are never enough to create the horror and suspense of Mary Shelley. But the art is smooth and crisp and although the story is shortened, it never feels boring or bland. If only it was a little longer.....

a simple retelling of the Mary Shelley story of Frankenstein... detailed black and white drawings

I do love the work Dover Publishing is doing in bringing the classics to a new generation. In this book we see Mary Shelly's Frankenstein come to life in coloring book style pages. The story is condensed to be more adaptable to a younger audience.

In this book, we follow the creation of the Monster all the way to the demise of its creator, Dr. Frankenstein (yes, I'm very picky about that, Frankenstein is not the monster's name).

While the story is condensed, it does reemphasizes the idea that if you treat someone or something like a monster based on their appearance, they will eventually become the monster they are perceived to be. It's a good portrayal of the classic story.

Rating 5 out of 5 Read@Book

Nutshell: A quick refresher for fans of the story, though grown-ups may wish for a tale they can really dig into. A perfect intro to the story for kids ready to get their classic scare on. Grade: B

Story: A man in the arctic collapses while on a search for “a demon”. As he recuperates, he tells the sailors who rescued him a strange tale of how he tried to play god and create life. To nothing but disastrous results, naturally. You know the deal.

Thoughts: Only 50 pages? Sweet! Er, I mean seems like it’ll be a cool abridged version. The intro even tells readers they can color the pages if they’d like. (The book is described as for readers 8 and up. So don’t expect gore y’all.) Green’s artwork has that coloring book/woodblock print vibe, with plenty of space for your own personal colors, without too much worry about coloring outside the lines due to intricacies.

As far as the story goes, it actually benefits from Green’s edits, moving the pace forward quickly, serving the panel format perfectly. Victor Frankenstein is still a douchebag that abandons his creation as soon as he realizes that it’s not just a pipe dream, and The Creature’s pain and thirst for vengeance against the “father” that slighted him is palpable.

The story ends rather abruptly, but what do you expect for 50 pages? Still, the main storyline — man vs. creature he created, themes of overreaching, longing for family/acceptance, and vengeance — are all here. As a grown-ass woman, I’d have liked a more in-depth graphic interpretation of the tale. But this Frankenstein is perfect for young readers. Violence is off-panel, and though the characters are all shades of grey, children will most likely see “moster bad, victor good”. That’s a decent start; let ‘em pick apart narrative later.

Publication 411: TPB published 11/19/2014.

[NOTE: I received a copy of this title pre-publication via Netgalley. I received no compensation for my review.]

A very brief retelling of the classic story - only 48 pages. Nonetheless, readers will love the sketched illustrations for them to color.

I have a secret. It may seem odd for an English teacher to admit: I don’t really care for most literature before the 20th century. It usually moves a little too slowly for me. If you like it, great. It isn’t my favorite. So, when I find a version of a classic that not only do I kind of like, but I think some of my students might like as well, I doubly enjoy it.

Dover Classics, the people who print very modestly priced classic literature, has a graphic novel division. I didn’t know that before I found this book. It is an abridgment of the original, but the adaptation has stayed fairly true to the original work. The language is not simplified, and I like that. There are worse things than occasionally having to look up a word or two.

Unlike the original, this is not told in a series of letters. It is more straightforward. The narrative is a bit easier to follow, but still gives the flavor of Mary Shelly’s work. It is a decent read.

The illustrations are all in black and white. At the beginning of the book there is an implied invitation for the readers to color the book for themselves. That is something I would never have thought of, a Frankenstein coloring book.

I am find myself ambivalent about this one. On one hand, the lack of color was disappointing and it was not as compelling as I had hoped it would be, not as dark as I had expected. On the other hand, it was a quick read, it kept the flavor of the original, and it is a good introduction to the original work that could lead reluctant readers into deeper waters. I’d put it into the classroom library.

The story is abridged to fit the length, the format, and the intended audience of children 8 and up, but it retains the meat of the story. I love the clean artwork that makes the images easy to understand but also enables them to be colored in by the reader. What a great way to further immerse yourself in the story, express your creativity, or practice for a career in comics!

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novelizations of one of my ultimate favorite books. The illustrations were beautiful and it did a great joy of conveying a full length classic in a alternate format. Would highly recommend to readers who loved Frankenstein, but not as a substitute to the original. 4.5/5 stars.