Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Frankenstein - cover

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley

Publisher: Seven Books

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 Gothic 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.Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815, moving along the river Rhine in Germany, and stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where, about a century earlier, Johann Konrad Dippel, an alchemist, had engaged in experiments. She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. Galvanism and occult ideas were topics of conversation for her companions, particularly for her lover and future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Available since: 12/11/2024.
Print length: 250 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • The Perfumed Garden - cover

    The Perfumed Garden

    Sheikh Nefzaoui

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight (Arabic: الروض العاطر في نزهة الخاطر Al-rawḍ al-ʿāṭir fī nuzhaẗ al-ḫāṭir) is a fifteenth-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi, also known simply as "Nefzawi".
    The book presents opinions on what qualities men and women should have to be attractive and gives advice on sexual technique, warnings about sexual health, and recipes to remedy sexual maladies. It gives lists of names for the penis and vulva, has a section on the interpretation of dreams, and briefly describes sex among animals. Interspersed with these there are a number of stories which are intended to give context and amusement.
    Show book
  • Collected works of Jack London - The Call of the Wild White Fang Love of Life - cover

    Collected works of Jack London -...

    Jack London

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    "The quintessential Jack London is in the on-rushing compulsive-ness of his northern stories," noted James Dickey. "Few men have more convincingly examined the connection between the creative powers of the individual writer and the unconscious drive to breed and to survive, found in the natural world. . . London is in and committed to his creations to a degree very nearly unparalleled in the composition of fiction."
    This collection includes famous works of Jack London:
    Call of the Wild
    White Fang 
    Love of Life
    Show book
  • The Prediction - From their pens to your ears genius in every story - cover

    The Prediction - From their pens...

    Mary Diana Dods (wrote as David...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Mary Diana Dods was born at some point in 1790.  Much of the details of her life are unknown. 
    Accounts propose that she was one of the illegitimate daughters of George Douglas, the sixteenth Earl of Morton and that she and her older sister were raised in both Scotland and London. At the time a good education for women was a rarity but it seems Mary attended school or was home tutored. 
    As a writer she seems only to have published under the pseudonym of David Lyndsay. Her works appeared in periodicals such as Blackwood's Magazine and in 1822 she was asked by its founder to provide it with ‘Dramas of the Ancient World’.  
    Writing as a male author in Victorian England gave her freedoms which would not be extended to her own gender and, as David Lyndsay, she was able to support herself.  However, by 1822 her letters show that the advent of liver disease was interfering with both work and life. 
    Dods was comfortable with her Scottish background and fluent in French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish as well as being a keen theatre critic.. 
    She also assumed a male persona as the diplomat and scholar Walter Sholto Douglas, ostensibly the spouse of Isabella Robinson. The marriage was, in part, a veil for Robinson's illegitimate pregnancy. They named the child Adeline Douglas. 
    In 1827 her good friend and supporter Mary Shelley helped Dods and Robinson too obtain false passports, and to travel to Paris as Mr and Mrs Douglas.  
    In her last years she suffered further attacks of liver disease together with other unnamed mental and physical illnesses.  
    Her finances had always been a struggle and now her debts consigned her to a debtor’s prison. It was there, after several months within its grim walls, that Mary Diana Dods died of her ailments at some unrecorded date between November 1829 and November 1830.
    Show book
  • Père Goriot - cover

    Père Goriot

    Honoré de Balzac

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Set against the vivid and unforgiving backdrop of post-Napoleonic Paris, Père Goriot is one of Honoré de Balzac's most powerful and enduring masterpieces. First published in 1835 as part of his monumental series La Comédie Humaine, this novel is a penetrating exploration of ambition, love, sacrifice, and the corrosive influence of social ambition.
    
    The story unfolds in a shabby boarding house run by the calculating Madame Vauquer, where residents from various walks of life coexist in quiet desperation. Among them is the aging and impoverished Père Goriot, a once-successful vermicelli manufacturer who has sacrificed his entire fortune for the happiness and social advancement of his two daughters, Anastasie and Delphine. Blinded by paternal devotion, Goriot fails to see that his daughters, now married into aristocratic families, are ashamed of his humble origins and exploit his unconditional love for their own gain.
    
    Sharing the boarding house is Eugène de Rastignac, a young law student from the provinces who arrives in Paris with dreams of success and refinement. As he navigates the glittering yet ruthless world of Parisian high society, Rastignac becomes increasingly aware of the moral compromises required to rise within it. Guided by the enigmatic and dangerous Vautrin—another resident with a shadowy past—Rastignac faces a crucial choice: uphold his integrity or embrace ambition at any cost.
    
    Through the tragic decline of Père Goriot and the moral awakening of Rastignac, Balzac paints a stark portrait of a society driven by money, status, and power. Paris itself becomes a living character—glittering on the surface yet merciless underneath. The novel exposes the fragile bonds of family, the illusions of social mobility, and the price of unchecked ambition.
    
    At its heart, Père Goriot is a profound meditation on paternal love and societal corruption. Goriot's unwavering devotion stands in painful contrast to his daughters' cold indifference, creating one of literature's most moving portrayals of selfless love betrayed. Meanwhile, Rastignac's journey marks the emergence of a new kind of modern hero—one who must confront the moral ambiguities of a world where success often demands sacrifice of conscience.
    
    Rich in psychological depth and social insight, Père Goriot remains a timeless exploration of human desire and the complexities of the heart. Balzac's keen observations and unforgettable characters ensure that this novel continues to resonate with readers, offering a compelling glimpse into the ambitions, heartbreaks, and moral dilemmas that define both 19th-century Paris and the human condition itself.
    Show book
  • The Man Who Would Be King - cover

    The Man Who Would Be King

    Rudyard Kipling

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Rudyard Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King is a gripping tale of ambition, imperialism, and tragic downfall. Set in the rugged mountains of 19th-century Afghanistan, this powerful novella follows two British adventurers, Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan, who hatch a daring plan to become kings of a remote tribal land. Disguised as gods and wielding foreign knowledge, the pair at first succeed in gaining the trust and worship of the Kafiristan natives. But their thirst for power blinds them to the fragile nature of illusion and the limits of control. 
    As Kipling masterfully unfolds their rise and ruin, the story becomes a haunting parable about colonial arrogance, the seduction of myth, and the heavy cost of overreaching ambition. Narrated with wit and sharp insight, The Man Who Would Be King remains a timeless exploration of the human drive to rule—and the forces that always push back.
    Show book
  • Pride and Prejudice - cover

    Pride and Prejudice

    Jane Austen

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice.  
    Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice comes to life in this unabridged audiobook, bringing you directly into the witty, romantic, and sharply observed world of the Bennet family. Follow Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates social expectations, family pressures, and her own first impressions of the seemingly proud Mr. Darcy—only to discover that neither people nor reputations are quite what they appear. 
    This audio edition preserves Austen’s original language while making it easy and enjoyable to follow, whether you’re rediscovering a favorite classic or listening for the very first time. The narration highlights the dry humor, sharp dialogue, and emotional undercurrents that have made Pride and Prejudice one of the most beloved novels of all time. 
    Perfect for relaxed evening listening, commutes, or study support, this audiobook offers a rich, immersive way to experience Austen’s timeless story of love, class, and second chances—whenever and wherever you press play.
    Show book