It is a perfect abridged version, created in a style which is perfectly suitable for the contemporary audiences. In no part of the story do you feel the plot is cut short or missing out on any crucial points. I’m not entirely sure if Gris Grimly alone is responsible for the choice and assembly of the text used in his version of Frankenstein, but if he was, more kudos to him. Exactly the opposite actually! It was such a pleasurable read I’m convinced I would have gone through the entire thing in one sitting, had I not started reading it so late at night. And to my surprise, the task was nowhere as tedious as I had dreaded. …I ended up reading half of the book in one sitting. What a fool I now feel! A few days ago I finally filled myself with courage and picked up the book intent on starting and finishing its first chapter, even if that meant having to lock myself inside my room and having someone dispose of the key. Months went by and Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein stayed on my bookshelf while I sheepishly picked up other books to read, pretending to ignore the accusatory glances Victor Frankenstein kept throwing at me from the novel’s dust jacket. I contented myself with browsing through my copy of the novel numerous times, all but gawking at Grimly’s steampunk-ish illustrations like a fangirl, but never felt the urge to actually sit down and read the novel from start to finish. Still, that damn prejudice regarding the original text remained. I’ve always adored Gris Grimly’s illustrations, and the stunning artwork of his Frankenstein’s dust jacket alone made me think my money had been very well spent. When I heard Gris Grimly had illustrated a version of Frankenstein based on the original text by Mary Shelley though, I forcibly repressed my stupid 19 th century novel prejudices and quickly bought a copy of his work. Maybe it’s because I’m not a native English speaker and it annoys me to smithereens having to read a book with a dictionary close at hand, but I seriously have trouble finishing most novels that date back from this period in time. The language used, the writing styles, the overall excessive density of the plotlines. I confess, I have issues with 19 th century English novels. It’s a fascinating story if you think about it, but if you are anything like me, the fact that it was originally written in the early part of the 19 th century is enough to make you want to avoid any copy of the book like you would the plague. It is a tale about what makes one human, about personal ambition and its consequences, but more importantly, about the value of family and friends in one’s life. There have been so many adaptations in literature and film over the years that by now most of us know that Frankenstein is much more than a gothic horror story about a scientist who creates a living, thinking monster in his lab. I think most people have a pretty good idea of what Frankenstein’s tale is about, even if they haven’t read the original novel by Mary Shelley. Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus (c) Mary Shelley & Gris Grimly, 2013
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