Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a professional writer I should have spotted what was coming, but I didn't!

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a professional writer I should have spotted what was coming, but I didn't!

Extremely helpful, 19 Jul 2006
This book really helps you to understand the text in greater depth. I would recommend it for anyone doing Frankenstein coursework at GCSE level, as it builds your confidence before you begin writing your essay.

worth the price......, 09 Jun 2006
when i found out that i would be studying frankenstein for my AS year i thought it would be "easy" after seeing/hearing so much adaptations of the novel in my life. however frankenstein is a complex novel with suprisingly many themes that can be assosiated with modern life and this study aid does help ...to a certain extent. it does include everything you need to know for the final exam and offers very helpfull notes on each page of how it associates to film versions, web sites and peoples opinions of the novel. i would advise eveyone thinking about gettin the study companion to get it as it tells you enough hints and questions so you begin to think about them yourself... although it would have been more helpfull if there were more developed explanations on some characters and thems but then again we are suppost to do this exam our selves!

What year is it and what am I studying ?, 26 Jul 2005
Look if you're going to buy a book about making monsters, then make sure it's the right monster. Shelly wrote Frankenstein in 1818 and rewrote in it 1831 and there are significant differences. It's also good to know which course you're on this York guide is aimed at A Level students and Undergraduates. This guide does reference the 1818 edition and has much useful background information, however the book's analysis is based on the 1831 text. So I cry foul! But I'm not sure who to blame for this misrepresentation of what is actually an excellent guidebook. Just make sure it's relevant to your study. Anyway I must go online for a recharge for what is Franklystein a wasted expense!

Malter Witty
Madeupname

Very Useful If You Want The Top Grades, 16 Mar 2004
The York Notes series is an extremely good series of books which help you study in depth at GCSE level.

I recently purchased the "Frankenstein" edition, and I was not dissapointed. Being a student who wants to achieve the highest marks and grades, I decided to purchase this book and it has helped me to understand the book amazingly!

The chracter analysis is brilliant, clear and precise.
The chapter by chapter summary and commentary also extremely good, but might have gone into slightly more depth.
The exam checkpoints and questions also beneficial, and helped me to get understand the key points in the play, and at the same time test my knowledge and understanding.

Something which was very good, and that helpled me get 26/27 on my first draft of the Frankenstein coursework was the section on how to use quotes effectively. The key quoataions part of the book was easy to understand, and proved to be indispensible.

Overall this York Notes book gives a superb analysis and summary. It tells you all the bits you need to know, but the reason it did not get 5 stars is that it could have gone into a little more detail, but it certainly did the job!

If you are studying Frankenstein at GCSE and you want a reasonably priced book, that gives off everything you need to know, this is th book for you.

Top buy!

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a professional writer I should have spotted what was coming, but I didn't!

Extremely helpful, 19 Jul 2006
This book really helps you to understand the text in greater depth. I would recommend it for anyone doing Frankenstein coursework at GCSE level, as it builds your confidence before you begin writing your essay.

worth the price......, 09 Jun 2006
when i found out that i would be studying frankenstein for my AS year i thought it would be "easy" after seeing/hearing so much adaptations of the novel in my life. however frankenstein is a complex novel with suprisingly many themes that can be assosiated with modern life and this study aid does help ...to a certain extent. it does include everything you need to know for the final exam and offers very helpfull notes on each page of how it associates to film versions, web sites and peoples opinions of the novel. i would advise eveyone thinking about gettin the study companion to get it as it tells you enough hints and questions so you begin to think about them yourself... although it would have been more helpfull if there were more developed explanations on some characters and thems but then again we are suppost to do this exam our selves!

What year is it and what am I studying ?, 26 Jul 2005
Look if you're going to buy a book about making monsters, then make sure it's the right monster. Shelly wrote Frankenstein in 1818 and rewrote in it 1831 and there are significant differences. It's also good to know which course you're on this York guide is aimed at A Level students and Undergraduates. This guide does reference the 1818 edition and has much useful background information, however the book's analysis is based on the 1831 text. So I cry foul! But I'm not sure who to blame for this misrepresentation of what is actually an excellent guidebook. Just make sure it's relevant to your study. Anyway I must go online for a recharge for what is Franklystein a wasted expense!

Malter Witty
Madeupname

Very Useful If You Want The Top Grades, 16 Mar 2004
The York Notes series is an extremely good series of books which help you study in depth at GCSE level.

I recently purchased the "Frankenstein" edition, and I was not dissapointed. Being a student who wants to achieve the highest marks and grades, I decided to purchase this book and it has helped me to understand the book amazingly!

The chracter analysis is brilliant, clear and precise.
The chapter by chapter summary and commentary also extremely good, but might have gone into slightly more depth.
The exam checkpoints and questions also beneficial, and helped me to get understand the key points in the play, and at the same time test my knowledge and understanding.

Something which was very good, and that helpled me get 26/27 on my first draft of the Frankenstein coursework was the section on how to use quotes effectively. The key quoataions part of the book was easy to understand, and proved to be indispensible.

Overall this York Notes book gives a superb analysis and summary. It tells you all the bits you need to know, but the reason it did not get 5 stars is that it could have gone into a little more detail, but it certainly did the job!

If you are studying Frankenstein at GCSE and you want a reasonably priced book, that gives off everything you need to know, this is th book for you.

Top buy!

Think you know Frankenstein? Probably not., 26 Nov 2008
I know many other reviews have probably pointed this out, but Frankenstein is usually the subject of a common misconception, in that Frankenstein is not the creature's name, it is his creators surname. The creature does not in fact have a name (I call him creature for lack of a better word), and throughout the novel is de-humanised and debased as he is refered to as a monster. He is the unknown and the misunderstood and is therefore shunned from society and everything that is considered normal.
This is the classic novel of one man, and his quest for knowledge. This quest leads to him bestowing life upon an inanimate being; something which he deeply regrets as soon as he has accomplished it. It is the product of Victor Frankenstein's own creation that eats away at him and ultimately destroys him.
The novel reads as a warning against the accomplishments of scientific experimentation, which, in Shelley's day, would have been deeply shocking to the reader. Nowadays, it is much more difficult to shock, but this novel remains a classic. It is unfortunate that the 'legend' of Frankenstein has been so altered by many different adaptations over the years, as the original story is one that forces the reader to consider the moral aspect and the humanity of the 'monster.' It is not just another horror story.

Not what I was expecting, 26 Sep 2008
Anyone who thought that Frankenstein was the tall, slow, bolt-headed monster from the films will be very surprised by this gothic/horror story.
But, hopefully, like me, you will be pleasantly surprised. The story is about a young scientist named Frankenstein who becomes interested in creating life. He attempts to make a man out of acquired body parts. The result is a large, disfigured man. This "monster" is actually a sensitive and real human being. It is only after rejection by his creator that he starts to become more of a monster figure. 'Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me? I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned, and kicked, and trampled on.' This is the thought process that comes from rejection leads to the monstrous image. Although, I will not elaborate on this as it would spoil the story.
However, I will say that the key ideas in the book are definitely to do with how much power man should have and the problems caused by man's egotistical nature. If you do decide to read this book I am sure you will find that it is far more than a gothic tale or a horror story. It is infact more again to a heartbreaking tragedy.


False Advertising by Penguin?, 22 Aug 2008
Don't make the same mistake as me, and think the book shown in the 'Search Inside' facility is the book you get. It turns out this shows a more expensive penguin edition, the rather scruffy one I got didn't have the first 58 pages shown in the contents.

Poor show Penguin - 3 stars only, for cheating!

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist, 04 Aug 2008
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.


Interesting, 20 Apr 2008
I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long, in my mind I imagined this to be some standard gothic horror with a monster chasing civilians but the reality was much different. The book is far more complex, the characters more complicated and the idea of creation rebelling against creator throwing up various allegories. The book does admittedly take some getting into, but it is worth persevering with as it rapidly gets better.

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a professional writer I should have spotted what was coming, but I didn't!

Extremely helpful, 19 Jul 2006
This book really helps you to understand the text in greater depth. I would recommend it for anyone doing Frankenstein coursework at GCSE level, as it builds your confidence before you begin writing your essay.

worth the price......, 09 Jun 2006
when i found out that i would be studying frankenstein for my AS year i thought it would be "easy" after seeing/hearing so much adaptations of the novel in my life. however frankenstein is a complex novel with suprisingly many themes that can be assosiated with modern life and this study aid does help ...to a certain extent. it does include everything you need to know for the final exam and offers very helpfull notes on each page of how it associates to film versions, web sites and peoples opinions of the novel. i would advise eveyone thinking about gettin the study companion to get it as it tells you enough hints and questions so you begin to think about them yourself... although it would have been more helpfull if there were more developed explanations on some characters and thems but then again we are suppost to do this exam our selves!

What year is it and what am I studying ?, 26 Jul 2005
Look if you're going to buy a book about making monsters, then make sure it's the right monster. Shelly wrote Frankenstein in 1818 and rewrote in it 1831 and there are significant differences. It's also good to know which course you're on this York guide is aimed at A Level students and Undergraduates. This guide does reference the 1818 edition and has much useful background information, however the book's analysis is based on the 1831 text. So I cry foul! But I'm not sure who to blame for this misrepresentation of what is actually an excellent guidebook. Just make sure it's relevant to your study. Anyway I must go online for a recharge for what is Franklystein a wasted expense!

Malter Witty
Madeupname

Very Useful If You Want The Top Grades, 16 Mar 2004
The York Notes series is an extremely good series of books which help you study in depth at GCSE level.

I recently purchased the "Frankenstein" edition, and I was not dissapointed. Being a student who wants to achieve the highest marks and grades, I decided to purchase this book and it has helped me to understand the book amazingly!

The chracter analysis is brilliant, clear and precise.
The chapter by chapter summary and commentary also extremely good, but might have gone into slightly more depth.
The exam checkpoints and questions also beneficial, and helped me to get understand the key points in the play, and at the same time test my knowledge and understanding.

Something which was very good, and that helpled me get 26/27 on my first draft of the Frankenstein coursework was the section on how to use quotes effectively. The key quoataions part of the book was easy to understand, and proved to be indispensible.

Overall this York Notes book gives a superb analysis and summary. It tells you all the bits you need to know, but the reason it did not get 5 stars is that it could have gone into a little more detail, but it certainly did the job!

If you are studying Frankenstein at GCSE and you want a reasonably priced book, that gives off everything you need to know, this is th book for you.

Top buy!

Think you know Frankenstein? Probably not., 26 Nov 2008
I know many other reviews have probably pointed this out, but Frankenstein is usually the subject of a common misconception, in that Frankenstein is not the creature's name, it is his creators surname. The creature does not in fact have a name (I call him creature for lack of a better word), and throughout the novel is de-humanised and debased as he is refered to as a monster. He is the unknown and the misunderstood and is therefore shunned from society and everything that is considered normal.
This is the classic novel of one man, and his quest for knowledge. This quest leads to him bestowing life upon an inanimate being; something which he deeply regrets as soon as he has accomplished it. It is the product of Victor Frankenstein's own creation that eats away at him and ultimately destroys him.
The novel reads as a warning against the accomplishments of scientific experimentation, which, in Shelley's day, would have been deeply shocking to the reader. Nowadays, it is much more difficult to shock, but this novel remains a classic. It is unfortunate that the 'legend' of Frankenstein has been so altered by many different adaptations over the years, as the original story is one that forces the reader to consider the moral aspect and the humanity of the 'monster.' It is not just another horror story.

Not what I was expecting, 26 Sep 2008
Anyone who thought that Frankenstein was the tall, slow, bolt-headed monster from the films will be very surprised by this gothic/horror story.
But, hopefully, like me, you will be pleasantly surprised. The story is about a young scientist named Frankenstein who becomes interested in creating life. He attempts to make a man out of acquired body parts. The result is a large, disfigured man. This "monster" is actually a sensitive and real human being. It is only after rejection by his creator that he starts to become more of a monster figure. 'Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me? I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned, and kicked, and trampled on.' This is the thought process that comes from rejection leads to the monstrous image. Although, I will not elaborate on this as it would spoil the story.
However, I will say that the key ideas in the book are definitely to do with how much power man should have and the problems caused by man's egotistical nature. If you do decide to read this book I am sure you will find that it is far more than a gothic tale or a horror story. It is infact more again to a heartbreaking tragedy.


False Advertising by Penguin?, 22 Aug 2008
Don't make the same mistake as me, and think the book shown in the 'Search Inside' facility is the book you get. It turns out this shows a more expensive penguin edition, the rather scruffy one I got didn't have the first 58 pages shown in the contents.

Poor show Penguin - 3 stars only, for cheating!

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist, 04 Aug 2008
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.


Interesting, 20 Apr 2008
I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long, in my mind I imagined this to be some standard gothic horror with a monster chasing civilians but the reality was much different. The book is far more complex, the characters more complicated and the idea of creation rebelling against creator throwing up various allegories. The book does admittedly take some getting into, but it is worth persevering with as it rapidly gets better.

Science and desire, 30 Aug 2008
Inevitably dated by style and pace, not to mention a somewhat heavy-handed way with analogy, this remains a touchstone for gothic and speculative fiction. Any horror comes purely from the internal dialogues of Victor Frankenstein himself, and from the taunts of his creation, rather than from the kind of vivid and bloody description that is the mark of more contemporary scary stuff.

Some interesting questions rear their heads about science and desire, inception and revenge, not to mention some seemingly unintended ones - for a book by the daughter of an early anarchist and an early feminist, both women and politics are surprisingly absent. But worth a look.

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist, 04 Aug 2008
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.







"The author at once of my existence and of its unspeakable torments", 05 Mar 2008
This is a review of the Oxford World's Classics edition, edited and introduced by Marilyn Butler of Exeter College, Oxford. She explains in her note on the text why the 1818 version is preferred - "it delivers an original, specific and profound fable about the modern world in conditions of social change" - rather than the usual published text of the amended 1831 edition. I agree that the original edition has a raw edge, a directness, and a refusal to concede to societal norms that is not so prominent in the later massaged text.

I came to the novel with an open mind, but with an appreciation that Hollywood had cemented the story as a classic of gothic horror. And yet the monsters tale of his `adventures' with the de Lacey family, for example, seemed worlds away from the `traditional' tale as told by American cinema. (Hence, presumably, Kenneth Branagh's 1994 adaptation bearing the conscious title "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein".)

The novel is very well-written and conceived. It is interesting for its literary-historical and scientific context, but of far more interest to me are the philosophical issues that it (unconsciously?) raises. It is geographically incoherent in places, as is the plot, but plot is not really the reason for this novel, is it?

The actual physical creation of the monster is, surprisingly, sparsely described, covering barely two paragraphs, and even then only a vague illustration is given. Throughout the novel, there are only indistinct allusions to his form. Captain Walton, for example, merely says that he was "gigantic in stature, yet uncouth and distorted in his proportions. ... his face was concealed by long locks of ragged hair; but one vast hand was extended, in colour and apparent texture like that of a mummy".

Frankenstein's rejection of his creation so soon after having given life to it - indeed, at the very point of giving life to it - after so determined and intense a devotion to the cause, seems to me to mirror the immense shame and repugnance that civilisation can inculcate at the moment of sexual orgasm in `inappropriate circumstances'. Or, given the gender of the book's author, perhaps a more relevant analogy would be giving birth to a child conceived in shameful circumstances. His rejection of his act is absolute and unyielding. He does not return to his studies to rectify his mistakes in the creation of another, or seek to modify the result that he has created. Instead, he turns his back and falls into a great depression.

Meanwhile the monster plays the part of an extraterrestrial. Initially completely alien to his surroundings, Mary Shelley uses this position to allow him to comment as an outsider on the nature of humanity. The monster says how the de Lacey cottage was "the school in which I studied human nature." Thus, he who was the experiment has now become the experimenter. "Perhaps [he remarks], if my first introduction to humanity had been made by a young soldier, burning for glory and slaughter, I should have been imbued with different sensations", than those provided by the de Laceys and their humanistic literature.

On one level the story is akin to `Beauty and the Beast', `Cyrano de Bergerac', the `Elephant Man', or `E.T.'. But why did not Frankenstein simply learn to accept his creation? He is the creator, he is the monster's god. Is this a metaphor on man's place in God's creation? (At one point, he compares his situation explicitly with Adam.) Is this a comment on the Christian religion, when the monster describes Frankenstein as "the author at once of my existence and of its unspeakable torments" in a time of upheaval and speculation in post-Enlightenment but pre-Darwinian educated circles, when deism was becoming a reputable opinion? The monster again: "The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil."

Marilyn Butler's 42-page introduction, is of the usual high standard that one comes to expect from this publisher. She details Mary Shelley's beginnings, her family and her relationship with her husband. She goes on to describe their relationship with the radical science of the period in which they lived. She explains the ghost-story competition context from which the novel arose. There then follows a critique of the novel itself.
There are three appendices to this Oxford World's Classics edition. The first is Mary Shelley's preface to the amended 1831 edition, where she gives details about the inspiration for the tale and the story behind its creation. The second details the changes made to the text, or rather denotes the additions thereto but not (for some reason) the omissions. ... lists these changes and the reasons for them. The third and final appendix is an extract from an 1820 edition of the Quarterly Review, a nineteenth-century Tory version of the London Review of Books. The extract is not a review of Mary Shelley's `Frankenstein', but is principally concerned with the lectures of William Lawrence FRS and whether the life-force and greater mental capacities of humans (compared to other animals) is inherited or `super-added'. It is these extras - and the use of the 1818 text - that make this edition superior to others.

As with all reprints of classic works of literature, I recommend that the so-called introduction (which is really more of a commentary) is best read after the novel.



Evocative creation of a mood of bleak despair, 18 Feb 2007
This is primarily a novel that sets out to create an atmosphere of fear, horror and despair and succeeds admirably in so doing. Mary Shelley must have had an appalling dream but she brought it to life in wonderful, evocative language and at such a young age (only 19 when she wrote the book). The monster is so different from the monster of the films. Here he is no lumbering, stupid brute, but an agile, resourceful and calculating creature who can and does conduct a deep and thoughtful dialogue with his creator when explaining his background story. But at the same time the monster carries out horrible murders of Frankenstein's nearest and dearest and these deaths are shocking when they happen. The science is almost non-existent and we never find out how Frankenstein creates the monster nor indeed what the monster really looks like other than being repulsively hideous. But that is not the purpose of the book, which is to set a mood and raise philosophical questions about the purpose of scientific discovery. And Mary Shelley does this brilliantly.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed it, 11 Jan 2007
I normally steer well away of female novelists finding them too sentimental for my palate. However, Shelley's story, albeit far-fetched, is rich in imagery and the diction used is admirable. There appears to be some doubt as to whether the final version was "improved" by Messrs. Shelley and Byron, but I think that would be unfair on Mary.

I think it fully deserves its place among the classics.

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a professional writer I should have spotted what was coming, but I didn't!

Extremely helpful, 19 Jul 2006
This book really helps you to understand the text in greater depth. I would recommend it for anyone doing Frankenstein coursework at GCSE level, as it builds your confidence before you begin writing your essay.

worth the price......, 09 Jun 2006
when i found out that i would be studying frankenstein for my AS year i thought it would be "easy" after seeing/hearing so much adaptations of the novel in my life. however frankenstein is a complex novel with suprisingly many themes that can be assosiated with modern life and this study aid does help ...to a certain extent. it does include everything you need to know for the final exam and offers very helpfull notes on each page of how it associates to film versions, web sites and peoples opinions of the novel. i would advise eveyone thinking about gettin the study companion to get it as it tells you enough hints and questions so you begin to think about them yourself... although it would have been more helpfull if there were more developed explanations on some characters and thems but then again we are suppost to do this exam our selves!

What year is it and what am I studying ?, 26 Jul 2005
Look if you're going to buy a book about making monsters, then make sure it's the right monster. Shelly wrote Frankenstein in 1818 and rewrote in it 1831 and there are significant differences. It's also good to know which course you're on this York guide is aimed at A Level students and Undergraduates. This guide does reference the 1818 edition and has much useful background information, however the book's analysis is based on the 1831 text. So I cry foul! But I'm not sure who to blame for this misrepresentation of what is actually an excellent guidebook. Just make sure it's relevant to your study. Anyway I must go online for a recharge for what is Franklystein a wasted expense!

Malter Witty
Madeupname

Very Useful If You Want The Top Grades, 16 Mar 2004
The York Notes series is an extremely good series of books which help you study in depth at GCSE level.

I recently purchased the "Frankenstein" edition, and I was not dissapointed. Being a student who wants to achieve the highest marks and grades, I decided to purchase this book and it has helped me to understand the book amazingly!

The chracter analysis is brilliant, clear and precise.
The chapter by chapter summary and commentary also extremely good, but might have gone into slightly more depth.
The exam checkpoints and questions also beneficial, and helped me to get understand the key points in the play, and at the same time test my knowledge and understanding.

Something which was very good, and that helpled me get 26/27 on my first draft of the Frankenstein coursework was the section on how to use quotes effectively. The key quoataions part of the book was easy to understand, and proved to be indispensible.

Overall this York Notes book gives a superb analysis and summary. It tells you all the bits you need to know, but the reason it did not get 5 stars is that it could have gone into a little more detail, but it certainly did the job!

If you are studying Frankenstein at GCSE and you want a reasonably priced book, that gives off everything you need to know, this is th book for you.

Top buy!

Think you know Frankenstein? Probably not., 26 Nov 2008
I know many other reviews have probably pointed this out, but Frankenstein is usually the subject of a common misconception, in that Frankenstein is not the creature's name, it is his creators surname. The creature does not in fact have a name (I call him creature for lack of a better word), and throughout the novel is de-humanised and debased as he is refered to as a monster. He is the unknown and the misunderstood and is therefore shunned from society and everything that is considered normal.
This is the classic novel of one man, and his quest for knowledge. This quest leads to him bestowing life upon an inanimate being; something which he deeply regrets as soon as he has accomplished it. It is the product of Victor Frankenstein's own creation that eats away at him and ultimately destroys him.
The novel reads as a warning against the accomplishments of scientific experimentation, which, in Shelley's day, would have been deeply shocking to the reader. Nowadays, it is much more difficult to shock, but this novel remains a classic. It is unfortunate that the 'legend' of Frankenstein has been so altered by many different adaptations over the years, as the original story is one that forces the reader to consider the moral aspect and the humanity of the 'monster.' It is not just another horror story.

Not what I was expecting, 26 Sep 2008
Anyone who thought that Frankenstein was the tall, slow, bolt-headed monster from the films will be very surprised by this gothic/horror story.
But, hopefully, like me, you will be pleasantly surprised. The story is about a young scientist named Frankenstein who becomes interested in creating life. He attempts to make a man out of acquired body parts. The result is a large, disfigured man. This "monster" is actually a sensitive and real human being. It is only after rejection by his creator that he starts to become more of a monster figure. 'Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me? I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned, and kicked, and trampled on.' This is the thought process that comes from rejection leads to the monstrous image. Although, I will not elaborate on this as it would spoil the story.
However, I will say that the key ideas in the book are definitely to do with how much power man should have and the problems caused by man's egotistical nature. If you do decide to read this book I am sure you will find that it is far more than a gothic tale or a horror story. It is infact more again to a heartbreaking tragedy.


False Advertising by Penguin?, 22 Aug 2008
Don't make the same mistake as me, and think the book shown in the 'Search Inside' facility is the book you get. It turns out this shows a more expensive penguin edition, the rather scruffy one I got didn't have the first 58 pages shown in the contents.

Poor show Penguin - 3 stars only, for cheating!

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist, 04 Aug 2008
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.


Interesting, 20 Apr 2008
I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long, in my mind I imagined this to be some standard gothic horror with a monster chasing civilians but the reality was much different. The book is far more complex, the characters more complicated and the idea of creation rebelling against creator throwing up various allegories. The book does admittedly take some getting into, but it is worth persevering with as it rapidly gets better.

Science and desire, 30 Aug 2008
Inevitably dated by style and pace, not to mention a somewhat heavy-handed way with analogy, this remains a touchstone for gothic and speculative fiction. Any horror comes purely from the internal dialogues of Victor Frankenstein himself, and from the taunts of his creation, rather than from the kind of vivid and bloody description that is the mark of more contemporary scary stuff.

Some interesting questions rear their heads about science and desire, inception and revenge, not to mention some seemingly unintended ones - for a book by the daughter of an early anarchist and an early feminist, both women and politics are surprisingly absent. But worth a look.

Focus on Emotional Tragedy and The Personal Responsibility of The Scientist, 04 Aug 2008
This book is a "must read" for all science fiction / horror lovers, as you will be able to, as previously pointed out by other reviewers, trace the roots and themes of the genre back to its beginnings.

The depth of the book, however, lies in the poignant questions Shelley raises about scientific discovery and creation. These issues are as valid today as they were at the time and have been literary motifs ever since. Shelley's discussion of these themes makes this book a classic, and as such it should be understood.

If you are only familiar with Frankenstein's monster through film adaptations, you will discover an entirely different story, depicting the monster as a tragic and unloved hero, who turns into a brute following the betrayal by his creator, Victor Frankienstein.

Shelley's story centres around the emotional tragedy endured by the monster rather than on the depiction of his crimes or his outward appearance. In this context, we have to mention that the reader does not even find out how Frankenstein assembled his monster or how he infused him with life. This aspect of the story is entirely left to the reader's imagination.







"The author at once of my existence and of its unspeakable torments", 05 Mar 2008
This is a review of the Oxford World's Classics edition, edited and introduced by Marilyn Butler of Exeter College, Oxford. She explains in her note on the text why the 1818 version is preferred - "it delivers an original, specific and profound fable about the modern world in conditions of social change" - rather than the usual published text of the amended 1831 edition. I agree that the original edition has a raw edge, a directness, and a refusal to concede to societal norms that is not so prominent in the later massaged text.

I came to the novel with an open mind, but with an appreciation that Hollywood had cemented the story as a classic of gothic horror. And yet the monsters tale of his `adventures' with the de Lacey family, for example, seemed worlds away from the `traditional' tale as told by American cinema. (Hence, presumably, Kenneth Branagh's 1994 adaptation bearing the conscious title "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein".)

The novel is very well-written and conceived. It is interesting for its literary-historical and scientific context, but of far more interest to me are the philosophical issues that it (unconsciously?) raises. It is geographically incoherent in places, as is the plot, but plot is not really the reason for this novel, is it?

The actual physical creation of the monster is, surprisingly, sparsely described, covering barely two paragraphs, and even then only a vague illustration is given. Throughout the novel, there are only indistinct allusions to his form. Captain Walton, for example, merely says that he was "gigantic in stature, yet uncouth and distorted in his proportions. ... his face was concealed by long locks of ragged hair; but one vast hand was extended, in colour and apparent texture like that of a mummy".

Frankenstein's rejection of his creation so soon after having given life to it - indeed, at the very point of giving life to it - after so determined and intense a devotion to the cause, seems to me to mirror the immense shame and repugnance that civilisation can inculcate at the moment of sexual orgasm in `inappropriate circumstances'. Or, given the gender of the book's author, perhaps a more relevant analogy would be giving birth to a child conceived in shameful circumstances. His rejection of his act is absolute and unyielding. He does not return to his studies to rectify his mistakes in the creation of another, or seek to modify the result that he has created. Instead, he turns his back and falls into a great depression.

Meanwhile the monster plays the part of an extraterrestrial. Initially completely alien to his surroundings, Mary Shelley uses this position to allow him to comment as an outsider on the nature of humanity. The monster says how the de Lacey cottage was "the school in which I studied human nature." Thus, he who was the experiment has now become the experimenter. "Perhaps [he remarks], if my first introduction to humanity had been made by a young soldier, burning for glory and slaughter, I should have been imbued with different sensations", than those provided by the de Laceys and their humanistic literature.

On one level the story is akin to `Beauty and the Beast', `Cyrano de Bergerac', the `Elephant Man', or `E.T.'. But why did not Frankenstein simply learn to accept his creation? He is the creator, he is the monster's god. Is this a metaphor on man's place in God's creation? (At one point, he compares his situation explicitly with Adam.) Is this a comment on the Christian religion, when the monster describes Frankenstein as "the author at once of my existence and of its unspeakable torments" in a time of upheaval and speculation in post-Enlightenment but pre-Darwinian educated circles, when deism was becoming a reputable opinion? The monster again: "The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil."

Marilyn Butler's 42-page introduction, is of the usual high standard that one comes to expect from this publisher. She details Mary Shelley's beginnings, her family and her relationship with her husband. She goes on to describe their relationship with the radical science of the period in which they lived. She explains the ghost-story competition context from which the novel arose. There then follows a critique of the novel itself.
There are three appendices to this Oxford World's Classics edition. The first is Mary Shelley's preface to the amended 1831 edition, where she gives details about the inspiration for the tale and the story behind its creation. The second details the changes made to the text, or rather denotes the additions thereto but not (for some reason) the omissions. ... lists these changes and the reasons for them. The third and final appendix is an extract from an 1820 edition of the Quarterly Review, a nineteenth-century Tory version of the London Review of Books. The extract is not a review of Mary Shelley's `Frankenstein', but is principally concerned with the lectures of William Lawrence FRS and whether the life-force and greater mental capacities of humans (compared to other animals) is inherited or `super-added'. It is these extras - and the use of the 1818 text - that make this edition superior to others.

As with all reprints of classic works of literature, I recommend that the so-called introduction (which is really more of a commentary) is best read after the novel.



Evocative creation of a mood of bleak despair, 18 Feb 2007
This is primarily a novel that sets out to create an atmosphere of fear, horror and despair and succeeds admirably in so doing. Mary Shelley must have had an appalling dream but she brought it to life in wonderful, evocative language and at such a young age (only 19 when she wrote the book). The monster is so different from the monster of the films. Here he is no lumbering, stupid brute, but an agile, resourceful and calculating creature who can and does conduct a deep and thoughtful dialogue with his creator when explaining his background story. But at the same time the monster carries out horrible murders of Frankenstein's nearest and dearest and these deaths are shocking when they happen. The science is almost non-existent and we never find out how Frankenstein creates the monster nor indeed what the monster really looks like other than being repulsively hideous. But that is not the purpose of the book, which is to set a mood and raise philosophical questions about the purpose of scientific discovery. And Mary Shelley does this brilliantly.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed it, 11 Jan 2007
I normally steer well away of female novelists finding them too sentimental for my palate. However, Shelley's story, albeit far-fetched, is rich in imagery and the diction used is admirable. There appears to be some doubt as to whether the final version was "improved" by Messrs. Shelley and Byron, but I think that would be unfair on Mary.

I think it fully deserves its place among the classics.

Dean Koontz ? Still writing ???, 10 Jan 2008
This was an awesome sequel to the first book in the Trilogy. Unfortunately, after almost 3 years, I would really like to read the rest of the story. Is it still coming? As much as I enjoy Dean Koontz's books, I will not buy another until he produces the ending to this story. I do not undertsand why he has cranked out several unrelated books since writing #2 and left us hanging here with an unfinished story.....
I am beginning to feel ripped off as if I bought a book missing 33% of it's pages. I see no difference.

When is book 3 due for release?, 18 Aug 2007
As the title asks my friends, when is that book being released cos I cant wait to devour the bugger!

I just cant wait.........., 01 Jun 2007
I have re read the two existing books in preparation for the release of Book 3, just to be frustrated by the delay in publication, so I may even read them again. One thing that hasn't been mentioned so far is that although Dean Koontz has the main authorship for the trilogy they are co written in the style of "Koontz" by Ed Gorman. Patterson also does this with his "Women's Club" books. In this case it isn't a problem as the books are great, they do "throw back" to more early Koontz style than some of his more current books with a "recipe" namely the "ODD" books ( A "Good Guy" in a dilemma), The Husband, and of course The GOOD GUY, I wonder where he got that title? The Frankenstein Books are a great unique read. Dont miss. The others are OK but very formulaic.

And I thought Book 1 was good, 27 Mar 2007
Well when I thought it couldnt get any better Koontz shocked me once again. Having devoured Book 1 I couldnt wait for Book 2 to come out. Never in a million years did I expect to stay rivetted on the edge of my seat and unable to put the book down again. All I can say is I cannot wait for Book 3 and when thats finished I will be very disappointed that there isnt more to come.

Dean Koontz is amazing., 08 Jul 2006
Whilst I agree, the story just leaves you waiting impatiently for the 3rd book, the story is so well written. It had me sup late many nights. I think Dean Koontz is a genius and what a wonderful marketing ploy. I bet half of America will go buy the third book as soon as it hits the shelves. Why would you blame someone for wanting to make a little extra money? Love the book, love the author, can't wait to get the third and the end of the story.

Desperation, 24 Apr 2008
Dear Mr Koontz I am 34 yrs old and live in Liverpool. I probably won't live long enough to draw my state pension given that both my Grandparents died well before they hit 70 and the British Government have seen fit to extend the state pension age to 68. My point is I would really love to read Frankenstein 3 before I am dead not alive. Please have pity for I suffer.

Awesome Book, 06 Apr 2008
It was well worth the wait. What an awesome way to end the series. Once again Koontz has surpased himself. Keep up the good work :-)

FOR THOSE RUDE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT BOOK 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 15 Jan 2008
For your information. Dean Koontz had to kill the original Book 3 of Frankenstein because the town it was based in, New Orleans, was frackin destroyed in a frackin hurricane. So why don't you all cool your heels, chill out and give the guy a break huh? Wow...such rude people.

book 3, 05 Jan 2008
where is it. like the rest i have been waiting its release i also will not buy any more till this is released please make it soon,

Frankenstein Book 3, 03 Jan 2008
I too have been waiting...unpatiently for book 3. In fact, I already ordered it but was told it was unavailable right now. Let's hope it's released soon!

Could never better the original, but good in its own right., 17 Oct 2008
The problem with books like THE CASEBOOK OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is that they are rarely going to live upto the original. However, although this novel cannot be classed as a masterpiece like the original, that does not mean that it is not a good book in its own right.

Ackroyd has stayed true to the original in many ways. His portrayal of Frankenstein as the near mad scientist whose thirst for knowledge pushes the boundaries of normal and moral law is convincing. Similarly, as with the original, THE CASEBOOK also has a sadness to it. This is no easy thing to achieve - for Ackroyd to be able to generate sympathy from the reader for the creature shows that he has done a good job in his narrative.
In order to give his version difference, Ackroyd does give a name to the creature, in sorts. In THE CASEBBOK we learn, that rather than being constructed from reclaimed body parts, this creature is a whole man who is brought back from death. This gives him an identity even though it is somewhat flimsy. It is perhaps one aspect of the story that Ackroyd could have made more use of.

All in all, THE CASEBOOK is a successful attempt at gothic horror. Unlike another reviewer here, I quite enjoyed the twist at the end - it certainly makes you think about another dimension to the story if nothing else. As a quick read for dark nights, I would recommend this novel.

Diverting, but ultimately hugely disappointing..., 13 Oct 2008
This is my first Ackroyd and while his narrative is fairly gripping throughout, I'm afraid there's quite a lot to dislike about this retelling/reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
So, yes, the reader is initially fascinated by Ackroyd's puppetry with these - mostly historical - figures. Shelley prances about like an idealistic, ever-so-effeminate man of leisure/occasionally tortured soul with a joie de vivre which is quite endearing. Proto-feminist, cultured, metaphorically trouser-wearing Mary Shelley has a certain, serious-minded believability. And some of the incidental characters - like Fred and Daniel Westbrook - are sufficiently sympathetic. And, yes, Ackroyd does a passable - perhaps even a seamless - impersonation of a 19th century narrator/author. But it nevertheless remains an impersonation. The action flits about more hyperactively than any actual 19th century novel of note does. There are plenty of short scenes which seem to contribute little to the overall narrative and there's just a bit too much literal-mindedness and uneven tone to the whole thing which is in stark contrast to the wonderfully dense, terror-inducing paranoia of Mary Shelley's tragic/Gothic masterpiece.
Oh, and the twist at the end sends one's eyes rolling heavenwards. Especially if Ackroyd expects me to reread his slight, pastichey, entertainment in light of the final-page revelation!

Another Remarkable Novel From a Great London Novelist , 30 Sep 2008
In this, Ackroyd's latest novel, Victor Frankenstein is a contemporary and companion of Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford before Shelley gets sent down for publishing an atheistic pamphlet. Frankenstein eventually cuts short his own studies and joins his friend in London. Here he attends lectures on the new science of electricity and as an amateur anatomist wonders if it can be used to reanimate corpses.

After inheriting money upon the death of his father, he makes the acquaintance of a group of resurrection men who provide him with the cadavers he needs for his experimentation. But he unwittingly unleashes a terrible beast into the world...

I thoroughly enjoyed this, as I have all of Ackroyd's fiction (and non-fiction) that I've read. Here he carefully interposes a fictional character created by another writer - i.e. Victor Frankenstein - into the lives of real historical (mostly lierary) figures, and adds his own excellent fictional characters to the mix - Fred Shoebury, his mother etc. He's done this many times before of course, and this is one of his strengths.

The author has great fun with the major poets of the period. In addition to the fanciful and excitable Shelley, he also has cameos for Coleridge, Southey and Wordsworth, among others and there's lots of scholarly in-jokes (you won't believe the former identity of the monster he creates!) However, his greatest portrait is that of the fiercely intelligent and impulsive Lord Byron, who grows increasingly impossible and fiery as he's taken over by the demons that live within him.

And as Shelley's in here so is his wife Mary - the writer of the original `Frankenstein' novel. One scene is set in the chateau near Lake Geneva which saw the genesis of the original book.

This novel brilliantly evokes the sights, sounds and smells of pre-Victorian London. His descriptions of the stinking, muddy streets, the effluence of the Thames, the dark, low-ceilinged inns, the charnel houses. He's also clever at using place names that resonate with historical significance: Cheapside, Limehouse, St Pancras, Clerkenwell... Ackroyd is a master of the idioms of the time and there is not one single word of his narrative or dialogue that does not feel authentic.

I read the last few pages with my heart beating so fast I could hear it, but I don't know whether I was completely happy with the ending or not - which is why I've dropped a star. However, I am sure there will be many among its other readers who will think it brilliant.

Peter Ackroyd is a bona fide genius and we should treasure him.


Beautifully written, evocative and page-turning, 22 Sep 2008
This is an intriguingly-imagined and compelling story, mixing the startling and often heart-breaking exploits of the fictional Victor Frankenstein with real-life characters of his era, including Shelley, Byron, and Frankenstein's original creator, Mary Shelley. The writing is exquisite, and if Mr Ackroyd let any modern expressions slip through the net, I didn't spot them (and I am a pedant about such things...) The atmosphere and imagery of early 19th century London is so vivid it's almost possible to smell the river and the cobbled streets and gaols, and to see the resurrectionists striking their repulsive bargains with the infirmaries. The story unfolds with the measured control of a master and is a wonderful journey. The ending is absolutely remarkable - as a