Mary Shelley: Frankenstein: Essays, Articles, Reviews

by Berthold Schoene-Harwood (Editor)

Overview

Mary Shelley's first novel has established itself as one of modernity's most compelling and ominous myths. Frankenstein poignantly captures the spirit of the early 1800s as an age of transition tragically divided between scientific progress and religious conservatism, revolutionary reform and conformist reaction.

This Guide encapsulates the most important critical reactions to a novel that straddles the realms of both "high" literature and popular culture. The selections shed light on Frankenstein's historical and socio-political relevance, its innovative representations of science, gender, and identity, as well as its problematic cultural location between academic critique and creative production. Ranging from the first reviews in 1818 to postmodern readings of the mid-1990s, the Guide illuminates one of British literature's most spectacular novels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231121934
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	12/27/2000
Series:	Columbia Critical Guides
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.21(w) x 7.81(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Berthold Schoene-Harwood teaches at Liverpool John Moores University.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. "It's Alive:" The Reception and Endurance of Frankenstein
2. Giving Form to Dark, Shapeless Substances: Intertextuality and Ambivalence in Frankenstein
3. A Dream that Haunts Literature: Consciousness, Authority, and Signification in Frankenstein
4. Whose Body Does the Text Display?: Representations of Gender in Frankenstein
5. Pregnant with an Idea: Discourses of Monstrosity in Frankenstein
6. "I'll Be Back!": Reproducing Frankenstein
Notes
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index

Editorial Reviews

Examines the popularity of Mary Shelley's , its enduring critical appeal, its semi-mythical status, and its endless trail of reproductions. Early chapters discuss early reviews of , and contextualize Shelley's achievement within the web of intertextual relations that range from the work of her immediate family to that of her Romantic peers. Later chapters examine psychoanalytic and feminist critical perspectives, trace the origin and significance of Shelley's use of demonic and monstrous imagery, and look at film adaptations of the Frankenstein theme. Substantial excerpts from critical works cited are highlighted in bold text. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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