Frankenstein

This audio version of Shelley's classic hits all the book s emotional highpoints thanks to a terrific tag team of readers a choice that is amply justified by the book's structure: explorer Robert Walton's correspondence with his sister; Victor Frankenstein's narration of his life and misguided efforts to play God; and the infamous monster's first-person account of how he made his way in the world. All three narrators are adept at modulating their tone to suit a scene s mood Roger May reads Walton's sections, Daniel Philpott narrates Frankenstein's, and Jonathan Oliver handles the monster's sections but the heavy lifting falls to Philpott, who conveys his character's passion, ambition, and ultimate horror at what his creation has done, which includes an accidental killing that strikes the scientist very close to home. For any listener familiar only with filmed treatments of this seminal tale of terror, this is a good way to experience the original. --Publishers Weekly

This classic tale of horror and obsession features an appropriately overwrought reading by three talented British actors. Dr Victor Frankenstein becomes enslaved to the idea of reanimating the dead, spending years in a manic frenzy of scientific study and creation. But once his monster lives, Frankenstein is so horrified by the ugliness of 'the demoniacal corpse' that he abandons it, never imagining that they will meet again in murderous circumstances. Daniel Philpott does most of the narration, employing a Germanic accent when he voices the good doctor s dialog. Roger May does a superb job as Capt. Robert Walton. The best performance, though, is by Jonathan Oliver as the Daemon. He makes listeners feel pity and compassion for this creature who longs only for love and intellectual stimulation; instead, he cannot help but be the personification of evil in his own mania for vengeance. VERDICT: The reading is well paced, and the narrators are not afraid to sound overwrought when appropriate. --Michael Rogers, Library Journal

Mary Shelley's poignant exploration of the true depths of ambition and humanity has had a profound effect on readers since its conception in 1816. When scientist Victor Frankenstein forms a creature from the body parts of corpses, thus shattering the perceived limits of scientific understanding, the consequences are devastating on both a personal and a wider level. Our natural sympathies are challenged as Frankenstein becomes disgusted with his creation, who, in turn, begins to suffer from an acute sense of loneliness. When his desire for a companion is thwarted, he vows to take revenge upon Frankenstein. What ensues is singularly chilling in this gothic classic, which has spawned numerous film and theatre interpretations.