Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein is an 1818 novel by Mary Shelley that was republished in 1831 in a more widely read edition. It is often considered to be the first science fiction novel because of how it combines real scientific research with some speculative elements. The novel also has elements of the horror and gothic genres. Shelley originally wrote the novel as part of a friendly competition to see who could write the best scary story. Mary's husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romantic poet Lord Byron, and Byron's doctor John Polidori were the other authors included in the competition. Polidori notably wrote a novella called The Vampyre, which was one of the first examples of vampire fiction ever written. Shelley's novel is by far the most famous and enduring piece of writing to come from that competition, and it is still widely read today.
FULL DRAMATIZED AUDIOBOOK
FULL DRAMATIZED AUDIOBOOK
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Frankenstein is an 1818 novel by Mary Shelley that was republished in 1831 in a more widely read edition. It is often considered to be the first science fiction novel because of how it combines real scientific research with some speculative elements. The novel also has elements of the horror and gothic genres. Shelley originally wrote the novel as part of a friendly competition to see who could write the best scary story. Mary's husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romantic poet Lord Byron, and Byron's doctor John Polidori were the other authors included in the competition. Polidori notably wrote a novella called The Vampyre, which was one of the first examples of vampire fiction ever written. Shelley's novel is by far the most famous and enduring piece of writing to come from that competition, and it is still widely read today.
Frankenstein Summary
Frankenstein opens with a sailor named Robert Walton writing letters to his sister about his voyage to the North Pole. While in the Arctic, Walton finds Victor Frankenstein who has been trying to travel across the ice using a dogsled but has grown weak and sick. Victor tells Walton his life story, starting with his upbringing in Geneva and his choice to attend medical school.
At medical school, Frankenstein became obsessed with the idea of life and death and eventually figured out how to create life from death by using electricity to reanimate dead tissue. He spent many months creating a being using this method. It worked one night, and he managed to bring his creation to life. When he saw the creature move, however, he was horrified by how monstrous it looked, and he abandoned the being before falling into a months-long fever. When he recovered, Victor learns that his younger brother William had been murdered by his creature, and an innocent woman was executed for the crime.
During a walk in the mountains, Victor encountered his creature. The monster told Victor about what had happened since his abandonment. He talked about learning to survive on his own and spending many months living in a lean-to beside a family's house. He tried to connect with the family members, but they, like Victor, shunned him. He encountered William and murdered him when William responded to him with fear as well. The creature, who understands that he will never be accepted by human society, asks Victor to create a female companion for him. Victor reluctantly agrees.
When the female creature is almost complete, Victor suddenly changed his mind, fearing what might happen if his creature should reproduce. He destroys his new creation, and the monster, infuriated, vows revenge. In his anger, he killed both Victor's friend, Henry Clerval, and Victor's bride, Elizabeth. Victor began to track his creature so that he could get revenge and followed him all the way to the Arctic.
However, he dies on board Walton's ship. Shortly thereafter, the monster arrives. Though he hates Victor, he still mourns his death. The monster tells Walton that he is going out onto the ice to die so that his suffering can end.
1984 by George Orwell
The novel takes place in the year 1984 in which England has been transformed under a totalitarian superstate known as Oceania. 1984 follows Winston Smith, a mid-level member of the Party. The Party demands the allegiance and adoration of its citizens. But, Winston Smith has escaped the brainwashing that seems to have taken over everyone else’s mind. At the center of the Party is a mysterious figurehead who goes by the name of Big Brother. Winston’s burgeoning interest in the past and his hatred of the Party and its cruel, murderous, and destructive policies lead him to seek out the revolution.
FULL DRAMATIZED AUDIOBOOK
FULL DRAMATIZED AUDIOBOOK
(CHAPTER BY CHAPTER PLAYLIST)
The novel takes place in the year 1984 in which England has been transformed under a totalitarian superstate known as Oceania. 1984 follows Winston Smith, a mid-level member of the Party. The Party demands the allegiance and adoration of its citizens. But, Winston Smith has escaped the brainwashing that seems to have taken over everyone else’s mind. At the center of the Party is a mysterious figurehead who goes by the name of Big Brother. Winston’s burgeoning interest in the past and his hatred of the Party and its cruel, murderous, and destructive policies lead him to seek out the revolution.
Key Facts about 1984
Title: Nineteen-Eighty-Four: A Novel, later republished as 1984.
When/where written: Orwell wrote the book in Jura, Scotland from 1945-1949.
Published: June 1949
Literary Period: Late Modernism
Genre: Novel / Dystopian / Science Fiction
Point-of-View: Third-person omniscient
Setting: London/Oceania in 1984
Climax: Torture scene in Room 101.
Antagonist: The Party/O’Brien/Big Brother
George Orwell and 1984
It is for 1984 that George Orwell is best-known. The events of his life led him down a path that allowed him to see the world through a very clear lens. His belief system was well fostered and served to inspire him to write 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as other works of fiction and non-fiction that seek to promote democratic socialism over any form of totalitarianism. As a young man, Orwell lived in poverty in London and Paris in order to learn about the darkest parts of society. Unlike most men and women with strongly held beliefs, he stood up for them. When he traveled to Spain to write about the Spanish Civil War he ended up joining a militia in order to fight against fascism and Franco. He was shot in the neck and charged with treason for his efforts. Orwell was well aware of the dangers of totalitarianism and Soviet Communism and knew that the conditions he depicted in both novels could occur anywhere at any time. Today, the books are considered to be a reminder that democracy is not bulletproof. It is possible for our better-governing systems and better selves, to fail.
Books Related to 1984
When George Orwell wrote 1984 dystopian fiction was not the genre that it is today. At the time that he was writing 1984, there were several wonderful examples of this genre from which he could draw inspiration. Some of these include his mentor Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World published in 1932, Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We published in 1924, and Jack London’s The Iron Heel. The latter is considered to be the earliest example of the genre, published in 1908.
Over the decades the genre would grow, becoming one of the most popular amongst readers and writers. Today, there are numerous contemporary examples of novels and short stories that have their origins in George Orwell’s masterpiece. These include books like The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Stand by Stephen King, The Power by Naomi Alderman, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
The Lasting Impact of 1984
Few books have had as long a lasting impact as 1984. When it was published in 1949 after the Second World War, the book seemed to be at its most relevant. But, the following decades proved, as the times are proving today, that 1984 is not falling out of the spotlight anytime soon. The novel has sold tens of millions of copies. It has been made into and inspired movies, tv shows, and plays. Orwell’s wider literary oeuvre has birthed other novels (such as those listed above) and inspired a generation of thinkers to always keep an eye on the past.
Today, as anti-democratic, pro-isolationist, and even fascist governments are taking power all over the world, many have turned to Orwell for his knowledge of these systems and the importance of fighting back against them. Totalitarianism is not a thing of the past and luckily we have 1984 as well as Orwell’s other novels and essays to remind us how possible it is to lose our democratic systems of governance.
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