Frankenstein (The Original 1818 Unabridged and Complete Edition)

A Mary Shelley Classics

By: Mary Shelley

Narrated by: Joseph Kent

Frankenstein: The Original 1818 Text by Mary Shelley is a timeless gothic novel that explores the dangers of unchecked ambition and the ethical dilemmas of scientific advancement. First published in 1818, this groundbreaking work tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but reckless scientist who creates a sentient creature in his quest to conquer death. However, his experiment spirals into tragedy as the creature, abandoned and misunderstood, seeks both revenge and companionship. Shelley's novel delves into themes of isolation, responsibility, and the consequences of playing god, making it a cornerstone of both horror and science fiction literature. This edition preserves the original text, offering listeners an unfiltered experience of Shelley’s haunting masterpiece.

Public Domain (P)2025 Quill Publishing

Story was as expected, but worst narration ever.

The story and prose and everything you’d expect when written as long ago as this was- it’s extremely superfluous and long winded with several dramatic monologues along the way. The story itself is classic and worth the read. And when I say worth the read I mean just that: read it. Do not listen to it (at least to this version). The narration sounds like the English version of a poorly dubbed foreign film. There is little affect, no tone change, and barely a difference between character voices. If you want to listen, I’d suggest choosing a different version.

Mixed Feelings about this one.

The production value and sound quality are good. Also, it is nice hearing the original 1818 text of the story and not just the reworked version we are more accustomed to. The Narration is where I have my problems. It is grating on the ears. I was expecting a nice British accent and instead was assaulted by what sounds like a Monster Truck Rally announcer’s voice. The speaker does not try to match the tone or pace of the book, but reads it like it’s a flat out race to reach the end of the book. Really difficult to concentrate on even though I really want to hear the original story.

Could not finish listening

While the Frankenstein story is engaging and compelling, the reader of this particular version of the story was completely emotionless. He sounded like a news reporter. I could not finish listening to the novel… it was that bad. I downloaded a different version and was very happy I did. The reader read with so much emotion. It made a huge difference. Though I wasted a credit on this version, it was worth it to change to a more professional and dramatic reading. I wonder if other listeners felt the same way I did?

Disappointing narration

This is a wonderful story. The narrator did not use any variety of tone or tempo to differentiate between people speaking. If there were multiple people having a conversation it would become rather confusing as to which was speaking.

Is this AI?

The narration is terrible, totally disconnected from the context, I don’t see the name of the narrators so I’m assuming this is AI and if that’s the case I’d feel so robbed and disappointed