Mary Shelley – About Things | A Hans Scharler Blog

Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein Book Published by Marvel Comics

Hans Scharler — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 14:08:57 +0000

I encouraged you to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or at least watch some recap videos to get some context. Now, I am going to suggest that you can skip that and go straight to the comic book version of the iconic novel illustrated by the late, great Bernie Wrightson.

Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein Artwork

I have been fascinated with Bernie Wrightson’s artwork and style. Some time ago, I started collecting all of the cards released by FPG Cards back in 1993 through 1996. I have nearly a complete collection of Bernie Wrightson’s FPG Cards… I recently got a sealed box of More Macabre cards at a thrift store. I recorded a timelapse video of George and I openning all 36 packs looking for a rare metal card or a signature card. But. I digress.

Opening a 1994 Sealed Box of Berni Wrightson’s Macabre FPG Cards

In 1983, Marvel Comics and Bernie Wrightson released an illustrated version of Frankenstein with an introduction by Stephen King. This book has been reprinted several times and is my favorite way to read Frankenstein. It’s a great pairing of the original text with dark illustrations. I like Bernie’s take on Frankenstein’s monster. It feels true to how Mary Shelley described the creature and its construction.

Illustrated Frankenstein Book

I Know That You Still Haven’t Read Frankenstein

Hans Scharler — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 18:39:04 +0000

I strongly encouraged you to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in my last post. You probably loved it and now want to talk about it… Forget it. I know that you still haven’t read Frankenstein. You will rely on our collective memory of the book and still call the monster, Frankenstein.

Here’s a two-minute TL;DR version of the book:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Book Summary) – Minute Book Report

Now, you can start talking about some of the actual plot points, but you may not be able to talk about what it all means. There seem to be a lot of layers to the book. I have enjoyed watching and discussing the text to see how the metaphors and symbolism play out in real life and how the book has affected culture and movies. Another way to understand what’s going on with Frankenstein is to understand a little bit more about what was happening to Mary Shelley and what was happening when Mary Shelley was writing this novel.

Everything you need to know to read “Frankenstein” – Iseult Gillespie

Now, will you watch these two videos about Frankenstein? What do you think so far?

Have You Actually Read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein?

Hans Scharler — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 15:50:05 +0000

I am late to the party on this one. I spent most of my life thinking that I actually read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. But, all of my memories of the book were actually from movies, pop culture, and our collective misconceptions. So, I actually read the book this summer. I really didn’t know anything about the book and I am glad that I did.

The original copy of Shelley’s Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus sold at a Christie’s auction in 2021 for $1.17 million.

I am not going to spoil the book in today’s blog post. I will be doing that over a series of posts about Frankenstein. The only thing that I am going to do today is to dispel one big misconception from the book. I can already hear the literary nerds jumping in to say what it is…

Frankenstein is not the name of the monster. Frankenstein is the name of the person who contructs the monster. The monster, or the creature, is not named in the book. Now, go read it. It’s in the public domain. You don’t have to spend $1.17 million to read it. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is literally available on any platform for free. The audiobook is about 7 hours. Binge it.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Complete Audiobook