Frankenstein: The First Two Hundred Years

I don't write a lot of reviews, but really felt compelled to on this one. This is a very unusual book. I wanted to get it because I am a huge fan of Universal Monsters. If you have the Universal Monster box set, they have wonderful behind the scenes stories of how the movies got made. Sir Christopher Frayling is one of those interviewed for the "Frankenstein" movie. He is extremely knowledgeable about the horror genre.The first half of the book is about the events leading up to how the book was written and the lives of Mary Shelley and the people around her. While Sir Frayling goes into great detail on this it becomes extremely tedious in places. This borders many times in the "too much information" area. Included in this are outlines of the original draft and also fragments of diary entries, many abbreviated. This IS NOT a book you bring to the beach. I could read a few pages at a time, it is very dense. If you are patient, you call pull out some very interesting factual nuggets, but it is a lot of work. When I was done reading the text, part of me was glad that is was over.If you are a fan of horror movies and you want a great coffee table book, I can easily give this five stars. The second half of the book is a pictorial history of "Frankenstein". This includes stills of the original movie, pictures of various movie posters foreign and domestic, other Frankenstein movies, related movies, and merchandise. There are rare pictures, pictures never before published, and woodcuts that were in one of the original print editions. So, even if you are put off by the history, the pictures alone are probably worth the price of the book.

Great book , if Frankenstein is one of your favorite like he is mine , you will love this book . The book starts out with his creation in literature to the movies , last section of book you get photos and illustrations of Franky in pop culture . Now I would love to see this same author come out with a book like this for my other favorite , creature from the black lagoon

Frankenstein gift book. 200 pages with lots of pictures for the enthusiast. From the origins of Mary Shelly's idea, from drafts to publishing in 1818, to revisions (1831) and how it was read and viewed in her lifetime and throughout the nineteenth century. The reimagining by Universal films is of course given much attention and briefs on other cinematic films. More of a picture book than anything else. Very good for what it is but found it hard to give four stars for it because it does not cover as much as advertised. Frankenstein: The First 200 Years needed to be little bit more.

A beautifully illustrated book covering the entire Frankenstein story. The material is presented in a clear and artistic way with some great pictures, photos, and poster reproductions. An eminently worthy addition to my already overflowing collection of Frankensteiniana.

Beautiful book. Thoughtfully designed with gorgeous images. The writing is extremely entertaining and informative. I highly recommend this book to any fan of the genre.

Brilliant - my kind of book !

I received this book just before the 200th anniversary of the publication of “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus". At first, I thought this would be a pretty coffee table book, but without much depth. Oh, was I wrong.True, this is a lavishly illustrated book; in fact, the last half is all pictures and captions, showing the various adaptations and derivations of “Frankenstein”. I, who have spent a lifetime in the study of horror, still found quite a number of pictures I had not seen before.Much of the early part of the book goes into the origin of the novel. Naturally, I had read a great deal about the events of June 17th at Villa Diodati and its famous cast of characters: Mary Godwin, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont, Lord Byron, and Dr. Polidori. But never have I seen the events so carefully described. Numerous quotes are given from the journals and letters of the participants, in chronological order, and with Frayling’s enlightening analysis. Reading it, one can find themselves alongside Mary Godwin (later, Mary Shelley) as that spark of life creates a vignette in her mind and how it went forth to become the most famous monster novel the world has ever known.And this book doesn’t stop there. Frayling goes on to tell of the aftermath of “Frankenstein”, including Mary’s publishing woes, the public’s response, and an excellent account of the earliest plays to carry on the tale. This book is highly recommended.

Books don't get any better than this. The design, art direction, printing, production, typesetting, examples, and writing are all TOP TEN. A flawless gem of entertainment. Hopefully Frayling, his publisher, editor, and art director will cover each category of monster. Would love to see one on werewolves next.

Livre vraiment superbe. Les photos et articles sont vraiment bien. Très beau livre pour les amateurs.

Well researched and compiled book, worth every penny.

Whilst I have not had a chance to sit down and read it properly, I had a quick flick through and the contents look amazing. Being familiar with Christopher Frayling's previous work, I am excited to have a few days off where I can actually read this cover to cover. Definitely worth while for collectors of Frankenstein memorabilia!

Bought as a present for my partner. She says it is a great book, very informative and perfect for someone interested in horror genre

Another well written and perceptive study by my favourite popular culture guru. Nicely illustrated too.