Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein. If there is one monster that you know by name,
you may think its Frankenstein. Of course, if you remember the book, Frankenstein is
actually the name of the individual who brings the creature to life.
The monster is unnamed entirely. Not every memory is 100 percent reliable. For example,
the most common image of Mary Shelley shows her as a mature woman. While you read the
book, it might be worth bearing in mind that she was only eighteen years old when
she began writing it. Also, there are two introductions to the book in most of the
available editions these days, one written in 1818, one written in 1831,
both nominally by Mary Shelley. Some people feel that the first one was written by her
husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. But since he died in 1822, the 1831 preface is
certainly hers. These are not random additions to the novel. I ask you to read
those before you read the text itself. Finally, as you read the book, you might
be wanting to keep in mind that the book is constructed with different narrative
voices, speaking to us, through each other. Are all of those voices equally
trustworthy? Is every narrator truly reliable? What are their motives in saying
what they say, and the way they say it? They do, after all, live in a world with monsters.