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dee9401's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic read as part of a collection on horror that I read while in a Horror film studies class at the University of Rochester back in the Spring of 1987. (I also read Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).
ericbuscemi's review against another edition
4.0
Although I own this edition of the book, and read the Stephen King introduction to it, I am reading a different edition of the three novels. I found a website -- DailyLit -- that emails you snippets of classic books every day, so that they can be read in a serialized manner over the course of a few weeks to months, depending on the length of the work. I am going to experiment with reading these three novels that way and review those editions of them, and my experience with Daily Lit, when I finish.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Since this is considered a "groundbreaking", "classic" work for the genres of science fiction and gothic literature, I expected to embrace it. But, in reality, I found it dragged endlessly on, mostly with the never-ending lamentations of the narrator, Dr. Frankenstein, who is unable to stop waxing poetic and philosophical for a single page. What is most infuriating is that the story is supposed to be a series of journal entries that Frankenstein gave on his deathbed to a ship captain, which makes the long-windedness even more absurd. The actual plot could be written on a cocktail napkin, and could very well be adapted into a compelling short story. Rating: Between one and two stars.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale, which like Frankenstein, is written as a series of journal entries, was a much more enjoyable read than Mary Shelley's monster story. Although it is a considerable longer work, it isn't tedious or lacking action -- there is so much more going on, and from many points-of-view. That being said, it did drag a bit in the middle, especially in two specific segments -- after Jonathan Harker's first section of journal entries, and again after Lucy Westerna's death. Rating: Four stars.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson is the only of these three authors that understands the concept of brevity. The idea for his tale was just as interesting as the others, but he managed to pen the whole thing in less than a week, making it readable in one captivated sitting. It reminded me a lot of various Sherlock Holmes stories, both in tone and setting. Rating: Four stars.
Note: I found reading the Daily Lit serialized emails distracting, as I like to read books in larger segments than the service sends, and also like being able to decide when to stop reading, instead of Daily Lit deciding for me. I finished reading Frankenstein using DailyLit, but am going to read the Kindle editions of Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hytde.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Since this is considered a "groundbreaking", "classic" work for the genres of science fiction and gothic literature, I expected to embrace it. But, in reality, I found it dragged endlessly on, mostly with the never-ending lamentations of the narrator, Dr. Frankenstein, who is unable to stop waxing poetic and philosophical for a single page. What is most infuriating is that the story is supposed to be a series of journal entries that Frankenstein gave on his deathbed to a ship captain, which makes the long-windedness even more absurd. The actual plot could be written on a cocktail napkin, and could very well be adapted into a compelling short story. Rating: Between one and two stars.
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker's classic vampire tale, which like Frankenstein, is written as a series of journal entries, was a much more enjoyable read than Mary Shelley's monster story. Although it is a considerable longer work, it isn't tedious or lacking action -- there is so much more going on, and from many points-of-view. That being said, it did drag a bit in the middle, especially in two specific segments -- after Jonathan Harker's first section of journal entries, and again after Lucy Westerna's death. Rating: Four stars.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson is the only of these three authors that understands the concept of brevity. The idea for his tale was just as interesting as the others, but he managed to pen the whole thing in less than a week, making it readable in one captivated sitting. It reminded me a lot of various Sherlock Holmes stories, both in tone and setting. Rating: Four stars.
Note: I found reading the Daily Lit serialized emails distracting, as I like to read books in larger segments than the service sends, and also like being able to decide when to stop reading, instead of Daily Lit deciding for me. I finished reading Frankenstein using DailyLit, but am going to read the Kindle editions of Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hytde.
kyumgi's review against another edition
4.0
in order from most to least, i liked best: 1) dracula, 2) frankenstein, 3) dr jekyll and mr hyde
apiratethatdoesnothing's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy that it is three books in one - but wanting to read classics they were DRY!
giancarlo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sugarplum47's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
5.0
travelgirlut's review against another edition
4.0
I actually only read the Frankenstein portion of this book. I had already read the other two stories previously. As for Frankenstein, it was very different from what I would have guessed from the popularized portrayals I've seen in various forms of media. I had no idea what the story was about, so it was a nice surprise to read it and see what really happened in the story. I also think it's amazing that Mary Shelley wrote this when she was 19. In the introduction Stephen King says that the writing is really bad and he's not sure why the story has stayed so popular, but I disagree with him. I think the writing was great, and the level of vocabulary used is quite impressive for a 19 year old. I really enjoyed reading it.
dsbookie's review against another edition
3.0
I have finally read all three of these books! I bought this book about eight years ago and just now read Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. All three books are interesting in their own right. These are some of the founders of the horror genre, the books that have influenced a lot of the novels I love today. I am honestly so glad I actually read these.
I love this collection because it is taking the three founders of the genre and putting them side by side into the same book with a forward written by today's favorite horror author, Stephen King. It was all a treat!
If you haven't read any of these books, do so now. It will be worth it!
I love this collection because it is taking the three founders of the genre and putting them side by side into the same book with a forward written by today's favorite horror author, Stephen King. It was all a treat!
If you haven't read any of these books, do so now. It will be worth it!
bwbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75