Reviews

Manga Classics: Frankenstein by M. Chandler, Mary Shelley

troll_for_initiative's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

books_and_cocktails_afterhours's review against another edition

4.0

I jumped at the opportunity to re-read one of my favorite classics in graphic novel form. And it did not disappoint.

The artwork was great, as well as the the drawing of the various characters. It was quite faithful to the book as well, which I appreciated. It was easy to follow the story. The book read very much of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Having these classics as graphic novels/manga is definitely a good way to reach a broader (and maybe younger?) audience.

*An ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review*

gatun's review

4.0

I have not read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is one of those books that always seemed too difficult to attempt. When I came across Manga Classics Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, M. Chandler, and Linus Liu on Netgalley, I remembered long ago when I was a kid, the older kids passing around the Illustrated Classics to complete high school reports. The Manga seemed like a good way to try Frankenstein again.

The book is 336 pages long. It is, as best I can tell, the complete story. The artwork is the manga style. It is detailed. The faces are individualized. They clearly show emotion and physical state. The objects in the story are also detailed. Frankenstein’s monster is incredibly detailed. He truly looks put together of various parts more so than any other representation I have seen. I enjoyed the book. I am looking forward to reading more of the Manga Classics. I received a copy of Manga Classics Frankenstein from Netgalley. After reading it, I have written an honest review.

dorscheid's review

adventurous reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mhmrose's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Horrifying and visually gothic, Manga Classics has brought Mary Shelley's gothic masterpiece to life in their adaptation of Frankenstein. Blurring the lines of man and monster, Manga Classics Frankenstein is an enjoyable read that stays faithful to Mary Shelley's original text with only a few understandable deviations that work in the graphic novel format.

Overall, Manga Classics Frankenstein was a brilliant read with beautiful, disturbing illustrations perfect for any horror and graphic novel fan. Those who love Mary Shelley's original masterpiece will love how Manga Classic stays faithful to her words and will like how the novel has been brought to life.

Thank you, NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

nerdydreamer107's review against another edition

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC. This does not influence my opinion. 

 

I have read a few Manga Classics by now and enjoyed most of them. I love how accessible they are and at least the medium is going with the times and again, thus making the classics that “everyone should read” (according to old white men) more accessible to both older and younger generations. 

The art style again was very fitting and beautiful. I sometimes felt like I was missing bits of it as though I had skipped a page or such, but I’m hoping that was a bug in my eARC. 

While the medium was accessible, the language was less so, I believe most of the original language of the classic was kept. It was not as hard to understand as Romeo & Juliet though. Still, I believe more people would enjoy the Manga if the language itself were made more accessible as well, especially children and people learning English as a second or foreign language. 

Of course the themes of Frankenstein are still very current and Frankenstein having to deal with the consequences of his actions and hubris could (and should) serve as a lesson to many, especially as only innocents are hurt. As such, the book is oe of the more relevant classics in my opinion and I am very glad to see it adapted into a Manga. 

 

All in all a good read. 

transchilles's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

michayla13's review

dark sad fast-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

5.0

unavezmas's review against another edition

sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read original Frankenstein a while ago. It's one of my favorite books for many many reasons. So when I saw manga adaptation of it available on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go. I don't typically read manga so I am grateful for "how to read manga" page in the beginning.

Character designs are brilliant. The monster of Frankenstein looks ugly and unnatural but also human. Also he's much bigger than humans and I appreciate keeping that detail. His tragedy hit me more than when I read the book because I could see him so to speak. Victor Frankenstein character design is surprisingly faithful to the original. He looks exactly how a scientist who is afraid of his creation should look like. I know, it sounds weird but I really liked the character work, that's my point.

The artwork and panel design is also superb. The story was translated into manga really well. Even parts with action which in my opinion are difficult to translate to graphic form. I wish I could give more details on this point, but I don't want to spoil anything and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Frankenstein the novel is a difficult book as all classics are. It's not type of book you can read in one go. This adaptation however is easily digestible without losing anything in adaptation.

mistressviolet's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

A great adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 version of Frankenstein. Like the original book, this rendition is very much about the human condition, with a sprinkling of some classic elements of horror. But unlike the original, this version is much clearer, less convoluted—sparse, but thorough. It did still feel a bit on the long side, but I found it so much more enjoyable a read than the original text (classics are fantastic for education and study, and indeed I still read many, but I seldom find them enjoyable in the same way that I find modern literature). And the illustrations were a great accompaniment to the text. 

All in all, this is a great adaptation of the story—all the feel of the original novel but with less words and more pictures!