Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #877243 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 287 pages

From Library Journal
Florescu (emeritus, European history, Boston Coll.) covers very little new material in his examination of the myths behind the creation of Shelley's famous novel. Most chapters rehash extensively studied topics, although "Castle Frankenstein and the Alchemist Dippel" does offer some original ideas about the Frankenstein family. Florescu develops a thesis based on "what ifs" surrounding the infamous summer of 1816 and the Byron-Shelley coterie. Although the work includes images of the Shelley circle as well as an impressive Frankenstein filmography, the comprehensive bibliography of sources is rarely alluded to, enhancing the sense that this work is speculative in nature. Florescu aimed to write something that fell between an academic and a popular study, but this doesn't really work as either. Recommended only for large public libraries and academic libraries in which many undergraduates study Frankenstein.?Kim Woodbridge, "The Scientist," Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'highly intelligent and well-researched.'

Ingram
Radu Florescu dissects the myths behind one of the most mysterious stories written by Mary Shelley.

Customer Reviews

Call it a 2.5 rounded up
This is a very well researched book, but not what I expected. I went into it thinking it would be like the "In Search of Dracula"
book(s) by the same author and it is not. It basically delves into Mary Shelly's past and tries to disprove that the book and the title came to her in a dream vs. her actually just putting together local folklore. I don't quite know if the author is trying to accuse her of plagarism or what but it is not a book like his Dracula non fiction works. If you are interested in delving into a writers pysche and possibly finding how a very popular story came about then this book is for you. If you want to know about the Frankenstein family in depth as he did Dracula, this book is not for you.