by Mary Shelley
Coleridge Community Schools
Book
NO'~M. _________ L_~_---------- ----._
----
..............1..-:-..1.::.&'1..........
Abridged and adapted by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
Illustrated by James McConnell
A PACEMAKER CLASSIC
Fearon Education
a division of
David S. Lake Publishers
Belmont, California
Property Of
CoL-:·.L
-- W\lf-ll Co:Y..Ii.:nmi t
Schools
Pacemaker Classics
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Deerslayer
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Frankenstein
Great Expectations
Jane Eyre
The Jungle Book
The Last of the Mohicans
The Moonstone
Robinson Crusoe
A Tale of Two Cities
The Three Musketeers
The Time Machine
Treasure Island
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Two Years Before the Mast
Contents
Introduction ... . ......... . .... . ....... . .. . .. v
Opening Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1
Chapter 1. . . . . . . . . . . . ..
. . . . .. . . .. . .. .. . . ... 11
Chapter 2 .. .. .. . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . .. .. . .. .. ... 17
Chapter 3 . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . . ... 20
Chapter 4 .. . .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. ... 23
Chapter 5 . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. . . ... 28
Chapter 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32
Chapter 7 ................... .. ... .. .. .. ... 35
Chapter
Copyright © 1986 by David S. Lake Publishers, 500 Harbor
Boulevard, Belmont, California 94002. All rights reserved. No
part of this book may be reproduced by any means, transmitted,
or translated into a machine language without written permission
from the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 84-62178
ISBN 0-8224-9257-1
Printed in the United States of America
1.9876543
8
Chapter 9
40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Chapter 10
45
. .. .. .. . . .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . . .. . ....
51
...... ..........................
Chapter 12 . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . .. .. .. .. ....
57
Chapter 11
62
Ending Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 65
Introduction
Frankenstein is probably one of the best-known
horror stories in the world. Many people have
heard the story of the "mad doctor" who uses dead
bodies to create a monster that turns bad and kills
people.
Many movies have been made of the Frankenstein story. In most movies, the story has been
changed. When you read the book, you may find
some surprises. For example, "Frankenstein" is
the name of the scientist-not the name of the
monster. The monster has a personality that also
might surprise you. And Frankenstein himself is
not just a "mad scientist." He hopes to help people
with his work.
Most people don't know that Frankenstein was
written to win a bet. One evening in 1816, Mary
Shelley, her husband, and a friend were sitting
around the fire. They were telling ghost stories.
They decided to see who would be the first to write
a new kind of horror story. The other two people
never finished their stories. But Mary Shelley began writing the next day. In a short time, she had
written a horror story that would never be forgotten.
v
Opening Letters
To: Mrs. Saville, England
December 11, 17__
Dear Sister,
You'll be happy to know that, so far, nothing has
gone wrong on this, my great adventure. And you
had been so worried about me! I arrived yesterday.
My first job is to let my sister know that I am all
right.
I have high hopes for the trip ahead of me. I am
already far north of London. As I walk the streets
of this city, I feel a cold wind upon my cheeks. It
makes me feel so happy. Can you understand this
feeling? This wind is blowing from where I am
going: the North Pole.
Although I try, I can't think of the Pole as a place
with ice and snow all the time. Yes, I know that
everyone thinks about it that way. But no one has
ever set foot on the Pole. To me, it is a place of
beauty and peaceful seas. The sun shines all the
time. Who knows what wonders I will see there?
I have dreamed of this trip all my life. Do you
remember Uncle Thomas's library? He had so
many books about great sea trips to the Far North
1
Pacific. I read every one of them when I was a boy. I
was going to be a great explorer. Then, when
Father died, his will did not allow me to go.
But I always kept my dream. Uncle Thomas is
gone now, and I have the money. I must go. I know
that I was meant to do something really great with
my life. I believe that this trip is that great thing. I
have been getting ready for it. I have spent a lot of
time in cold weather. That way, I'll be used to the
weather near the North Pole. And I have sailed on
boats that go as far north as fishing boats can go.
Now I must travel on land to Archangel. At this
time of year, travel is easy. The horse-drawn sleds
almost fly over the ice and snow. When I get to
Archangel, I will rent a boat, and get some men to
sail it. Then we will travel on to the North Pole.
no friend to share it with. I want someone to talk to,
someone to know my hopes and fears.
I have good sailors and a good captain. We are
eager to leave. But we have to wait. The weather
must clear up before we can sail. It was a terrible
winter, but spring has come early. Soon we will
leave for the Pole. I keep wondering ifI will ever see
you again. For now, please keep writing to me. I
may be able to get a letter now and then. Your
letters cheer me up so much. Remember me with
love, if you never hear from me again.
Your loving brother,
R. Walton
Your loving brother,
To: Mrs. Saville, England
July 7,17_ _
R. Walton
Dear Sister:
The time passes slowly here in Archangel. We
are closed in by ice and snow. Yet I am happier
than I have ever been in my life. I am beginning my
great adventure. But something is missing. I have
I am writing a few fast lines to say that I am safe.
I'm well on my way. This letter will reach England
on a ship headed home from Archangel. I don't
know when or if I will ever see England again.
We are now very far north. Big sheets of ice float
by us, but they don't seem to bother the men. When
the wind blows from the south, the weather is quite
nice. But it's not nearly as warm as in England at
this time of year.
2
3
To: Mrs. Saville, England
March 28, 17__
Dear Sister,
Nothing much has happened so far-nothing
worth writing about. I am still excited about my
adventure. I will succeed. I must succeed!
I must end this letter now. May heaven bless my
dear sister!
Something strange has happened. I must write it
down. There is no one out here to take this letter to
England. So you'll probably see me in person before this letter reaches you. Still, I must tell you
what has happened.
Last Monday (July 31) we were in a dangerous
spot. Ice and fog were all around us. We were
afraid that we might run into floating ice. We
stopped the ship for a while.
At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the fog
cleared. When it did, all we could see for miles was
solid ice. The men were worried and so was I. Then
we saw the strangest thing.
We saw a dog sled out on the ice. It was about a
half mile away. The figure in the dog sled looked
like a man. But he was the size of a giant! We
watched the sled until it was lost from sight. Where
had this giant come from? We knew we were hundreds of miles from land.
A few hours later, the heavy ice that trapped our
ship began to break up. But it was getting late in
the day. We decided that we wouldn't start to move
again until the next morning.
When I went out on deck the next morning, I saw
some sailors leaning over the side of the ship. They
seemed to be talking to someone on the ice below. I
went over to the side and looked.
On a piece of floating ice I saw a dog sled. It was
like the one we had seen the day before. But only
one dog remained alive. There was a man in the
sled. I would have thought he'd be an Eskimo, this
far north. But this man was from Europe.
My captain was talking to the man on the ice.
"Here is the master of this ship," he said. "He will
not allow you to die in the sea."
I looked at the man. He looked very cold and
tired. I told him that we would be happy to take
him with us. The man gave me a strange answer.
He said, "Before I come on board your ship, will
you please tell me where you are going?"
I couldn't believe my ears! Here was this poor
fellow, nearly dead from being out on the ice and
snow. He was hundreds of miles from land. Yet
before he'd let me save his life, he had to know
4
S
Your brother,
R. Walton
To: Mrs. Saville, England
AugustS, 17__
Dear Sister,
where we were headed! I explained that we were
going to the North Pole. He seemed pleased, and
agreed to come on board.
You should have seen the shape he was in. He
was as thin as a rail. He looked as if he had been
through a lot of trouble and pain. I had never seen
a man in such bad shape.
We did what we could for him. We gave him a
drink, and rubbed his arms and legs. After a
while, he was able to eat some soup. Two days went
by before the man was able to speak. He was a sad
fellow, always looking out to sea. He spoke to no
one.
The men were dying to know about him. What
was he doing out here on the ice? What made him
take such a chance with his life? But he was still
very weak. I wouldn't allow the men to bother him
with questions. Finally, my captain asked him why
he had come so far on such a dangerous trip.
"I am after someone who ran away from me," he
said.
"This man you are after, was he traveling the
same way as you? On a dog sled?" asked the
captain.
"Yes."
"Then I think we saw him," the captain said. 'We
saw a dog sled the day before we picked you up. A
man was in it. He was riding across the ice."
7
August 13,17__
Suddenly, the man was full of questions. Which
way had the sled gone? How long ago? ,What did
the other man look like? Later, when the man fUas
alone with me, he said, "I know there are many
things you would like to know about me. But you
are too kind to ask."
"I felt it was none of my business," I answered.
"Besides, you have been so sick. It wasn't the right
time to ask."
The man asked me if I thought the breaking ice
had destroyed the other dog sled, I 'told him I
couldn't say for sure. The ice had broken up late
that night. The other driver might have reached
safety before the ice broke up,
After that, he was a different man. He kept
staying out on deck, watching the ice. He seemed to
be searching for that other dog sled. I told him that
he was too weak to stand on deck so much. But he
still wouldn't go below. Finally, I promised to put a
man on deck to watch for him. I promised the
fellow he would be called if anything was spotted.
Someone has stood on deck watching, ever since
that day.
The stranger's health is getting better each day.
But he stays quiet, and to himself I am the only one
he will speak to. He is a gentle man, and quite
interesting. I find I want to be with him, Maybe he
can be the friend I wished for!
I like this stranger better every day. I admire
him, but at the same time I feel sorry for him. He
looks very unhappy. Yet, he never talks about any
sadness. My heart goes out to him. He is so gentle
and so wise. He speaks beautifully, and I love to
listen to him.
A few days ago, I told this man about my trip to
the Pole. He listened very closely. I must have gotten carried away talking about my adventure. In no
time, I told him about my life's dream. I told him
how important this trip was to me. I told him that I
had to go on, even if it cost my life, and the lives of
some of my men. I said to him, "What is the life ofa
few men, when so much can be gained by science?"
As I said this, an awful look of sadness came
over his face. He .covered l!is face with his hands.
He let out a terrible cry. I didn't say anything.
Then, at last, he spoke.
"Oh, you poor man!" he cried. "Do you share the
same madness I have? Are you so far gone that you
don't care about human life anymore? If you knew
my story, you'd never feel the same way again."
Then he was quiet again. After a time, he spoke.
He asked me about myself He wanted to know
about my childhood and my dreams. It didn't take
long for me to tell him. I also talked about how
lonely I had been and how much I wanted a friend.
8
9
"I agree with you," he told me. "Friends can be so
important. Sometimes, it seems as if we are only
half-made people. Our friends become that other
part, and make us whole. I once had a friend like
that. He was the finest person I ever knew. Now, he
is gone. He is lost to me forever. I have lost everything. I think I will never again have a friend. I am
doomed to be alone."
He fell silent then. I looked at this fine man, and
had to wonder. Why was he so unhappy? How had
he lost his dearest friend in the world? He must
have read my mind. In a few moments he said to
me, "I thank you for caring about me. But it's too
late. There is only one reason for my life now.
There is one thing I must do. After that, my life will
be ended. I see in your face that you wish to help
me. But I am beyond any help. And once you hear
my story, you will know I am right."
Tomorrow, he will tell me his story. I plan to
write it down in his own words as much as
possible.
Your brother,
R. Walton
10
My name is Victor Frankenstein. I grew up in
Geneva, Switzerland. My family is one of the bestknown families in Switzerland. For many years,
members of my family held public office. My
father was famous for his public service.
Perhaps I should tell you about how my father
and mother met. One of my father's friends was a
rich businessman. Once, a deal this man worked
on went bad. But he kept his word to all the people
who trusted him. He paid off everyone who had
lost money. But he was left without a cent. He and
his daughter became very poor. They had to move
away from the city of Geneva.
My father heard that his friend had fallen on
hard times. He went to visit him. When he saw the
way his friend and his daughter were living, my
father's heart almost broke. He offered help. But
his friend was very proud. He refused any help. He
was ill. The only money he had came from small
jobs his daughter did for the people in town. When
she wasn't working, the young woman spent most
of her time taking care of her sick father.
My father heard that his friend was dying. My
father, again, wanted to help. He went to visit his
11
friend. He found the girl crying over her dead
father's body. My father didn't want to see his old
friend's daughter left out on the street. He took
care of her. Two years later, they were married.
After the wedding, my father and mother
traveled to many countries. Perhaps it was the
years of being poor that did it, but my mother's
health was not good. For this reason, they spent a
lot of time in the warm weather of Italy. I was
born in Italy on one of their vacations.
For years, I was their only child. I remember
that those years were very happy. My father and
mother loved each other very much. But there was
enough love for me, their only son.
When I was five years old, my parents took
another vacation to Italy. Because my mother was
always interested in helping the poor, they visited
a little hut on the shore of a lake. There, they
found a poor farmer and his wife. The family had
no money and very little food for their five
children.
One of the children, a little girl, caught my
mother's eye. This girl wasn't like the other children. She seemed different in little ways. There
was a sweetness :'0 the child that drew my mother
to her. She asked the farmer about this little girl.
The little girl's name was Elizabeth. She was
not the farmer's daughter. Her real father had
been forced to leave Italy for a while. He had
asked the farmer to take care of his little girl.
When Elizabeth's father died in another country,
she had no place to go. She sLayed with the farmer
and his family.
But then hard times came to this farmer. He
had very little money. And besides Elizabeth, he
had four children of his own. Life was hard for the
family.
My mother had always wanted a little girl. She
asked tlie farmer if she and my father could adopt
Elizabeth. The farmer and his wife loved the little
girl. But they knew that she would live a much
happier life with my family. So they let my parents take Elizabeth.
I knew nothing of this. I was too young for my
parents to talk about it to me. All my mother did
was tell me, "I have a pretty present for my Victor.
He shall have it tomorrow." The next day, she
presented Elizabeth to me.
Elizabeth and I grew up together. There was
only a year's difference in our ages. We never
fought. We loved each other in a way brother and
sister cannot. No tears, no ugly words ever darkened our days. We called each other "cousin" and
shared a deep love until the day she died.
Elizabeth loved Switzerland. She loved the
mountains and the lakes. She was always interested in art and beauty. I was different. While
Elizabeth would get excited about how beautiful
12
13
things were, I always wanted to know what made
them the way they were. Even as a child, I was
becoming a man of science.
When I was seven years old, my brother Ernest
was born. At that time, my parents stopped traveling to different countries. We had a house in the
city of Geneva. We also had a place in the country,
on the shore of a lake. We spent most of our time
at the country house. It was there, four years
later, that my brother William was born.
Our family did not know a lot of people. I had
only one close friend. His name was Henry, and he
was the son of a Geneva businessman. Henry and
I became best friends. He used to dream of the
days of King Arthur. He always was making up
plays about knights and fair ladies. He always
wanted Elizabeth and me to act out these plays.
Henry, Elizabeth, and I spent our childhoods
together. We were like three parts of one person.
Elizabeth was the soul, Henry was the heart, and I
was the mind. Henry kept telling stories of heroes
and great adventurers. Elizabeth had her art. And
I began to study science.
You must understand that I was quite young. I
knew little about science. I read any books that I
thought might explain the wonders of science. I
found a number of these books in my father's
library. They were by men who lived a long time
ago. One day, my father found me reading one of
these books.
"Ah, you're reading this?" my father said. "My
dear Victor, don't waste your time on this. It is sad
garbage."
If my father had explained to me that no one
believed in these books anymore, it would have
been different. Most of the stuff in the books was
little more than "black magic." Science had
already shown that these writers were silly. But I
didn't know this. I was angry. My father thought
that the books I liked were garbage! Instead {If
stopping reading these books, I found more like
them.
Looking back on it, I guess I was foolish. I tried
spells to change lead into gold. I tried to make
devils appear. Of course, none of these spells
worked. I might have gone on this way for years,
but then something happened.
One night when I was fifteen years old, we were
at our country house. A terrible storm came up. As
I watched from my window, I saw lightning hit an
oak tree. When the storm was over, I went out and
looked at what was left of the tree. I thought that I
would just find a burned tree. But the tree had
been turned into small pieces of wood by the lightning. I was surprised. Why did this happen?
A friend of my father's was visiting us that day.
14
15
Chapter
He was a scientist. He explained how lightning
had destroyed the tree. Before this day, I didn't
know much about electricity.
This was the true beginning of my life as a
scientist. I forgot all about those silly books that
were filled with magic spells. I began to study
nature and to read books about true science. I felt
as if the lightning had been a sign from heaven. It
had pointed the way my life would go.
What I didn't know was that this sign could not
have been from heaven. I didn't know that my
study of science would someday destroy my life
and all that I loved.
16
When I was seventeen years old, my parents
decided that I should go away to a university in
Germany. I was ready to leave when Elizabeth got
sick. It was scarlet fever. My mother toOl.~ care of
her. Elizabeth got better, but my mother caught
scarlet fever.
She knew she was dying. She called Elizabeth
and me to her bedside. "I have always wanted you
two children to marry one day," she told us. "Now
that day is close. I am so sad that I must leave you.
But I hope we will meet again in another world."
She died quietly. We were all very sad. It didn't
seem right for me to go off to the university right
away. I stayed at home for a few more weeks. I
spent most days with Elizabeth.
Finally, the time came for me to leave. My
friend Henry came over that last day. I knew that
everything in my life was about to change. Maybe
that's why Elizabeth, Henry, and I spent this last
day together. We had never been closer, or loved
each other more. Little did I know that we would
never share such happiness again. The next morning, I left for the university.
17
After a long hard trip, I arrived in Germany.
The next day, I went to the university and met my
teachers. The first one I saw was Dr. Krempe. He
taught science. He knew a lot about science, but
he was a rude man.
He asked me what science books I had read. I
told him about the books with magic spells. He
laughed out loud. "What a waste of time!" he said.
"Nobody bothers with those books anymore. You'll
have to start your studies all over again."
He gave me a list of books to buy. He told me
about another teacher, Dr. Waldman. Dr. Waldman
taught chemistry. I took Dr. Krempe's book lists.
But I wasn't planning to go to his classes. His rude
ways put me off too much.
About a week later, I stopped by the lecture hall
to see what Dr. Waldman looked like. I was happily surprised. Waldman was everything Krempe
was not. He spoke well, with a very pleasant voice.
Where Krempe was hard, Waldman was smooth.
And that man could teach! He started off with a
history of chemistry:
"The old masters promised things they couldn't
do: turn lead into gold, stay young forever. These
were all empty dreams. But scientists of today are
different. They don't promise much, but look at
what they have done! We now know how blood
moves through our bodies. We know what makes
up the air we breathe. We are aiming at the skies,
and we get closer every day. Who knows what
wonders may come next?"
How Waldman's words excited me! I could hardly sleep that night. I went to see him the next
morning. I told him the same things I had told
Krempe. But Waldman didn't laugh at the books I
had read. He said, "We owe a lot to those old
writers. True, they were wrong. But don't you see?
They started it all. Without them, science
wouldn't be what it is today."
Waldman told me that he was happy that I
wanted to study chemistry with him. "However,
you should study all kinds of science-not just
chemistry," he said. "Studying just one kind of
science is like studying only one side of a building.
All you know is that one side."
He took me to his workshop. He showed me how
his machines worked. Then he gave me a long list
of books to read. When I left Dr. Waldman's house,
my life was changed.
I spent the next two years studying science. I
didn't even go home for a visit. I lived for my books
and classes. I made some discoveries in chemistry
that made me well known at the university. Finally, the time had come to begin work on my own.
But what would that work be?
I thought of going home to Geneva. I wanted to
visit my family and friends . But then something
happened that made me stay where I was.
18
19
The wonder of life had always interested me.
Not just in humans, but in animals as well. Just
where did life come from? No one has ever known.
Most of my studies had been in chemistry. Now I
decided to study human biology.
To study life is also to study death. I wanted to
see how death changed bodies. I cut into dead
animals and people. I saw how death gives way to
life. A human or animal dies, and its body gives
food and life to worms. I know that cutting up
dead bodies sounds horrible, but it didn't seem
that way to me.
Then, like a flash of light, it came to me. It was
so simple. Why hadn't anyone seen it before? I
knew that I had come upon the secret of life! I
knew that I could make things come to life!
I can see from your face that you would like to
know this secret, too. But that cannot be. I cannot
tell. If you hear my story to its end, you will see
why. :i tell you this: be happy that you do not know
this secret. It's much better not to know.
When I found I could really create life, I had to
stop to think. Should I start with simple animals?
And if so, what ones? At first, I didn't think that I
20
should try to make an animal like myself: a man.
It would be too hard.
But then I thought about how things were
changing in science all the time. New discoveries
were being made every day. I was sure that if I had
problems, I would find answers. I had to succeed. I
21
knew I would. For a month, I gathered my things
together. Then I began.
What was I thinking at this time, you may ask?
Was I like a man who had lost his mind? No, my
friend, far from it. I was going to create a new kind
of man. This man would love me more than a son
loves his father. I also thought that if! could make
lifeless parts live, maybe I could bring the dead
back to life.
These thoughts kept me going. I shake when I
think of the things I did. I robbed graves and cut
up the dead bodies. I can still see all those staring,
dead eyes. I stole bones and organs. The horror of
it stays with me, even today.
My work became everything to me. I didn't
write to my family, and I never went out with
friends. I ate very little and began to lose weight.
My eyes grew deep set in my face. Most of the
time, I didn't wash. I worked in a secret room at
the top of my house near the university. At times,
what I was doing made me sick. But still, I kept
working.
22
Ch.pt"
4
Over a year passed. I received letters from my
father. He was worried about me. But I couldn't
stop. I couldn't write back. I had to finish my great
project.
Then, one dark night in November, I came to
the end of all my work. It was one o'clock in the
morning. The rain fell against the window. My
candle was nearly burned out. I put together all
my instruments, so I could give life to the thing on
my table. Then I saw the creature's yellow eyes
open. It breathed hard, and its arms and legs
shook.
How can I describe this thing I had worked so
hard to make? He was very tall. I had chosen his
face as beautiful. Beautiful? How wrong could I
have been? His long hair was black and shiny. His
teeth were white and perfect. But these things
made the rest of him seem even more horrible. His
yellow skin barely covered what was underneath
it. His yellow eyes almost matched the color of his
skin. He had straight black lips.
This was what I had worked on for almost two
years. For this, I had gone without sleep and
almost destroyed my health. I had worked for a
23
beautiful dream of creating life. But in that moment, all beauty was gone. I was filled with horror. I ran from the workshop to my bedroom.
I kept walking around in the room. I couldn't
sleep. I don't know how long I walked. Finally, I
wore myself out. I fell down on the bed and went to
sleep.
I dreamed I saw Elizabeth. She was young,
healthy, and beautiful. But when I took her in my
arms to kiss her, she changed. Her face looked
dead. Then, for a moment, I thought I held the
dead body of my mother in my arms. I could see
worms crawling all over her dress.
I woke up with a start. The dim, yellow light of
the moon came through my bedroom window.
Then I saw IT-the thing I had created. He lifted
my bedcovers. His yellow eyes looked straight at
me. His black lips were set in a horrible grin.
From his mouth came an awful sound. He may
have been trying to talk. I don't know.
He reached toward me. Maybe he wanted to stop
me from running. But I got around him and ran
from the room. I ran outside. I spent the rest of the
night in the yard, walking back and forth. When
morning came, I began walking through town. I
had no idea where I was going. I knew I couldn't
go back to my house, where the creature waited.
After a time, I found myself at the place where
stage coaches stopped. One was coming, and I saw
that it was from Geneva. As I watched it, the
coach stopped. The door opened, and my friend
Henry stepped out. He saw me right away.
"My dear Frankenstein," he said. "How glad I
am to see you! And what luck that you are here to
meet me!"
We shook hands warmly, and began to walk
toward the university. When I saw Henry, I forgot
the monster. I felt happy for the first time in
24
25
\
\,~
months. It was almost as good as being back home.
I thought of my father, my brothers, and dear
Elizabeth. But what was Henry doing here? I
asked him.
"You don't know how hard it was," Henry said.
"I finally talked my father into letting me go to
the university here. He will pay all my costs. We'll
be schoolmates, Victor!"
He looked at me warmly. Then his face changed.
"But how sick you look, Victor," he said. "I was
going to yell at you for not writing. Your father
and Elizabeth are worried about you. But you look
as if you haven't slept in days."
"You're right, Henry," I said. "But it isn't sickness. I have been working very hard. I haven't
been taking care of myself. But now, that work is
Of course, I didn't dare talk about my work. I
didn't want anyone to know about it. Suddenly I
saw where we had walked. We were in front of my
house. What if that thing were still there, waiting? I had Henry wait outside, while I looked
through the house. The monster wasn't there.
Filled with joy, I went and brought Henry inside.
We were having breakfast when it happened.
My joy turned into something else. I couldn't stop
laughing. I began jumping around the room, still
laughing.
"Victor, why are you acting this way?" Henry
asked. "What's wrong?"
I began to cry. "Don't ask me!" I yelled. I threw
my hands in front of my eyes. I thought I saw the
monster come into the room. "He can tell you," I
said. Suddenly, I felt as if the creature had
grabbed me. "Oh, save me! Save me!" I cried. Then
I fell to the floor in a fit. It was the beginning of a
sickness that lasted for months.
Henry took care of me during that time. I didn't
know who or where I was. Little by little, I began
to come out of it. I began to see things around me
and to talk with Henry. I was far from well, but I
was coming back to the real world.
When I was better, Henry told me that classes
were about to begin at the university. I knew that
I didn't want to study science again. Every time I
thought about science, I remembered the monster
I had made. So, for the next six months, I went to
Henry's classes with him. We studied history and
languages.
Then the school year ended. I looked forward to
leaving Germany. I wanted to go home and see my
family again. It had been almost six years since I
had been home.
I began to get ready to go back to Geneva. I
expected a happy homecoming. But that was not
to be.
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27
over."
Just as I was about to leave for home, I received
a letter from my father. Something terrible had
happened. My youngest brother William was
dead. He had been murdered!
The letter explained that the family had been
walking together near Lake Geneva. William had
gotten lost. They found him in the woods. My
father wrote that William had "the print of the
murderer's finger on his neck."
I went back to Switzerland right away. I had
been so excited about this trip. Now this awful
thing had happened. But the worst was yet to
come.
When I got to Geneva, it was quite late. The city
gates were shut. I spent the night in a nearby
town. In the morning, I rented a small boat. My
father's house was across the lake.
As I rowed, I saw a storm over a nearby mountain. The lightning flashed. The thunder roared.
"Poor William," I thought. "Is this your funeral
song?" I landed the boat, and began to walk
toward my father's house. Lightning flashed
again. For a moment, I thought I saw the shape of
a person near some trees. This was near the spot
28
where William's body had been found. Could the
killer have returned?
Lightning flashed again, and my blood ran cold.
There, in the flash of light, I saw it-the awful
thing I had given life to. There could be no mistake about it. I saw that giant body and that
horrible face. Then, in a second, he was gone. I
tried to follow, but the monster was too fast. A
minute later, the lightning flashed again. I saw
the creature climbing the mountain. It was nearly
29
straight up and down, but he rose up the cliff like
a fly.
I knew right away what had happened. The
monster had killed my baby brother. Only something that wasn't human could have hurt such a
sweet child as William. And what could I do about
it? Who could catch such a strong creature? He
could throw grown men around like babies. And I
couldn't tell the truth to the police in Geneva.
They would call me a madman and lock me up. No
one would believe that a creature I had made from
lifeless parts had killed my youngest brother!
When I got to my father's house, I found him
almost mad with sorrow. My other brother Ernest
was with him. Elizabeth had stayed in bed, crying.
Somehow, she felt that she had caused William's
death. She felt that if she hadn't let him wander
off, William might still be alive.
Ernest began telling me about the murder. I
wasn't listening to what he was saying. I had seen
the monster, and this was very much on my mind.
Then I heard Ernest say, "But since the murderer
has been found ... " Suddenly, I was all ears.
"The murderer has been found?" I asked. "How
can that be? Who could be strong enough to follow
him? I saw him, too, last night."
"I don't know what you mean," Ernest said to
me. "Justine is the one being held." Justine was a
young woman who had been adopted by our family
many years before. I knew she loved William as
much as we did. She had always been there to play
with him and to take care of him.
"But that can't be," I said. "Justine would never
harm little William."
"None of us thought so, either," Ernest replied.
"But the police found something. You remember
the little picture of mother? The one Father had
made into a pin?"
"Yes, I do," I answered.
"Well, William wore that pin. He begged Father
to let him wear it. Even though it was worth a lot
of money, Father let him keep it. The pin was
found in Justine's pocket."
"A mistake has been made," I said.
Yes, a mistake had been made. But I was the
only one who knew it. Elizabeth didn't know what
I knew. But she didn't believe that Justine would
kill William. Elizabeth and I tried to help Justine.
But we couldn't. There was a trial. Poor Justine
was found guilty. She was hanged a few days later.
Can you know what went through my mind? I
knew that the monster had killed William. But I
couldn't tell anyone. No one would believe me.
And all this trouble had come about because of
me. I had created the monster. And because of my
creation, both my brother William and dear
Justine were dead!
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31
I felt that I was in a living hell during those
months after William and Justine died. I knew
that I had caused their deaths, and I felt that I was
evil. I started spending more and more time alone.
I could not face my loving family.
I began to take long walks. One day, I decided to
climb a high mountain near my home. It was a
steep climb, but a path was cut into the rocks. It
was raining that morning, but I didn't care. I
wanted a long, hard walk.
It was nearly noon when I got to the top. I
looked down at all the beauty below me. I felt
good. Then, suddenly, I saw a form of a man. He
was far below me, but was climbing toward me.
How quickly he moved! He jumped from rock to
rock, like a mountain goat. He seemed to care
nothing about falling.
As he got closer, I saw how big the man was. My
heart sank. It was the monster! I shook all over
with anger and horror. This was my chance to get
him. Even if! died trying, I would even the score
for poor William and Justine. As soon as he was
close enough, I cried out, "You devil! How dare you
even come close to me? Come a little closer and I
will kill you! I will crush you. You are a monster!
If killing you would bring back the people you
killed, I would kill you a thousand times!"
The monster did not try to harm me. He just
gave me a horrible smile and said, "I thought
you'd act this way. People always hate those who
are low and unlucky. And I am the unluckiest
creature of all. Even the lowest man in the world
is loved by his creator. Frankenstein, you are my
creator. Yet you hate me! You and I are tied
together, forever, until one of us is dead."
He pointed his finger at me. "And you talk of
killing me. What kind of man are you? You gave
me life-a life of horror. All men are turned
against me. I did not choose to be the thing you
made me. You owe me something, Frankenstein.
If you don't give me what you owe me, I will kill
every last friend you have. I will kill the rest of
your family. The deaths you have seen so far will
be nothing!"
"You devil!" I cried. I jumped at him. He got
away from me easily.
"Careful, Frankenstein," the creature said. "I
am much stronger and bigger than you are. You
made me so. I could break you like a dry twig. But
I won't do that. You are my creator, and I cannot
raise my hand against you.
"You call me a devil. But I would not have been
this way. Life has made me a killer. I would have
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33
Ch,p'"
~
been like an angel. But after you gave me life, you
left me. You turned away from me. I have been
evil because I am unhappy. Make me happy,
Frankenstein, and I will be the best and kindest
creature on earth."
His words made me more angry. "You talk of
happiness, when you have caused such pain?" I
asked. "Oh, you evil creature! Go away! I can't
stand to look at you. I can't stand to listen to you."
"Hear me out, Frankenstein," the monster said.
"Even a man on trial gets a chance to tell his
story. I don't have anyone who loves me. Everyone's hand is raised against me. And it is not my
fault. You must hear me out."
I thought about what the creature was saying. I
was his creator. Maybe I did owe him some happiness. Maybe I should listen to what he had to say.
The creature told me to follow him. He led me to a
hut, a few hundred feet below the top of the mountain. It was there that he told me his story.
34
"It is hard for me to remember the early days of
my life. All I really remember is light and dark. I
know now what was happening to me. I was born
fully grown. I could see, feel, hear, and smell. But
inside, I was a baby-a newborn child.
"When you ran from me, I didn't know why.
How could I know what an ugly thing I was?
Without knowing why, I took a coat from your
house, and left. I went deep into the woods. I slept
on the wet ground. I ate what I could find-mostly
berries and roots. All during this time, I was sad.
But I didn't know why.
"One day, I found what was left of a campfire. I
was excited by this wonderful thing. It gave
warmth and light. Like a baby who doesn't know
better, I tried to touch it. Of course, it burned me.
In this way, I learned about fire. Because I had no
father or mother to teach me, I had to learn the
hard way. All of my early lessons were learned
this way.
"I also learned a hard lesson when I met people
for the first time. I found a poor hut in the woods. I
went to the door and saw an old man inside. He
was making his breakfast. When I came near him,
35
he took one look at me and began screaming. He
ran away. I didn't know why. You see, I didn't
know I was so ugly. And I couldn't even ask why
the man ran. I didn't know how to speak.
"The same thing happened when I came upon a
small town in the woods. I began to walk down the
main street. Right away, people began screaming
and running. Men threw sticks and stones at me.
They drove me away. I ran into the woods where I
was safe. Then I sat down and cried. Why did
people treat me this way?
"Before long, the weather began to turn cold. I
didn't know how to build a house for myself. Then,
deep in the woods, I found a small cottage. Next to
the cottage there was a tiny shack. I slept in the
shack at night. I hid in the woods during the day.
"I found a small crack in the cottage wall. It was
on the side where my shack was. At night, I could
hide in the shack and look through the crack at
the people inside. Three people lived in the cottage: an old man, a young man, and a young
woman.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. These people had a
way to make a room bright at night! I had never
seen candles or lamps before. And the old man did
something that was even more wonderful. He
played a guitar and sang. At first, I didn't know
what the instrument was. But, oh, the music! It
was beautiful!
36
"The young man and woman sang along. I never
knew the sweet sound of singing before. I thought,
'These must be the luckiest people in the world.
Look at all the wonderful things they have.' I
couldn't understand why their songs were so sad. I
thought of what I had-bare ground to sleep on
and no one to love or care for me. Then I was sure
that these three people had everything.
"It took me some time to find out that they were
very poor. The two young people often gave their
food to the old man. Then they wouldn't eat. That
is how I learned that there wasn't enough food for
all of them.
"Suddenly, I felt very bad. You see, I had been
stealing food from their little garden. I thought
they had plenty of food. I almost cried to think of
what I had done to them. I stopped taking their
food. I went back into the woods for acorns and
berries.
"I spent most of the winter in the shack. By
watching the family, I learned something wonderful. I didn't know what language was. But I heard
these people make sounds to each other. Sometimes the sounds made the people smile. Sometimes the sounds made them sad.
"Slowly, I began to learn words. My first words
were fire, milk, bread, and wood. As I learned to
speak and listen, I found out about the people in
the cottage. They all had names. The girl was
called sister or Agatha. The boy was called
brother or Felix. They called the old man Father.
"The more I watched these people, the more I
began to care about them. When they were unhappy, I felt sad. When they were happy, I also felt
happy.
"Then, in the spring, things changed. Another
young woman came to live in the cottage. Her
name was Safie. Felix greeted her with great
warmth. Somehow, he was different with her than
he was with his sister Agatha. It took me some
time to figure out why. It was the first time I had
seen a man and woman in love.
"From listening to Safie talk with Felix and
Agatha, I learned a lot about the family. Their last
name was DeLacy. They were from France. At one
time, they had been rich. Safie's father was a good
friend of the family. But Safie's father got into bad
trouble with the government. The DeLacys tried
to help him, but that got them in trouble, too.
They lost everything they had. They had to run
away to Germany and live in this small cottage.
Then, Safie's father died. She came to live with
the DeLacys.
"Safie and Felix were planning to marry. They
were very much in love. Safie did not know how to
read and write. So Felix was going to teach her. I
saw that this was my great chance. When Safie
got her lessons in reading and writing, I watched
and listened. That is how I learned to read."
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39
"Not long after I had learned to read, something
happened that really opened my eyes. One day, I
was in the woods looking for food. I found a box
with three books inside. I was very lucky. The
books were written in French-the language I
had learned.
"Until that time, all I knew of the world was
what I had seen in the cottage. I read the books I
found, and I learned what life was like outside the
DeLacy family. I learned about human feelings. I
learned some history.
"One book told a story about God at war with
His heavenly creatures. This was more than a tale
to me. Then I came to the part about the creation
of Adam. I wondered where my creator was. Had
he turned from me, as God had from Satan?
"At this time, I read another book. It was in the
pocket of the coat I took from your house, Frankenstein. Now that I could read, I opened it. It was
the notebook you wrote in during the four months
before you created me. In a short time, I had read
this notebook.
"Now I knew who and what I was. And, more
important, I knew who my creator was.
"I give these notes back to you, Frankenstein. I
now know everything about my birth. I know, too,
what an evil person you are. How I hate the day
you gave me life!
"You made me ugly and horrible. I have lived a
life of sadness. All hands are raised against me.
People run when they see me. And I am alone,
always alone. Even the lowest animal on earth
has a friend. But I don't. I am alone. All I have,
Frankenstein, is you. Yet you ran away from me
on the very night you gave me life. You must have
no heart.
"But there is more to my story. One beautiful
autumn day, Agatha, Felix, and Safie went into
town. The old man was left alone in the cottage. I
had learned much about him and his family. I
knew why the young people helped him so much.
He was blind.
"Knowing that DeLacy was blind might help
me. Up until now, I had never spoken to a living
soul. There was no one for me to speak to. Besides,
I knew from my early days that people would run
from me. DeLacy could not see how ugly I was. I
wanted to talk with him. But I was afraid to take
this chance. I don't know how long I stood at the
cottage door, afraid to knock. I almost ran away a
few times. Finally, I knocked on the door.
" 'Who is there?' asked the old man. 'Come in.'
"I stepped inside. 'Pardon me,' I said to DeLacy.
'I am a tired traveler in need of rest. May I sit a
few minutes by your fire?'
" 'Of course,' the old man said. 'I'm afraid I can't
be of much help to you. I can't offer you any food.
We have so little.'
"He couldn't know that I had seen how poor they
were. I told DeLacy that I had food. I said that all I
needed was a little rest by the fire.
"I sat down. For a few minutes we did not talk. I
didn't know what to do next. I had never talked
with anyone before. Finally, the old man spoke.
"'You speak my language. Are you French?'
"I smiled as I answered his question. 'No,' I said.
'But I was taught by a French family.' This was
quite true. But the old man didn't know that I
meant his family.
" 'And what brings you to Germany?, he asked.
"It was easy for me to explain why I was there. 'I
have come to see the family that taught me,' I
said. 'They are wonderful people. In my way, I love
them all. But they have never seen me. I am
afraid they won't like me. They may
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