Senior Library Books
Resource Key
When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:
LEVEL 1
brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)
LEVEL 2
provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.
LEVEL 3
lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)
Databases
Britannica Schools This link opens in a new window
Britannica School covers the core subject areas of English, Maths, Science and History. Interactive lessons, activities, games, stories, worksheets, manipulatives, study guides and research tools.
World Book Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
Online version of the complete reference work along with dictionary, atlas, links, magazines, historical documents, audio, video, images, and 3D photograph
Introduction
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Gothic horror novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley that was first published in 1818. The epistolary story follows a scientific genius who brings to life a terrifying monster that torments its creator. It is considered one of the first science-fiction novels. An international sensation, the story has been adapted hundreds of times in different media and has influenced pop culture at large. (Britannica, 2024)
Online versions - Original text
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece about a young scientist’s quest to create new life. Read by Shaun Mason. Produced by Martha Littlehailes.
A series of audio recordings of each chapter of the original text.
BBC Sounds - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - Available Episodes. (n.d.). Www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07lbwfw
- Frankenbook
Frankenbook is a collective reading and collaborative annotation experience of the original 1818 text of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The project launched in January 2018, as part of Arizona State University’s celebration of the novel’s 200th anniversary. Even two centuries later, Shelley’s modern myth continues to shape the way people imagine science, technology, and their moral consequences. Frankenbook gives readers the opportunity to trace the scientific, technological, political, and ethical dimensions of the novel, and to learn more about its historical context and enduring legacy.
(2018, April 23). Frankenbook. https://www.frankenbook.org/
Definitions
- Gothic novelFiction driven by the macabre, fantastic, or supernatural, in exotic settings of castles, ruins, subterranean caverns, and wild landscapes
Example in Frankenstein: The novel's dark, brooding atmosphere and themes of decay and monstrosity align with the Gothic tradition. - Frame narrativeA story in which another story is enclosed or *embedded as a ‘tale within the tale’, or which contains several such tales.
Example in Frankenstein: The novel is framed by the letters of Captain Walton, who narrates the story of Victor Frankenstein and the creature he created. - RomanticismAn artistic movement that lasted from the end of the 1700s to the end of the 1830s. The art of Romanticism focused on creativity and emotions. In Romantic literature, common themes included natural imagery, passionate struggle and overcoming personal hardships, and the supernatural.
Example in Frankenstein: Shelley's novel reflects Romantic ideals through its emphasis on the beauty and power of nature, as well as the intense emotional struggles of its characters.