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Graphic Classics #15
Graphic Classics, Volume 15: Fantasy Classics
Fantasy Classics presents Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," adapted by Rod Lott and Skot Olsen, with a prologue illustrated by Mark A. Nelson. Plus H.P. Lovecraft's epic fantasy "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath," by Ben Avery and Leong Wan Kok, and "Oz" author L. Frank Baum's "The Glass Dog," by Antonella Caputo and Brad Teare. Also Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter," adapted by Lance Tooks, and "After the Fire," a poem by Fantasy Master Lord Dunsany, illustrated by Rachel Masilamani. With a dramatic cover painting by Skot Olsen.
144 pages, paper
First published March 18, 2008
60 people want to read
About the author
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
2,364 books8,709 followersMary Shelley (née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, often known as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) was an English novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, travel writer, and editor of the works of her husband, Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley. She was the daughter of the political philosopher William Godwin and the writer, philosopher, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
Mary Shelley was taken seriously as a writer in her own lifetime, though reviewers often missed the political edge to her novels. After her death, however, she was chiefly remembered only as the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley and as the author of Frankenstein. It was not until 1989, when Emily Sunstein published her prizewinning biography Mary Shelley: Romance and Reality, that a full-length scholarly biography analyzing all of Shelley's letters, journals, and works within their historical context was published.
The well-meaning attempts of Mary Shelley's son and daughter-in-law to "Victorianise" her memory through the censoring of letters and biographical material contributed to a perception of Mary Shelley as a more conventional, less reformist figure than her works suggest. Her own timid omissions from Percy Shelley's works and her quiet avoidance of public controversy in the later years of her life added to this impression.
The eclipse of Mary Shelley's reputation as a novelist and biographer meant that, until the last thirty years, most of her works remained out of print, obstructing a larger view of her achievement. She was seen as a one-novel author, if that. In recent decades, however, the republication of almost all her writings has stimulated a new recognition of its value. Her voracious reading habits and intensive study, revealed in her journals and letters and reflected in her works, is now better appreciated. Shelley's recognition of herself as an author has also been recognized; after Percy's death, she wrote about her authorial ambitions: "I think that I can maintain myself, and there is something inspiriting in the idea". Scholars now consider Mary Shelley to be a major Romantic figure, significant for her literary achievement and her political voice as a woman and a liberal.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 5, 2013
Reason for Reading: I'm working on reading the complete series.
I'd say this is my least favourite of this series that I've read so far too date. First I'll start off with the art. I found it all incredibly enjoying and each artists style was perfect for each story they illustrated. I especially liked the representation of "Frankenstein's Monster"; truly hideous and yet his eyes show his human emotions: sadness, despair, anguish, anger and madness. As to the stories themselves I found them a motley example of the theme topic "fantasy". Overall from this series, the genre collections are my least favourite as they seem to be a questionable lot labelled under the titular genre. I'm more fond of the broader themes related to specific topics or collections such as Halloween, Christmas, African-American authors; and most fond of the author specific volumes.
This collection starts with Frankenstein, first a retelling of the evening when Mary Wollstonecraft along with Shelley, Byron and others agree to a challenge to each write a "ghost story. Frankenstein is not a ghost story, but this is where she came up with the idea. Secondly is a retelling of the Frankenstein story. As said I enjoyed the art and also the retelling here, but its inclusion is dumbfounding. Frankenstein is not fantasy at all; it is horror or science fiction, separately or combined. My favourite story in the book is a retelling of Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter. I've read a bit of his work but this was new to me and I found the story spooky as well as fantastical; the art gorgeous. Baum's The Glass Dog was another satisfactory entry. Two poems are included but I'm no great connoisseur of poetry and found them each ok. The book then ends with a long adaptation of HP Lovecraft's "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath" I find myself hit miss with Lovecraft. I've read a few short stories here and there, but most commonly come upon him in this situation; a graphic adaptation. Suffice it to say, I either just don't get Lovecraft or I get but can't see the point. It was the latter situation with this story and frankly, it bored me to tears. Great art but aside from "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the non-fantasy "Frankenstein", none that I loved.
I'd say this is my least favourite of this series that I've read so far too date. First I'll start off with the art. I found it all incredibly enjoying and each artists style was perfect for each story they illustrated. I especially liked the representation of "Frankenstein's Monster"; truly hideous and yet his eyes show his human emotions: sadness, despair, anguish, anger and madness. As to the stories themselves I found them a motley example of the theme topic "fantasy". Overall from this series, the genre collections are my least favourite as they seem to be a questionable lot labelled under the titular genre. I'm more fond of the broader themes related to specific topics or collections such as Halloween, Christmas, African-American authors; and most fond of the author specific volumes.
This collection starts with Frankenstein, first a retelling of the evening when Mary Wollstonecraft along with Shelley, Byron and others agree to a challenge to each write a "ghost story. Frankenstein is not a ghost story, but this is where she came up with the idea. Secondly is a retelling of the Frankenstein story. As said I enjoyed the art and also the retelling here, but its inclusion is dumbfounding. Frankenstein is not fantasy at all; it is horror or science fiction, separately or combined. My favourite story in the book is a retelling of Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter. I've read a bit of his work but this was new to me and I found the story spooky as well as fantastical; the art gorgeous. Baum's The Glass Dog was another satisfactory entry. Two poems are included but I'm no great connoisseur of poetry and found them each ok. The book then ends with a long adaptation of HP Lovecraft's "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath" I find myself hit miss with Lovecraft. I've read a few short stories here and there, but most commonly come upon him in this situation; a graphic adaptation. Suffice it to say, I either just don't get Lovecraft or I get but can't see the point. It was the latter situation with this story and frankly, it bored me to tears. Great art but aside from "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the non-fantasy "Frankenstein", none that I loved.
August 20, 2015
I really like this version of the Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews